One Of Them...

turned 4 years old yesterday...loves candy...hates having her hair brushed...loves a headband over a "clip" (even tho her head is flat on top and thus not conducive to a headband!)...is a "mini-me" of her older brother Josh...is happy wearing her princess dresses every day...sings all the time...sleeps aaaallll oooooovvver the bed...is extremely strong-willed...tells me she loves me all day long...weighed just over 6 lbs. at birth (which is why her nickname has always been "Itsy Bitsy")...has a favorite blanket that she not only sleeps with every night but sleeps with it in her mouth!...can change her mood like a light switch...must always be touching someone no matter if she is sleeping, eating, or watching t.v....likes her cereal plain with no milk...has to have her chocolate milk in the mornings like most adults have to have their coffee!

The Other One...
turned 5 years old last week...loves every kind of fruit on the planet...is a "mini-me" of her older brother Zachary...tells me all the time how much she loves her short haircut...is a mother hen to her little sister.  weighed over 8 lbs. when  she was born...sleeps curled up in a ball most of the night...cannot have too many baby dolls...prefers dresses and flip-flops to anything else...loves riding her bike and playing outside...is always happy...has such a big, grateful heart...has a heart murmur (that is slowly getting better)...is very much a "mommy's girl"...will most likely be riding a two-wheeler and swimming with no floaties by the end of the summer...got three stitches in her chin and didn't even whimper...tells me all the time how much she "loves her whole family"...can pray longer than some pastors preach!

THEY...
melt my heart every day...keep growing even though I want them to stop (just for a little while)...love each other fiercely...are bff's...will always first and foremost forever be SISTERS...

Captain's Log ~ Day 5 (I think!)

Okay....laptop has gone kapooey on us, so for now, no serious blogging until I get home. Drats! Anyway...I'm pretty they are going to have to drag me away kicking and screaming. I love sitting on the balcony...listening to the waves...the whole family playing "tag" in the pool...shutting everything else out but us and making lots of memories. Every night I use my phone and jot out the day's events in my "Notes" app. I'll use it to catch everyone up later. See y'all next week! :-)

Captain's Log ~ Day Two

Today was our first full day here at the beach.  Yesterday really doesn't count I guess, because it was a travel day.  We made great time!  Since we couldn't check in before 3, I didn't see the need to leave in the middle of the night to try to get here.  So, we managed to leave about 10:15 and still made it here in about 8 hours...only stopping once ~ yes ~ ONCE!  With four kids (one of whom has a bladder the size of the head of a pin), that is nothing short of a miracle!  We were reminiscing about past trips - as a family and as teenagers with friends and church trips.  Good times!!  As soon as we unloaded the car we had to get to the beach.  After a short walk we talked the girls into coming in so we could go buy food and get some dinner.  It was still close to midnight before everyone was asleep, but sleep they did!  The kids didn't get up until 9:15.  Actually, Ava was up about 6 but I sent her back to bed.  We hit the beach...swam, looked for seashells (which the seashells here are SO TINY!!!!  What is up with that?)  Sarah did find two of the smallest sand dollars I have EVER seen.  I was amazed!  I have never found a sand dollar on the beach - only in a shop!  So anyway...the girls got tired of building sand castles and burying Josh on the beach so we headed to the pool.  Then back inside for lunch and downtime.  The girls talked me into going back down to the pool so Charles and I headed back out while the boys stayed upstairs (actually, Josh just crawled in his bed and took a nap!)  Then when the boys decided to join this, we realized the importance of keeping one of the spare keys in the lock box on the door.  It's in case you are locked out BTW!  One hour and $50 later we were back in.  Yes - it was a little frustrating and poor Zachary really beat himself up about it, but you know...it's a lesson learned.  It's over, it all worked out, so why dwell on it?  Things happen and you have to consider them a "lesson learned" - THE END!  


So that was our drama for the day, but the biggest laugh of the day was when Zachary posted as his Facebook status that he went "Booby" boarding earlier.  Oh. My.  Word.  I just happened to check my FB after he posted that and after I composed myself and told him what he had done, he was scrambling to get to his iTouch to change it but couldn't.  We were all laughing soooo hard!  I didn't think about having him sign on the laptop, but oh well...lots of people got a kick out of it.  He is such an amazing kid.  I just love his heart -- I just wish he wasn't so hard on himself!  As soon as we got let back into the condo, he grabbed his wallet and tried to pay Charles the $50.  He felt it was his fault we got locked out because he and Josh were the last ones out the door.  Of course Charles refused, but I admire him for even offering.  How many 12 year olds would even think about doing that?


Tomorrow's agenda again involves beach and pool time but I really don't know what else.  I know we plan on going to the Naval Aviation Museum later this week to see the Blue Angels practice.  Charles and Zachary are going to go parasailing and Sarah and I will rent a jet ski one day.  Who knows?  That's really my idea of vacation ~ no agenda!  We do what we want when we want.  This week is all about us being just the 6 of us....and in Sarah and Ava's words "This is the best vacation EVER!" :-)

There's 104 Days of Summer Vacation.....

C'mon - you know you want to finish it - "and school comes along just to end it."  Nothing beats a good Phineas and Ferb lead in!  Actually, I don't know if we really do have 104 days, but nevertheless I will take what I can get.  I love the lazy days of summer.  Being able to wake up on my own before 7 a.m. is so much better than trying to drag myself up at 5:30 a.m.!  We don't have huge plans, but here's what I love about our "104 days":

Sleeping in

Staying up late

Grilling out

Swimming

Celebrating birthdays!  Bernie, Sarah and Ava all have birthdays in June...

Hanging out with the other "cove moms" at night, sitting outside and chatting while the kids (all 12+ of them) play all over the cove.

Going for walks

Riding bikes

Jerry's Snow Cones ~ never got there last year!!

VACATION!  (CANNOT come soon enough!)

Dancing - the girls do at least.  The other day I asked Ava what she was doing and she said, "I'm shaking my booty - that's what you are supposed to do when you are dancing!")

Not caring if the house is spotless.  This fall all four kiddos will be in school so there will plenty of time for me to catch up on that later.  Within reason of course -- I don't exactly let mold grow or anything!

Watching movies - I'm so glad the girls are old enough to sit thru movies now

Ice cream at the square.  This is a new one...Just sounds like fun.  I like some of the new yogurt places, but their stuff is so expensive...we could eat a full meal at Chick-fil-A cheaper!

Watermelon....lots of watermelon!!!!!!!!

Sunshine!  Love the feel of it on my skin - but not when it is 100+ degrees!

Not having a schedule ~ deciding to do things on a whim ~ spending lots of time with my kiddos ~ that's what those "104 days" are ALL about! :)