there ain't no party-like a hotel party-cause a hotel party don't stop

 2 sisters + 2 sisters + 1 Hampton Inn =


                                Party Time


It started at Chuckie Cheese, where the the big sisters acted as if they were too cool to be excited about going, but promptly forgot how lame it was after hitting the jackpot on the jump rope game.......

 It continued with this big and this little dominating on hoops ~ seriously, they were "on fire" to the point people were gathered around in awe.

The good times were moved to the Hampton Inn's pool where Lolaloopsy (who came with two outfits, floaties, and shoes), naturally wound up buck naked AS ALL BARBIES AND BABIES DO?  Why is this?

 Nothing like a sauna.........

 To get these party animals sleepy.......very sleepy.....(parents can hope, right?)

Bailey is my kind of girl ~ easy going and up for anything.  Plus, she likes crab.  She hit it off with Madi immediately and I think they had a few vent sessions where I believe I heard them discussing all the injustices that come with being a big sister.

And Jonathan and I were really patting ourselves on the back for how smooth everything went when we had these partiers in bed by about 11:00 pm.  Everyone had big fun, there was very little drama (even with one birthday girl who can occassionally attemp to be a diva), and chances are, they were worn out enough to actually sleep in.

And then we heard it.  A coughing/gagging/something really bad is about  to happen sound at 4:30 in the morning.  One poor sweet little partier was throwing up, while the other three (and me) screamed at the top of our lungs.  And this is when I realized yet another thing I like about Jonathan.  He is calm and collected and can think fast.  He had the situation taken care of in about 3 minutes.  All we could do is go back to bed and pray it was just too much chlorine down the wrong pipe sort of thing.

But when morning came and the other partiers went down to do some damage to the waffle maker, this little one cried for her mama.  So sad.

We dropped them off and were digging around for all their belongings when Bailey asked if there was something else we had given them for a party favor?

Swim goggles...
Beachballs...
Stomach bug (check)

So, let this be our lesson.  We won't be doing any more early high fives over what great party planners we are because kids always have a trick or two up their sleeve.  


**While scanning for a song on the radio, we were forced to "leave it here!"

Stars Align

Once in a blue moon, stars align perfectly:

*Camera batteries charged 
*Lighting (not too bright, not too dark) 
*Little to no wind
*Suitable background 
*Kids in clean clothes 

Madi, age 10, favorite Christmas toy:  BB Gun

Mollie-claire, age 6, favorite Christmas toy: BB Gun

Bode, age 19 months, favorite Christmas toy: Buzz LightYear ("umbuzz")





   

Giving Thanks 2011

I am thankful
for:

long naps...

sea birds...

hot tubs...

good food...

happy girls....

ocean views...

cheddar crackers..

  warm weather...

ferry rides...

 salt water...

& sandy castles.

Ocean Photo Shoot

 Midday sun was too bright...


November wind was too gusty...


I think a few of these are keepers anyway.  Or, maybe I just love the setting?

Endless Summer

The calendar may read November, but when the weather man predicts 85 degrees all weekend, it's another beach day for sure.  


With our spring suits, the water was just right.  The girls boogie boarded for awhile, while I surfed.  I can say that legitimately now, since I am off my knees and on my feet for more than half of the ride. 


I read an article the other day that claimed surfing starts out innocently enough, just like any other hobby.  A few sporadic weekend trips, then the occasional call in sick to work when the waves are good, then you lose your job, marriage, and wind up as a beach bum (the sad kind).


I can totally see how that happens.

A Weekend with GG

Looks simple, right?  Fried chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes and gravy, compliments of GG. She made this for us during our "back to school" weekend.  I tried to make myself pay close attention to the dipping in milk, dusting in flour, and the frying of the chicken so I could duplicate this meal.  I have tried and I still don't get it.  The crust does not stick to the chicken, and it takes me so long to cook, that people lose interest, the potatoes go cold, and the beans turn soggy.   If I had to choose a last meal, it would be GG's Sunday Supper.    

The girls needed some school clothes so GG was ready to hit the mall with them.  South Padre Island Drive is the road we take to go to the beach, but right before you take the bridge to the sea, you pass two malls, tons of restaurants (like Crab Shack, Grimaldi's, and PF Changs), and all my weakness stores like Marshall's, Ross, Academy, and Target.

We sped through the mall as if we were being timed (or was it because Jonathan was there)?  He is not exactly the best shopper.  The amount of people you have to deal with (at any mall) scares him, and then throw in the fact that it was Tax-Free weekend, all this was almost too much for him.  There were lines just to get into the dressing rooms.  I tried to talk the girls into changing in a hidden corner of the store, but Madi is a rule-follower and wasn't having any of it.  By the time we scored the necessary bargains, J was close to a nervous break-down.  We deceded upon TGIFridays.  I tried to talk GG into splitting a drink with me, so we could better deal with Jonathan, but he vetoed before I could order one.  We told him to just put the mall behind him and try to relax.  He just needed a good lunch and some beach time.

We took the ferry to Port Aransas, drove up on the beach, and all was finally as it should be for Jonathan - no other humans for at least 40 feet.  We boogie boarded long enough to work up an appetite for Mexican food.  MC starts craving queso each weekend afternoon around 4:30 and then starts her campaign to shoot down anyone else's dinner suggestions.  We caved and wound up at a very interesting place in Port A.  We kept ourselves entertained watching the reactions of the other diners as they spotted the lady wearing only her swim suit, no cover-up, no shorts, no shoes.  We are all about self-confidence, but realized that modesty is a very good thing too (as we tried to eat our food with a straight face).  At one point, I caught the eye of some of the family members at a table across from us.  We all burst out laughing and could not stop.    

It's time for another race through mall like we only have 20 minutes-try to score a drink at Fridays-Sunday afternoon chicken dinner- weekend, GG.  We are ready whenever you are!                                        

Cousins, Coastline, & Crab Shack

Since our move to South Texas on August 1st, we have made the trek (55 minutes) to Corpus Christi every weekend, to check out the beaches.  Rockport was suggested a couple of times, so we tried it first.  The town was adorable shops, like the Funky Zebra, quaint restaurants, and a beach with almost zero waves ~ perfect for little kids.  The water seems to be about knee deep for miles and was pretty clear, as far as Texas beaches go.  I developed a small crush on a kite board and could not focus on anything my family said to me when this contraption was in the water.  I fought the urge to ask the rider, "Can I try it really quick?"  (Name that movie).  Rockport, while precious, was not quite right.  As Mollie says, "we need more undertow."

As we headed back towards Corpus, I conviced J-Train to let us take the ferry to Port Aransas.  He was not down with the 45 minute wait, but cooperated.  Once across and driving around the island, he turned and said something that I rarely get the chance to hear.  He said, "You were right.  It was worth the wait."  Now that we are practically locals, we know the back way in and do not even have to ride the ferry over.  Port A is more like college town meets beach, with cheap divey-like restaurants and decent waves.  You see schools of mullet (the silver fish that jump straight up and out of the water as if they are trying to get away from something) following the crest of the waves and wonder how they do not run into people.  It's going to happen, sooner or later - one of us is going to get a mullet across the face.  Right before we left, J-Train got his crush.  It was a yellow kayak.  He could not take his eyes off of it, and has been fantasizing about how amazing it will be to throw it into the ocean, paddle out, cast his pole in, and fish for speckled trout and redfish.

The next weekend we met the cousins at Mustang Island, where the girls had big fun.  They boarded, sand-castled, and mermaided their little hearts out.  We ended the night at The Crab Shack, our new post beach tradition (now that we have done this twice).  Saturday, Madi ordered the crab and Mollie shared with me.  So, there we were, all three of us, bibs on, clackers clacking, and crab shell flying everywhere.  I have converted the girls, but J-Train refuses to eat them, claiming that crab and lobster are the "cockroaches of the sea." 
He watches way too much Discovery channel.