Rainy Day Fun

What do you do on a rainy weekend when Mama has class?

Well, you hang out with Daddy and do fun rainy-day activities! Duh!

You bring an umbrella...

You play inside...

You...play outside...without an umbrella...in the rain!

I used to get cabin fever really bad. But when I'm stuck with the both of you, I really don't feel stuck inside at all!

We braved the storm for dinner and dessert:

The next morning we read Bone. A lot of Bone. And then you two PLAYED Bone. Featured here are Lucius and Bartleby? Julia was Thorn, of course!

We played board games and drew...

We went to a hardware store to do a fun halloween craft and eat free hot dogs!

And then...when the rain slowed to a trickle, but a river still flowed down the hill, we got out a wooden boat, and sailed it to the bottom of the street, where we ran into the Long sisters, and had a splashing good time!

Then...you guys dried off, and we carved our Halloween pumpkins!

Finally, Mama met us and we had dinner with the friends. And one of our first official kids tables:

See? A little rain isn't that bad!

Galveston 2018- Beach Party USA

So, this year's trip to Galveston was one of the best ever. Life truly is a beach when we're together; and even better when we have lots of cousins, and uncles, and aunts, and grandparents, and sea and sky and food. 

You both have grown up so, so much since we first met (LOL) and this was never more evident than on this trip. I just had a fabulous time with both of you, doing all sorts of stuff. 

Aidan, you and I floated down the shore on our floaties and I told you the tale of "The Princess Bride" (including embellishments filling in the parts I couldn't remember) for about 2 hours. Apparently you soaked in every single detail, because when we watched the movie later that month you were asking why the parts I described weren't in the movie!

Julia, you and I had a blast doing tricks on the sand and -although my back hurt- I love that you still only want to be the 'eyes in the sky' for crab hunting. You and I spent so much time also looking up at the sky and locating planets and stars. To be fair, this year, you were much more into being with Molly than me, though, and that's fine!

Because some of the biggest joys Mommy and I get from trips like this is seeing how well you are both learning to interact with others. And you both are so independent now, and forging your own relationships with others without me and Mommy.

Some of the highlights of this year included: 

• board games <Munchkin Panic, Battleship, Uno!> (which you're finally old enough to play on your own)
• firey sunsets on the beach 
• chasing ella
• wrestling with autumn and ella and kat after board games
• playing, dancing, snuggling and soaking with molly
• riding the waves with addision and kobi and uncle taff and aunt deborah
• playing with uncle dana's and aunt mendi's dogs on the beach
• playing hide and seek with your cousins
• too much ice cream
• kisses and tickles from grayson
• crabbing with uncle taff - and aidan and autumn taking charge as the new crab masters
• beading with aunt rebekka 
• digging holes and building sand castles
• burying people in the sand
• chasing on the beach
• mudmen
• sumo wrestling
• hand stands
• reading books from aunt april and uncle keith and aunt deborah
• watching music videos with uncle ross
• watching movies with molly
• saving nana's umbrella from flying away
• walking down to the beach house without grown ups
• surfing! (i accidentally rode a wave and surfed right by you guys!)
• stargazing and watching the planets in alignment (we saw Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and Venus!)
• Playing "egged on" with your cousins
• Sitting in the surf with Pops
• Rainbows
• Freak rainstorms that trapped me, you, and mommy under a canopy!
• Floaties, including the famous donut
• The FLOSS
• Kisses for Mimi and Pops
• Fresh warm Taffy at LaKings
• Learing about POPPY! ( a new cousin brought to you by Rebekka and Ross!)
• Mimi sucking out Deborah's brains

Life's a beach when we're together, and I can wait to soak up even more sun with you and our family next year.