You know you are on vacation when you step onto the beach, and immediately time seems to stop, and you breath in the salty air and the busyness of life simply falls off. For the first time in a long time, your head is clear, and you take in a deep, wonderful breath.
Ahhhhh..... welcome to Maine.
Of course, after all the above, I chase the three kids that got out of the van with me down to the water and we strolled the length of the beach and went to Grandma and Grandpa's.
After unpacking the van, we spent a couple hours on the beach, had a delicious supper, then crashed and burned. We had left the house just before 6 in the morning, and had had VBS closing the night before, and were worn out.
However, the next morning we awoke to wonderful sunshine, and the day's agenda was to spend as much of the day on the beach as we could. That meant boogy boarding, sand castle building, and relaxing.
Asleep in the van after a very early wake-up on the day we left.
Look! Dale with no socks or shoes on!
Boogy boarding addiction passed on! I had him boogy boarding proper-like the next day, but didn't get any pics as I was in the water with him, and Grandma was swimming out further with the older kids.
Now this is how you train children. Sure hope they can get out before the tide comes in. Or before they get hungry.
Ah, Grandma to the rescue. I would have just left them. :P
One thing about being in the ocean a lot is that the locusts are ALWAYS hungry! Grandma packs the BEST lunches!
Not a bad way to have a cuppa in the morning, eh?
So, show of hands, who can tell me what plant this is? Yup, it's an aloe plant. And what do you use it for? Yes, burns. *Sigh*. Unfortunately, Dale, whom I have been begging, teasing, cajoling to walk barefoot on the beach with me for over 20 years finally did. Rolled up his jeans to his knees and everything. Got in the water some too, played with Isaac on the beach, and enjoyed it. Until later. When he realized that his legs, which haven't seen sunlight in like 30 years, were burnt very badly. Feet and legs, actually. He had to take ibuprofen, have cold compresses, and I smeared him up all the while with fresh aloe. Poor fellow! He couldn't even hardly walk! So, the second day we were at the beach, he and Benjamin (who also got a pretty good sunburn on his back ... despite my warnings to keep his t-shirt on because he would burn, but what do I know????.....) stayed home with my Dad, who doesn't really do the beach, and the rest of us went off to boogy board and enhance our not-so-bad pinkness.
On Thursday we went down to Mass., to visit my mom and grandmother. Dale couldn't drive, so instead of working on some knitting, I was the designated driver (now that doesn't sound good, but you know what I mean!). I noticed, however, that when we went out for some awesome Chinese food, he managed to come along, even if he had to wear a pair of Ben's shorts and slippers! Poor fellow!
There was a park nearby that we took the kids too. My mom and I that is. Dale was visiting with my grandmother, feet up, smeared with aloe goop. The park was fun, and had lots of neat equipment!
On Friday my Mom, Jerusha, Isaac, and I went to the Butterfly Place. It was so cool! Jerusha was old enough to do a scavenger hunt, checking items off a list they gave her when we got there. The other kids stayed back at the house and played games and stuff with Dale and Grandmother. Dale, still unable to drive or walk much, spent most of our visit with his feet up smeared with goop.
This is a baby Chinese quail.... I think they are camera shy. I had a terrible time getting a pic of them!
Here Jerusha was looking over her scavenger hunt list, and the paper with pictures of all the different butterflies on them.
This moth nearly scared 10 years off me. I had taken Isaac out to go potty, and when I got back I was talking to my mom and she said, "turn around". I saw this moth. It's wingspan was about twice the width of my hand. How would you like that to hit your windshield at night?
Moths feeding on bananas.
Another pretty butterfly
Memere, Jerusha, and Isaac.
Since vacation I have been up at school a lot finishing up getting ready for the new term. We've also had eye appointments, and physicals for everyone. August 15th and 16th we had a two day horse camp from 9 to 5, then open house at the school from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., which made it interesting for getting home and getting cleaned up. And believe you me, after spending the day with horses, on horses. around horses, I needed some cleaning up! For the Open House we had to be in uniform, too.
Dale's legs and feet are healing up. He's been able to wear pants and shoes and stand and walk for a while, and the big blister that had formed finally popped. He is peeling something terrible and is wicked itchy, so we've been putting all manner of lotion on him.
Volleyball practice started on the 13th, and we've had it several times. Our first game is at home on September 5th! Ack!
We had our friends, the Graham's over, last Tuesday. It was a wonderful visit, and the kids had some swimming time and biking time. Unfortunately, just before they were to be home from the skate park, around 8:30 (our home, that is), Regina's oldest son appeared at the back porch, where she and I were sitting and chatting, and informed us that her other son had hurt himself. She took off in her vehicle to go see how bad it was, and drove him back to the house.
It wasn't great, but could have been worse. Apparently he had somehow gotten his foot under the fencing and received a nice little puncture wound. Right through the top of his sneaker, down into his foot. Now, this boy is the same one who, when they were here back in the late winter, while playing flashlight tag, ran into a tree out back and scraped up his face a bit and gave himself a black eye.
They left, and ended up taking him to the ER the next day. They are waiting until Monday to do X-rays. He said it feels like something is still in the wound, though the nurse cleaned it really well. If there is something in there, then some minor surgery will be done. Oiy vey.
So, that about ends our summer vacation. We have the rest of today, Sunday, then bright and early Monday morning we are up and going to school. Woot!
Blessings!
