Vacation

We're away at our favorite cozy cottage at the beach for a week. But, have no fear, we brought 3 computers with us and the cottage has free wifi. The only thing missing is my mom who has come with us for all our trips for the past several years. This year, she gets to go see the other ocean and help while my brother and sister-in-law welcome another niece or nephew. How cool is it that they don't know whether it's a boy or a girl? Retro-cool. I wish I'd had that sort of restraint!

It's still the same beach, but I sure do miss Mom.

Back @It

Back to work today, back to life, back to reality. Having been a little 'Twitterfied', I look at '@' a little differently and expect some Tweep's account name to follow it.

Vacation approaches. Can hardly wait.

How I Spent My Summer

Summer's not quite over. A week at the beach awaits us soon. Still...

In North Carolina, the homeschool year runs from July1 to the next June 30. I came to the realization that we're probably a year round school because I still work full time and thus, our actual school day is shortened. This shortfall can best be made up with more days of shorter duration. Zeke and I worked very hard to get 'caught up' in History/Geography, Writing and Grammar. It took a long time, but I believe we finally have a curriculum that works on most all the subjects for Zeke. I was strongly influenced by the neo-classical approach described in "The Well-Trained Mind," and adopted several of the authors' suggestions. I was also influenced by many of my fellow homeschool moms from the co-op who are taking a similar approach with their students. Finally, I'm reading "A Mother's Rule of Life" which incorporates Catholic monastic ideals and superimposes them on a Catholic homeschool mother's day. And here, I thought homeschooling was just teaching your own kids at home. Who knew it required a total commitment on my part and religious zeal!

Today, after Mass, our family fun outing will be a picnic with the co-op families at church. Our little co-op of 5 families is expanding to 9 families and this will be a chance to meet and greet all the spouses and kids. I feel excited, but at peace.

Premature Evacuation

Vacation starts tomorrow. But I'm into vacation mode too soon! it seems.

There still is the little matter of packing left to do.

grrrrrrr.

Four Weeks

I looked on my calendar today and noticed that exactly four weeks hence, we'll be on vacation. Easter will have come and gone, Mom will have arrived, laundry and packing will be completed and my toes will be in the Atlantic Ocean.

Can hardly wait.

Beachy WiFi Joy

We loaded up [too?] much of our belongings and set a personal best land speed record on our way to the beach today. Three adults, three children, zero stops. Dave recalled his best First-Lieutenant-with-a-map skills and found the fastest, shortest way to the ocean. Geez, I love that man.

We're in our little four bedroom cottage for a week. Mom and I did the shopping and the kids are getting jammied for their bedtime. The greatest update is this: free WiFi in every cottage. Now if I can start losing track of time, we'll know that it's officially vacation.

A New Old Photo

I came across this today and just wanted to put it up. Zeke is about twice as old now as he was then [about 3]. Daddy must've taken it because I wasn't there.

Beachy Barf-mobile

We returned from our little beach jaunt today, a day earlier than we had to, so as to let Dave return to work. Also, the weather was not cooperating. It was supposed to be sunny, highs in the low 70s, occasional rain. It was rain, with occasional clouds, high in the low 50s and just not really worth the effort.

That's what the adults thought.

The kids found the big tub in the master suite to be rollicking good fun. Also fun: chasing each other around the circuit from the master bedroom, to the bath, to the kitchen and round the horn again.

So we got on the road around 10:30 and around 10:40 Annie began throwing up for who knows what reason. The sound of a kid barfing in the back of the van, secured in her carseat is the sound that renders everyone immobile. Dave pulled over and I switched places with Mom who had done a good job trying to hold back the red sea. [Fruit chews were last in, almost first out]. Two changes of clothes and a couple barf supplies later, we were on the road. I broke seatbelt laws in two states to sit on the floor at the ready while we powered on home, making the best time yet [we try different routes all the time]. I batted a thousand, catching all 7 times she hurled. She hasn't done too badly now that we're home and I'm carefully listening to the monitor, hoping that she sleeps and that the other two don't get what she had.

Off Again

I'm starting to get used to three-day work weeks. Tomorrow I'm off work to help prepare for a little jaunt that begins on Friday. We're hoping it's sunny and warm and that the pool is heated. Even if it's not, it's another chance for our little family unit [plus Granny] to go out into the world together. Until we leave the kids behind, however, I'm just doing Mom duty in a sandier locale.

Like a Herd of Turtles...

...I'm off! From work, that is, all next week. This time, it's just hunkering down at home, piddling, puttering, keeping the home cozy. We're expecting a visit from [one of] my favorite cousin[s] and her new husband. They'll stay for a few nights and I'm so excited.

Sometimes I find that I go away on vacation and I'm not refreshed, rested and ready to return to work. On this week at home, I envision numerous projects and more available hours to homeschool. Certainly, I'll be blogging.

Triptych from our Trip

Over at Paul's blog, he's posting some photos of the children.

Vacationing from the Neck Up

I returned to work today, but still have vacation on my mind.

Joey and Annie [wearing Mr. Tony on the beach for the first time] playing in this really cool sandbox.


My brother, doing what he does best while his daughter Kate directs traffic.


Zeke with the unfettered exuberance of five-year-old-boyness.


Mary Kay Ash once said, "Leisure is a beautiful garment, but it will not do for constant wear." It was good to go; it is good to be back.

One More Day

I planned, and took, an additional vacation day. Good thing, too. It was fraught--fraught I tell you!--with nuisances, delays, and frustrations. I had a handful of errands to run and took Mom to lunch. By the time I returned, David was home and normalcy resumed.

We had some home improvement work done while we were away and a flukey thing happened to the new kitchen light: it short-circuited. According to the electrician [one of those delays and frustrations], it wasn't because of anything about the new light. I'm skeptical. So that new light is dark until two guys can come and fish a new wire to the light. While they're here, I'm adding a dimmer switch, too.

Might as well capitalize on those frustrations.

Safe at Home

We arrived home safely from our week's vacation. We had the nicest digression today, meeting one of my favorite bloggers and her wonderful husband. Blogging has lead me to some of the nicest people I never would have met otherwise.

You Know It's Vacation When...

...you forget what the day is, let alone the date. It happened today, so now I know I'm officially vacationing. I think this is what retirement might be like.

The kids love the pool. We've had a little beach walk. Brother Paul has some great photos and the cousins are getting along fine. I have been going through internet/blog withdrawal, which kinda' sucks, but the rest is going fine. I will blog again if I can get away to do it.

Outta' Here

Update on the last post: The laundry is dry and folded. It's now Sunday. Vacation week officially begins. As I mentioned, blogging may be light. Keep a good thought for the Adamses and crew.

Timed Drying and Wrinkle Guard

Busy day and I'm just waiting for the last load of laundry to dry so I can fold it and pack it tomorrow. We're not in a huge hurry to get out by a certain time. We just want to get to the beach in time to meet my brother and his family who are flying in to meet us and stay for a few days. Blogging may be light or non-existent depending upon wifi availability at the beach house. If you're the prayin' sort, safe travel is my prayer request.

The Harbinger

Mom flies in tomorrow and will join us for a week at the beach later this month. Anticipating her arrival also creates a flurry of little lists in my brain for all the things I need to get, pack, and remember for me and the three wee. Daddy packs for himself and, with the skill of a professional shoehorn operator, loads the van with all the gear. We have been making this fall excursion for 3 years now and it's a great last blast of summer in anticipation of the rocket-sled to New Year's. Her coming portends the arrival of many good things.

Expected Visitor

Granny should be arriving tomorrow afternoon for a few weeks' visit. The girls' fourth birthday is coming up and Granny hasn't missed any of them so far. It is such a gift to have a parent who travels so readily to see her grandchildren. I barely knew either of my grandmothers because I only saw them for about a week each, during the annual car trip East. That changed a little when my dad's mother, Nana, moved to our little town for her final years and she became much better known to all of us children. Dave's grandparents lived across the road from him and he saw them every day. We knew we wanted our children to know their grandparents. Mom's frequent visits and Dave's Dad's close proximity allow for that. We are very grateful.

There's a Vacation This Month

...and it's at the beach.