Day Five : Block Island!

This morning we woke up in Mystic.  We had a quick continental breakfast before starting our journey to Block Island.  The fog was thick as we drove, and it lasted a good part of the morning.  We met up with Aunt Betty and spent the day with her, hooray!  She was awesome enough to bring three adult bikes, I pulled the girls in the trailer, and we rented Ryan a tagalong behind Coleson.  We boarded the 9:30am ferry and rode most of the way in the fog.  It was a fun ride, but we couldn’t see much.  The ferry left from Port Judith, Rhode Island and took right at an hour to reach the island.  Fun fact we learned today : Block Island is the smallest city in the smallest state.  Once situated and on our bikes, we headed north up the island.  There are bikes everywhere, but also some cars, so it was a little bit unnerving, especially with my wide load.  But once I got used to the traffic flows, it was good.  The ride out wasn’t too bad, only one hill, but it was fairly doable.  We parked our bikes out on the end of the island by the beach.  We sipped delicious fresh lemonade from a food truck guy [there’s nothing commercial out there].  The kids had a great time playing in the water and soaking their shoes.  We skipped rocks and they dug in the sand – which worked even better after we were done with the lemonade and they could use the cups.  After playing for a bit, we headed towards the lighthouse.  We went far enough for some photo ops before turning back.  We saw lots of seagulls of course, but we also saw several baby ones which were really cute.  We found crab shells and snail shells, and the girls walked the balance beam on quite a few pieces of driftwood.  Abby found a torch/driftwood and tablet/rock and pretended to be the Statue of Liberty for awhile.  It was a beautiful beach with the ocean on one side and a pond on the other.  Like how I said pond?  I’m like an adopted northerner.  Pond = lake.  What a gorgeous place and a fun way to spend the morning.

The ride back towards the commercial, downtown area was waayy harder.  Unless of course, you are Chloe.  Then you fall asleep in the bike trailer.  I couldn't believe it when I glanced back and saw her.  She was out.  Her poor head bobbing all over.  Abby tried to help her hold it back, but Chloe didn't seem to care either way.  So, as I was saying, for the rest of us : Lots of uphills, but the biggest issue was the headwind.  I felt like I was blowing backwards, it was crazy.  By the time we stopped for lunch, we were pretty much worn out.  The trailer is heavy, but at least I’m used to it and it’s sturdy.  I pulled that most of the way, but I did do the tagalong for a mile or so as well.  That thing was absurdly awkward.  I felt like I had no control at all, we wiggled to and from, and I couldn’t go in a straight line to save my life.  So needless to say, when we finally ate lunch at 2:00, eight miles later, it was delicious :)  We dined at The Beachead.  [I think it’s Beach head, but it only has one “h” and is one word].  The food was great, and the view from the porch couldn’t be beat.  We had shade, fresh sea air, ice cold water, and the yummiest french fries – what more could you want?  [besides maybe some Coke, us Atlanta folk don’t do all this Pepsi].  After lunch, I rode the tagalong back to the rental place, while Coleson and the kids picked us out a magnet.  All in all, we did about nine and a half miles on the bikes.  We attempted to catch the 4:00 ferry, but it was pulling out as we came running down. 

Aunt Betty hung out by the shops, and the five of us used the extra time to walk out on one of the jettys.  They have these awesome jettys all around this area – massive rock walls out into the ocean.  They block the waves and divide the beach and other useful stuff, but they are also really cool looking and really cool to climb on.  Ryan was off and running.  Literally.  I can’t tell you how many times we had to yell for him stop and wait for us.  Abby did great as well, and even Chloe enjoyed them, although she needed a good bit of help.  We made it all the way to the end of our jetty.  It went straight out and curved back around, creating a calm, pool area where boats were tied up and people were swimming.  We then did a couple more stores since Mommy hadn’t gotten to shop the first time around.  Coleson and I picked our vacation souvenirs - Block Island shirts, and then we went ahead and boarded the ferry for the 5:15 return.  Instead of benches, this time we had green movie theater type seats.  The kids loved them and drove us crazy hopping from one seat to another.  We were on the middle level, so we were inside, although there were open windows everywhere.  It was much warmer in there then it was on the breezy rooftop on the way to the island.  Aunt Betty took a short nap, I found a small Coke, and we returned to the mainland about 6:15.  Without the fog, we had much better views.  New England has some great architecture and charm.  Once the ferries dock, the first thing off are the cars.  Surprisingly, it’s really fun to watch the cars drive up from the bottom level of the boat and head up the dock.  This morning it was mostly work trucks and landscapers and even a Direct TV van.  Tonight it was all cars – Betty counted 19.  It’s almost as good as a parade!  We were reunited with the bikes, and walked back to the cars.

We made it to our hotel here in Warwicke RI, just outside of Providence, somewhere around 7 or 7:30.  The kids kept occupied on the drive here with a sheet of yellow dot stickers.  One at a time they covered their mouths and eyes with stickers and then asked for pictures.  They were happy and there was lots of laughter coming from the back :)  Once here we unloaded, took much needed showers, and then went to dinner at Wendy’s.  I know, I know, it’s not exciting, but when it’s after 8:00 and everyone’s tired, you choose quick and easy.  Plus the adults, at least, were still digesting our huge and very late lunch! 

We had a great time with Aunt Betty, and we are so happy and grateful that she spent the day with us and helped us with the biking.  She’s an amazing biker and has done some awesome rides and trips; it was nice having a pro :)  But mostly we just love her company and getting to see her.  She’s staying here at the same hotel, so we’ll meet up with her again for breakfast.  She and Ricky are headed to Pittsburgh after this, and we won’t be able to see them later in the week in Weekapaug, so I’m super happy that today worked out.  It was nice to chat, and we also got to see dress pictures for Chris and Meghan’s upcoming wedding.  We’re looking forward to a nice trip up for that in October [without kids.  Yikes and yahoo all at the same time.]

I really enjoyed our day on the island.  And of course being outside and getting exercise and sharing family time are three of my very favorite things.  Thankful for a fun day!  Good night all, off to get some much needed sleep! 

Day Four : Mystic CT

Hooray for two nights in the same hotel and being able to spread out all our stuff and make a mess!  Today we awoke in Mystic CT.  We didn’t have quite the leisurely morning we had hoped for, oh well.  The kids were still up by about 7:30.  We enjoyed a continental breakfast, complete with a pancake maker.  The kids loved watching them fall out the end, esp Chloe – she was dancing excitedly at one point. 

After breakfast, we took a drive through and around Mystic.  The New England scenery is beautiful – the rocks and green grasses and glimpses of water everywhere.  We ended up on Stonington Point, and we got out to explore the rocky beach.  We had a blast climbing the big boulders and watching boats and birds.  And what trip to the beach in clothes and sneakers would be complete without getting those clothes and sneakers wet??  Congrats to Abby for stepping in the water and soaking herself!  Fortunately, we had clean shorts and underwear in the car, but we did swing back by the hotel for dry shoes.  We then parked in downtown Mystic and wandered the little downtown area.  We stopped in a few stores, and we watched the Mystic River Bascule Bridge rise.  It’s a pretty cool drawbridge.  Chloe was very excited to see the boats going by – “Mommy picture that one, yes yes!”  We have lots of pictures of boats going by the raised drawbridge.  After that, we spent a good bit of time at the Mystic Knot Work store.  The kids each picked colors for their own Weekapaug bracelets [although they don’t call them that in Mystic!], and the storekeeper tied them for us while we waited, super cool.  Coleson’s Aunt Betty used to tie bracelets for all the kids each summer, so it’s pretty neat that our kids have their own to wear this summer.  We had awesome sandwiches at the Drawbridge Café [my Santa Fe turkey was the best :)] before heading back to the hotel. 

Despite all the cool and new and exciting things to do on vacation, the kids wanted to swim in the hotel’s indoor pool so bad they could hardly think straight :)  So off to the pool we went.  I snuck out for a quick run, and then we watched a couple of minutes of TV to relax before heading off again.  We were able to walk right across the street to the Old Mystic Village.  We saw some shops and visited ducks at the duck pond, including some really cute babies.  We had dinner at Mango’s Pizza.  Pizza, wings, and cheesy bread – it was quite good and between the five of us, we ate every bite.  We then went to Twisters’ ice cream right along the Mystic River.  The ice cream was good, but the view was Amazing!  We sat at a picnic table along the river watching the boats and the setting sun.  Ryan and Abby each had a turn with the camera, and we took some fun pictures by the water before returning to the hotel.  After some late nights, we were glad to get the girls in bed at a decent hour.  Ryan and Coleson had some bonding time on the fitness center treadmills, and now we’re all going to call it an early night.  We’ve got big plans tomorrow!  Aunt Betty, a ferry, and bike riding, here we come!    

[PS, this is how you sugarcoat a day for a blogpost.  While it was an overall good day - any day on vacation is better then a work/school day - it was also a bit of a tired, grumpy day for most of us.  The kids each had their own fair share of whines and there were a couple of potty training accidents.  Mommy's really glad for a normal bedtime tonight.  And also wishing for a margarita.]

NYC from Ellis Island

Statue of Liberty by Ryan

We started tired and did not want to get out of bed but we got of bed Chloe was first out of bed than me and last Abby. For Breakfast I had a banana and bagel Abby had a banana and a bagel  Chloe had a banana and some frosted flakes daddy had a banana and a bagel and mommy had a banana and a bagel. Than we drove four hours and only one stop! Than we arrived at the Statue of Liberty!  First we had a picnic lunch.then we rode a ferry boat to get Ellis Island. Then we looked around Ellis Island. Then we got on the ferry boat again. Then we went to the statue of liberty. We got to go to the pedal stool! Then we look at the gift shop. Then we got lemonade. Than we looked around the Statue of Liberty to get a good view. Then we went to another gift shop and got t-shirts! Then we got back on the fairy boat. Then when we got back to the dock we went back to the car. Than we kept driving and we found a restaurant on the side of the road and we had hot dogs and a burger for dinner. Than we kept driving to the Hotel. When we got there we got ready for than we went to bed.

Day Three : the Statue of Liberty

Hello from Mystic, CT!  We started the day at Granddaddy’s house.  After waking up, eating a quick breakfast, throwing stuff in the car, and saying our goodbyes, we headed up 95north.  Our drive was a fairly uneventful four hours or so.  We arrived at Liberty State Park in New Jersey at lunchtime to see the Statue of Liberty.  We had read that the New Jersey side was easier, had more parking, etc.  That was true – we had no trouble finding a good spot.  We enjoyed a beautiful view while picnicking on peanut butter and honey sandwiches.  We had the NJ skyline to one side and the Statue and the harbor to the other, hard to beat that!  After eating, we headed for the ferry.  The lines weren’t bad at all and we had a good seat at the front of the boat by the window.  Chloe cried just a minute when boarding the boat, but after that everyone was fine.  Our first stop was Ellis Island.  There wasn’t too much exciting on the island itself, but the views were amazing.  NYC has such an awesome skyline.  And of course the Statue on the other side.  We meandered a bit, took photos, and the girls “climbed” a tree.  We then rode the ferry again, this time to Liberty Island to see the Statue.  We had pedestal tickets, so we headed up first.  The climb was somewhere around 200 steps, not too bad of a climb [and way better than a claustrophobic elevator ride!].  The views were great, although it was a narrow squeeze and pretty congested up there.  And I was sad that you really couldn’t get a good straight-up view of the Statue.  We climbed back down and enjoyed more beautiful water views and picture taking.  We treated ourselves to a large fresh lemonade, as well as tshirts for the kids.  Our only long line was waiting for the ferry back to Jersey.  There was a very large student group ahead of us; I guess we now know how others must have felt when the Walton Band showed up oh so many years ago! 

It was a great day and a fun experience.  The kids have really been looking forward to this day.  We had read about the Statue in a Scouting magazine Ryan gets in the mail, so we knew lots of fun facts.  And Abby told her Waumba Land teachers at church last week that she’d be at the Statue of Liberty this Sunday!  We were pretty worn out by the end, but that’s okay!  Nothing that some Oreos and naps in the car can’t fix.  As usual, Chloe was asleep almost right away, but as a nice surprise, Abby also took a short nap.  We wound our way all around the sidestreets of Jersey City on our way out of town [the “avoid tolls” option :)].  Once safely on our way, we stopped at a small, local restaurant on the side of the road just inside New York state, before the Tapan Zee bridge.  We actually passed it and made a U-turn to go back – it looked fun and we weren’t sure what else we might find!  It was called The Filling Station and was a small burger place.  We walked up to order and sat at picnic tables to eat.  The food was pretty good, the atmosphere was nice, and the employees were friendly and helpful.  We had dogs and burgers and yummy fries and Cokes that tasted really good after a long couple of days of travel! 

We arrived at our Holiday Inn Express here in Mystic about 9:30.  It appears to be a great hotel – nice room, continental breakfast, and an indoor pool.  Fortunately we weren't going towards New York on a Sunday night.  The traffic was crazy going the other direction; all the city folk returning from their weekend beach houses were sitting on the highway forever!  It was still packed at 9:30 even 90miles into CT.  We’ve got some fun ideas for tomorrow, but first we’re really looking forward to a slow start in the morning.  Good night from Connecticut!

Day Two : the 4th of July!

Our Saturday started about 4:30am, at least for Chloe and Mommy.  I awoke to her crying Mommy.  Our rooms at Granddaddy’s are set up jack-and-jill style, so I crossed through the bathroom to check on her, only to realize she wasn’t on her pile of blankets.  She had set up her bed on the floor right up against the big bed, despite our attempts to put her near the wall.  Without glasses and in the dark, it took me a few seconds to locate her.  She was saying “in here,” which come to find out meant under the bed.  She was way up under there, and not only that, she was sideways.  So I had to lay and pull her feet and together we worked her out.  I suggested moving her bed, yet she still insisted on laying on the floor right by the bed.  So I piled up the extra decorative pillows under the edge of the bed, and back to sleep we went :)

Suzzette and I had hoped to run a 5k to celebrate the 4^th, but with the rain, it didn’t happen.  After breakfast, we did venture out to find a parade though.  We met up with Chris, Suzzette, Emma, and Franklin in Great Falls.  It was pouring when we got there!  We hung out under the Safeway overhang and then eventually a Wells Fargo.  Fortunately the rain subsided in time for the parade.  Suzzette kept the kids entertained while we waited with games like Simon Says and the Hokey Pokey.  It was a cute, small town parade complete with firetrucks, politicians, community groups, tons of candy, horses, and even Spiderman in an old-fashioned mail truck.  After the parade, the kids did a few jumpy bounce houses.  Most of them were too big for Chloe and Franklin, but we did find one that worked well enough.  Abby was a great helper and assisted the two little ones all the way through.  Thanks Abs!

After the parade and festivities, we said goodbye to Suzzette and headed back to Granddaddy’s for lunch.  We enjoyed some much needed downtime in the afternoon – watching a movie, a run for Mommy, and of course playing in the basement.  We had a wonderful dinner at The Greene Turtle with Granddaddy and Grandma Jo-Ann.  It was a nice burger place and quite tasty.  We then headed to the town of Leesburg for fireworks.  We had a great spot on the lawn of a Catholic church, away from the biggest crowds.  Ryan had a blast running and playing with two brothers – eight and six years old.  They ran and ran and ran.  It was fun to watch him having so much fun.  There was also a five year boy and his three year old sister nearby, and Abby and Chloe occasionally played with them.  They were cute little towheads :)  Abby spent most of the evening with Granddaddy and Grandma Jo-Ann though.  She’s our sweet, cuddly one.  Another highlight was catching fireflies.  Ryan was really pretty good at it!  Chloe fell asleep in my arms about 9pm.  She was NOT a fan of the fireworks.  She woke up sort of when they started, but she refused to actually wake up and acknowledge the world.  She kept her eyes squeezed shut and her head buried in my arm.  She would not let me sit her up on my hip, she insisted on burrowing down into my armpit and hiding.  She didn’t flinch or cry at all, it was more like she was in a trance – she was totally off in her happy place.  The rest of us enjoyed the fireworks.  It was a great show with a nice soundtrack of patriotic music.  After the fireworks, Ryan’s new friends came to find him and say goodbye.  They asked something about if they’d see him at fireworks next year, but Ryan told them he lived in Georgia and was just on vacation.  It was a pleasant evening, and the girls were quickly asleep in the car.  It was about 10:30 by the time we got back to Granddaddy’s, so we all went to bed right away.

Happy Birthday America!  We love you!  We have so much to be thankful for this day and everyday.  Our country is the best, and I love celebrating the 4^th of July! 

Summer 2015 New England roadtrip!

Hello from Granddaddy’s house in Ashburn, VA.  It’s summer roadtrip 2015!  Our adventure started yesterday afternoon.  Coleson got home from work about 4pm.  We drove Maya and her crate over to Nana’s, wished Pop-Pop a happy birthday, and said hello to Jason & Amber.  We then starting throwing stuff in the back of the van.  As the kids get older, it gets easier to pack!  Just the basics this trip, not even a pack-n-play, although we did bring the napmat and a blanket for Chlo-Chlo.  She’s too big for a crib, but we’re still afraid she’d fall out of a real bed in a hotel room.  So anyways, we left home about 5:15.  We picnicked in the car and made it about seven hours before stopping at midnight at a Red Roof Inn in Durham, North Carolina.

Only a few hours into our trip, we’ve had our first casualty : Critter.  If you know anything about Chloe, you know that Critter goes everywhere.  Critter is Mommy-made and very special to both of us.  He is super well-loved and actually just had knee surgery two nights before we left.  We know she had fallen asleep with him in the car Thursday night, but I remember noticing when we were in the hotel room that she wasn’t holding him.  And of course, a couple minutes later when we laid down, she started crying for “Dritt-Er.”  We assured her that he was in the car, and she was able to fall asleep.  Let me tell you, we have looked everywhere for him.  We couldn’t find him the next morning in the car, we walked to the room and back several times, we’ve torn through our suitcases, I even checked the trashcans in the stairwells at the hotel.  We’ve check twice with the hotel office and they have our name and number in case he shows up.  He’s literally disappeared into thin air.  Chloe has taken it fairly well – fortunately Abby is not attached to her Critter, and so “Abby Critter” has filled in occasionally in the past.  Chloe has clung to Abby’s Critter today and is currently sleeping with him.  I keep praying Critter will show up, and I keep checking the car even though I know he’s not there. 

After checking out of our hotel, we got donuts from the gas station next door and coffee from McDonald’s before finishing up the last four hours to the DC area.  We meet up with Choi family in time for lunch today, woohoo!  We picnicked with them at an awesome park on Burke Lake – we have a box in the truck with bread, PB, honey, lots of snacks, apples, etc.  After lunch we rode a fun little train and watched the ducks [geese] down by the lake.  We finished up with ice cream and a rootbeer float for me at the park’s ice cream parlor.  It was a cute place and a fun afternoon.  After the park, we stopped by David and Kelley’s new townhome.  It’s a great place with a basement and nice backyard.  The kids enjoyed hanging out with Hannah.  She’s in between Abby and Chloe’s age, so the girls especially play really well.  It’s always fun to see the Chois and catch up on life! 

This evening we arrived at Granddaddy and Grandma Jo-Ann’s.  They had an awesome dinner for us – rice and beans and pork and corn.  It was delicious!!  The kids spent the evening in the basement playing ping-pong with Granddaddy and coloring with Grandma Jo-Ann.  They’ve also added a fun placehouse since our last trip.  The weather was a little drizzly, so we passed on a scooter ride with the kids, and instead Coleson and I snuck our by ourselves for a short run/walk.  It was a nice treat!  Thanks Granddaddy for watching our kiddos.  We thought briefly about checking out local fireworks tonight, but the kids were pretty tired.  Chloe asked for bed and fell asleep without a peep [and with Abby’s Critter]; the rest of us weren’t far behind.  We’re excited for a fun-filled Fourth of July tomorrow!  Unfortunately it’s supposed to rain, but surely there’ll still be lots of patriotic fun to be had! 

Are trip to Maxim,s house By Ryan

We left on Monday to go to Maxim,s house. When we got their we played with thier toy,s. Then we had sandwich and watermelon for lunch. Next we went to the pool. We rod the lazy river. We played and swam in the pool. Then we went back to the house and took shower,s. When we were done me and Maxim played on the tv. Then we had pizza for dinner. Next we put on are pj,s. Then chloe and stratum went to bed and me and Maxim and Abby played. Next  Abby went to bed. Then me and Maxim read a book in bed. Next we went to bed. On Tuesday we woke up and played. Then we had French toast or a bar with fruit for breakfast. Next we went hikeing and played on a playground. Then      we went to jeray,s mike, s subs for lunch. Then we went back to the house then me and Maxim played in his room. Next me and Maxim played on the tv then we played outside. Then we had hot dogs, veggie sticks and carrots. Then we went outside rod bikes. Then we went home.