Our Trip Down South

Just got back from a week in South Carolina visiting my in-laws.

For the most part, the weather was gorgeous.

We actually were able to relax, thanks to Grandma's help.

She came to our place and would watch #3 while during lunch and nap time, which allowed us to relax at the beach and pool with Diva and Daredevil.

I actually got to read a book! I read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

I know, the book has been out for 3 years, and Julia Roberts is now filming the movie.

But I don't get to read for pleasure much. I very much enjoyed the book and can't wait to see the movie.

Anyhoo, here are a few shots of our trip.




Here we are on a bike ride and are looking for alligators. They frequent the lagoons around the island.

There's one . . . a rather big one . . . exiting the water.

Now we are REALLY glad to be on bikes!

Behold our contraption to keep #3 happy on our hour long bike ride - a snack cup attached with string to the bike seat.

Worked like charm, I should patent it.

One of #3's trips to the beach.

Usually she was hanging with Grandma in the nice cool house, not getting overheated and sunburned. It was darn hot.

But she liked the beach and, as usual, ate the sand.

Diva and Daredevil enjoyed the beach, as usual

Hunter wanted to take Diva and Daredevil on a shark-fishing trip.

Fishing & boats are not my thing, (I tend to get seasick) so I offered to stay behind with #3.

Then Super-Grandma showed up and said she'd watch #3 so I could
GO. DO.WHATEVER. I .WANT.

I went shopping! I had THREE WHOLE HOURS to myself!

Here, Diva waits to get on the boat.

Knocking back a few at the Salty Dog Cafe before going shark fishing.

Daredevil did some more skimboarding.

He even got some advice from a twenty-something guy on the beach who was REALLY GOOD.

Riding the waves! The water was gorgeous, clean and warm.

We had been warned of jellyfish, but never saw any.

Waves were kicked up from Hurricane Bill, and later Tropical Storm Danny.

We loved it, because there are usually NO waves in Hilton Head.

Walking around and looking at the LARGE yachts at Harbor Town.

The kids begged to go up the lighthouse, but they've done it a million times before.

Not to mention we are slackers, it's a lot of steps. And it ain't free.

Listening to Gregg Russell. He's been singing under this oak tree every summer, 6 nights a week, for 33 years.

I came to listen when I was a kid.

He puts on a great show, fun for parents and kids alike, especially when he makes fun of tourists and yuppie parents.

He said something especially meaningful this time . .

As he talked about his children and how they are almost grown up, he said this to parents:

"Hold on to them as long as you can. It goes by in a blink of an eye."

#3 liked the music and was dancing
<

So here we all are, waiting for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, the Crazy Crab.

I know, it's a rare picture of me. I don't like getting my picture taken, so there aren't many.

But we were very relaxed by the end of this week, so I relented.

NOW BACK TO THE REAL WORLD!

Vacation pics . . .

Hunter and I spent last week NOT relaxing at the Jersey Shore. Yes, we had fun, had great weather, and sure, we loved spending all the time with the kids and my parents, but it was hectic and exhausting.

We were in Ocean City, New Jersey, which is completely designed for families. I have 92 photos, but I won't bore you with them all. These are my favorites:

#3 rode the merry-go-round for the first time. She is smiling here, but that's before she started moving. Then the smile went away and she was terrified!

Our annual picture in front of the lifeguard stand. The beach bum crew - from back left - my niece "J", Daredevil, Diva, and (in front) #3. Missing from the photo is my nephew "G", who 2 months older than #3's.

Ah, #3's first bike ride. She did not like this helmet and kept taking it off and throwing it in the street. You can see her dislike for it here.


We rode to the bike shop and exchanged her helmet. Here she is much happier, and no longer throws it into either the street or the path of another boardwalk biker.


The boardwalk bikers. OCNJ lets folks ride bikes on the boardwalk (about 20 blocks long) until 12 noon each day. I've done it since I was a little kid. Fun for the whole family.

With another baby in the house and only 1 high chair, #3 got to sit in a booster seat like a big girl. She enjoyed it very much.

#3 thought she would sample some sand. She discovered it's not so tasty. I thought she would learn, but she kept doing it again.

Daredevil on his skimboard. Waves were perfect for skimming. He is getting better at it all the time.
My beach babies . . .

Daredevil watching some surfers. He begged us for surfing lessons, but there just wasn't time. Maybe next trip. I want to take some more lessons. Surfing is very hard, but so fun.

My wannabe lifeguard.

A rainy day trip to Atlantic City. We went to Caesar's and then the boardwalk. Here is the gang with ol' Caesar. Training the kids early, we showed them how a slot machine worked (they watched from afar, we did not break any laws!) All hail Caesar!

Lunch at the Rainforest Cafe on the boardwalk at Trump Plaza. There was a 40 minute wait, so we sat at the bar. As I said, we are training them early.


This is at the Pier At Caesar's. It's a 3 story shopping mall out over the ocean. It was beautiful.
The mall is nice but very high end. I strode around the Louis Vuitton store like I was going to buy something, and Hunter tried on a $3,500 Tag Heuer watch at Tourneau and then pretended he just didn't like it. I'm sure we fooled no one.

To sum up the week, here's a flag someone would put up on the beach every day: It's All Good!

Heading South for Thanksgiving

We are leaving today after school to head down to South Carolina for Thanksgiving. In addition to having Thanksgiving dinner with JV's family, we are having #3's christening there next weekend.

While I am looking forward to some R&R and seeing JV's family (and my parents and brother, who are also making the trip) I am dreading the 12 hour drive. With the baby it should take us, well, just about FOREVER to get there.

While it will be a little warmer there than it is here up North, it won't exactly be beach weather. Oh well - I am still looking forward to the change of scenery. I'll try to post when I can.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!