Thursday, July 28, 2011

Making a Memory

I have to first start off by admitting to you that I must have watched The Parent Trap {the original...not the Lindsey Lohan knockoff} at least 500 times as a kid.  No...I'm not kidding.  I was obsessed.  I could probably recite the entire movie to you.  While I loved every part, I loved when Susan sniffed her grandfather's coat and this conversation ensued...
Grandfather: My dear, what are you doing?
Susan: Making a memory.
Grandfather: A memory?
Susan: All my life when I'm quite grown up I will always remember my grandfather and how he smelled of {sniffs again} tobacco and peppermint...

Perhaps it's the nostalgia enthusiast that lives within me but this quote stuck with me all of my life.  Perhaps one of my little reminders to take it all in...making memories as I go along.  To me, it's important to value the little things in life.  Those are the things that make life, well...perfect.  

I started this rambling journey down memory lane for a reason...Rick's grandfather, Walter, turned 93 this week...but if you ask him, he's going to be 94 soon.  That happens the day after his birthday every year.  He's quite a character and I've loved him as long as I've known him.  He has the most incredible stories...mostly of the Navy and his days as a sailor.  Every now and then he talks about things more local, more at home...like the Chi House Restaurant.  I wanted to make a memory with PopPop there...at the Chi House.  I could just picture it...a dimly lit diner full of characters, like Walter, all with stories to tell.  And so we went to celebrate PopPop turning 93 {going on 94}.  Just as I expected, in a strip mall, next to a barber shop, with a window air conditioning unit sat the Chi House...
A quaint little diner with a 1950's glitter-flecked counter adorned with a fresh baked chocolate cake in a domed cake stand, mouth-watering cinnamon buns wrapped in cellophane, and Herrs potato chips hanging from a rack.
The faux brick wall was adorned with a white erase board filled with daily specials.  But perhaps the best feature were the colorful, summery, plastic tablecloths...none of which having a match in the place.  

As we sat down, PopPop strolled down memory lane about the many times he took his grandchildren {Rick, his brothers and all of his cousins} to the Chi House.  "Gizmos"...he declared..."they used to always order Gizmos".  And so, there was no choice but to order Kayla a Gizmo.  It was nothing more than an egg, cheese and bacon sandwich...but what it represented was more than what the meal actually was {and thank goodness Kayla loves eggs more than just about anything right now}. 

We sat, we talked, we ate, we laughed...and we made memories.  And yes, while most of the stories PopPop told were old Navy stories that I've heard before, there is always something I take away from the story from hearing it all over again.

We made other memories this week...our friend Amy and Kal-El were home visiting from Virginia Beach...

These two kiddos have come a long way since our first Buddy Walk when they were just a few months old...

It's so great to have friends that you share the most wonderful joy of your life with.  Having friends to share the ups and downs of life and that extra magical chromosome makes this journey so much easier.  Learning as we go, together.  And in the end, you realize there are far less differences between our children and a typical child.  They love to be loved, play, jump, run {sometimes away}, learn, and make friends.  And while they do it in their own time, doesn't every child?  Lessons learned...friendships made...so thankful to be a Mommy.

Oh...and Mommy lesson #7234...don't promise something you may not be able to deliver...
I tried to make this...and I failed miserably.

My octopus resembled an ink splat...perhaps one of those psych tests...not that I've ever taken one but you know what I mean...the one you have to look at the page and analyze what you think it resembles.  I know one thing, it definitely didn't resemble an octopus.  The biggest problem was the hype I created.  I told Kayla we were going to make really fun pancakes.  You can't promise that to a five year old and then deliver round ones.  What to do?  What to do?  I've made Mickey heads at least a dozen times before and the hype I created called for something far more creative...Ahh....a K.  I can probably make a K and so I did.  Then for some reason in my half-asleep state, I decided to try other letters - perhaps making a reading lesson out of breakfast and so I did.  I  created AT and then decided on letters that could make AT into words...We had fun reading and eating with our fingers.  So while my original plan failed miserably, we were able to have even more fun with our brightly colored letter pancakes.

We have big plans this weekend...ok, a hint?  Picture Toddlers & Tiaras only less drama, no fake teeth or spray tans and Kayla.  Got you curious?  You'll just have to hang in until next time...
Go make a memory or two, friends.






Friday, July 15, 2011

Family. Friends. Fourth. {and a first}

Vacation. Writers block. A to-do list three pages long.
All reasons I have left you all hanging for a while. So sorry and I promise to blog more often...especially once Kayla is in kindergarten full day {but let's not talk about that now...I'm likely to cry just thinking about it}.

Oh...and feel free to get yourself a little snack and perhaps some ice cold lemonade...you're likely to get parched reading this long post...

All situated? Ok...here goes...

Personalities are such a mysterious thing to me. How one person can have a ridiculously funny sense of humor and another can be a serious Sally. Ever since Kayla was born I have always wondered what kind of person she would grow up to be. Would she be kind like Rick or an outgoing perfectionist like me? For the longest time Kayla has taken herself far too serious. I noticed at an early age her complete desire to reach perfection. From practicing her words in the privacy of her crib to trying over and over and over again to write her name. I know all about living in that desire to be perfect and I know how hard it has been to let go of my original visions of perfection...and so, I worried. For Kayla. I have always wanted nothing more for her than be happy. To live a life of happiness and love. Kayla has really started to come into her own personality this summer. She has always been kind and thoughtful but she has become brave and funny. She's becoming less afraid to fall...a quality I have grown to love {despite her bruised legs}.

So I was excited for Kayla to spend a week on vacation with Hailey, Kaitlyn and Cameron. Hoping she would learn a little bit more about adventurous spirits and curiosity. Starting here. Cami was curious and excited to catch fireflies so catch them we did...lots and lots and lots of them...in a crystal martini shaker nonetheless. And my disclaimer? Don't worry...very few fireflies were injured during the capturing and photographing process...ok so we accidentally killed a few...

Next we were off to Ocean City, Maryland and our vacation started with a bang. Literally.


I am not saying that is my husband and brother-in-law setting off the fireworks...but they sure do resemble them. Especially their completely childish smiles as they exited the beach after the big bang...

And that was just the beginning. A little preview of what is to come...

We have spent the past six or seven Independence Days in Ocean City and this year was no different...well except for the wonderful addition of our west coast family...Dianne, Ron, Wendy, Fred, Kaitlyn and Cameron. Why would people that live in beautiful sunny California want to vacation in Ocean City, Maryland? The answer is simple...nostalgia. You see, Dianne and my mother-in-law have been best friends since they were just five years old. Prior to Dianne and her family moving to California, they spent their summers just blocks away in a little cottage built by Dianne's father. Quite a sight to see...that little cottage amongst large condos...still standing strong...with millions of memories. And together we made a million more...

Our first full day on the beach was amazing...calm surf and happy little girls just loving life...and loving spending time with each other. Just reliving the moment through this picture makes me fill with happy tears...


Oh how this girl makes me smile...

And is it wrong that I love this site? Seriously...the wedgie with butt cheeks hanging out of the bathing suit...only cute for so long...


Onto the 4th of July...Happy Birthday USA...you know me...any reason to celebrate and I am there!

Thanks to the Target dollar section, I created some really fun and festive beach goodies for the girls...don't worry...I made them for Cami and Kait, too...they already had theirs before I took the pictures...





And yes...I am rocking pigtails just like Kayla...because that's what happens when you roll off of the beach and into your party clothes. I just added the ribbons to be a bit more festive...




xxxxxx

We even made friends with our lifeguard, Taiten. When I had a hard time understanding what he was saying, he spelled it out for me T8N. I'm not kidding...couldn't make this stuff up. But he was kinda cute, right, Hailey? Oh to be 12 again, crushing on an 18 year old lifeguard...

As the storm rolled in {and it was a biggie}, we didn't stop the party...we just moved it under the building in the parking garage.

There was no way a little storm was going to rain on our parade...that's right we had our own parade with a few rusted luggage carts and some seriously cute girls...


Our red, white and blue-liscious desserts...crystal sugar coated marshmallows, white chocolate pretzels, mason jar cupcakes and banana split cake. We also had homemade ice cream. All I can say is mmmmm...

We partied again with one of our favorite families...the Walker's...Sarah was Kayla's first speech therapist...love her...

And this is her husband Johnny Walker. No...I'm not joking...that's really his name. Can you imagine trying to explain to Kayla's teachers that Johnny Walker is actually a man, not a bottle in a liquor cabinet, as Kayla talks about her friend 'Johnny Walker'...yup...good times...

And a little bit of festive fun...couldn't talk Kayla into sitting on that wall...baby steps of braveness...baby steps...




What was Rick's happiness for the week, you ask?
Wait for it...
BOOM!

That's called Corruption from TNT...not that I know...but if I did...I would say it was a 219 shot grand finale...219 shots that made Rick happier than I've seen him in a long time.

Fun with led flashlights, a little delay setting on the camera and my niece, Hailey...








In between the momentous days, we enjoyed a little bit of ice cream....

a movie...



Some pool time...


Lots of smiles...

Some seriously blue lollipops...

Our homemade communication device...a rope and a cup...because walking down one flight of stairs requires too much energy...oh and this way we can play tricks on each other {like sending crabs}...
And a little fun with hermit crabs...

Don't forget about your lemonade...go ahead...take another sip...

Oh...and insert ridiculous groin pull here {don't worry...no pictures to post on this one}. Thank you, monster wave, for knocking me over and over and over. Insert a pound and a half of sand in my bathing suit here.

Onto more fun...the boardwalk has become my favorite tradition...perfectly salty Thrashers fries, vanilla soft serve ice cream cones with rainbow sprinkles that melt down your hands faster than you can lick, arcade games that beckon kids of all ages...and now...the rides. I've always loved the rides. The bright and vibrant primary colors, the flashing, pulsating neon lights and the squeals of delight {and sometimes fear} that bounce off and echo from the nearby boardwalk shops. Wendy says she attributes her addiction to Las Vegas casinos to her days as a child on the Ocean City boardwalk...right, Wendy?

Oh...and check out the four fools...I mean people on the front of the roller coster...yup...that's Hailey, Rick, my father-in-law and brother-in-law. Notice the eyes-tightly-shut on my father-in-law? I guess that is what happens when your granddaughter begs you to go against your will...
Now I have a much bigger reason to love the rides. My girl loves rides. She used to love the idea of rides. We'd go through the motions...buying the tickets, carefully choosing the ride she wanted to attempt, standing in line, handing the ride operator her tickets, sitting on the ride, smiling for pictures and then...wait for it...the panic...the complete fear in her eyes, begging me to save her. Then the "all done"...and all of that before the ride was ever started.

But this time was different. This time she was with the big kids and this time she had something to prove...she too is a big kid. First she rode the puppy ride with her cousin, Hailey...all smiles.

Then onto the Happy Swing. As she stood in line I thought to myself how funny it would be if she started crying hysterically on the happy swing...twisted, I know...but I thought for sure there was no way she would tolerate the swing. She sat between Hailey and Kaitlyn and for the ump-teenth time in her life she proved me wrong...she was indeed happy. Her cousin Hailey? At 12 years old was less than enthused but was willing to go with the flow for her cousin, Kayla...she's cool like that!


This one's for you, Kelle...I know you love "the foot shot"! xoxo
Then came the moment that made the entire vacation for me. She walked toward the airplane ride and proclaimed "I wanna ride the airplane". As I was about to ask her who she wanted to ride with she stated "all by myself...like a big girl...like a kindergartener". My stomach sunk. I watched as the airplanes went around and around and around. I watched as some kids controlled their airplanes to go up and down and up and down and I thought there is no way. How would I save her if she decided she was done? How would I stop her from jumping out? But there was no stopping her. I handed her the four tickets needed to ride and she patiently stood in line with her Daddy as I took my post on the other side of the ride with my camera in hand. Sitting on the airplane she was all smiles.

She was proud. She was a big girl...and I cried. Happy tears, of course. For years I have wanted Kayla to love rides as much as I did as a kid and this was her moment. I stood there holding my breath, hoping she would love it. As the ride began, she smiled and we cheered.
Do you see the woman in the navy top behind Kayla? If it's possible, she was just as proud as we were!
Perhaps she overheard Rick warning the ride operator that she may have to stop the ride for Kayla.
We jumped up and down. We clapped and waived our hands and arms {and water bottles}...and I filled with tears as I snapped away. Over half of my pictures were out of focus and blurry...I just kept clicking away...paying little attention to my camera as I focused on the pure joy and beaming pride that was escaping my girl. As she held onto the joystick that controlled the ride, she squeezed the trigger sending her airplane 12 feet into the air. I panicked and she smiled.

Rick leaned over and hugged me "she's doing it...she's doing it"...beaming with pride. You may be thinking to yourself...what's the big deal? It's just a ride. But this was far more than a ride. This was a first. A long anticipated first. And much like her first smile, first word and first step, we celebrated...we celebrated big...with ice cream...because that's how we roll!

As seagulls swooped, swirled and dove after fallen fries, we sat with our toes in the sand at the edge of the boardwalk eating our ice cream. Well...trying to eat it before it melted down our fingers and into our laps.


Oh how I love this girl....

and this man...
Not bad for a self-portrait, eh?



As if this vacation couldn't get any better, we were onto my favorite day of the vacation...crabbing!
We spent a day going back to my summertime roots...we set out on a four hour tour to go crabbing...can't you hear the Gilligan's Island theme song playing in the background...although Redneck Yacht Club would be more appropriate. We set out with our chicken necks, string and a net...redneck essentials for Maryland blue crab catchin'. I have the most amazing childhood memories of splashing and playing in the Chesapeake bay with my Mom and going crabbing with my Dad at 3 am {or whenever the tide was running}...ok...so the memories were all good except for the 3 am part...

To me there is nothing more calming than being on a boat. There's no place in the world I'd rather be. It's the one place on earth that calms me like no other...taking my type-A personality and tossing it overboard. When I am boating I feel at peace. At home.




Wendy and I had to show the kids how it was done. I pulled the line and she scooped and voila...a crab!


All of the girls caught crabs...a first for Cami, Kait and Kayla...Kayla's crab was a pregnant mommy so we tossed her back.

Ever caught a crab on a fishing pole? Hailey has. In fact...she didn't reel in one fish all day...just crabs!
After catching dozens of crabs {only 8 keepers}, Captain Kayla helped us find our way back to our port of call using her new boating knowledge of red-right-return...

Later that evening we took Hailey fishing. Knowing it was the one thing she wanted to do, we were determined to catch fish. We went to the pier and Hailey caught...
yup, you guessed it...more crabs! At least we caught a glimpse of an amazing sunset...

An incredible end to an amazing vacation.

As we left town, we stopped in Rehoboth Beach for a little boardwalk fun. Visiting our good friends at Ryan's and onto a little arcade fun...
My heart is happy...

While our summer vacation may have come and gone, there's still lots happening here. So many more stories to be told and pictures to be taken...
Keep smiling, friends. Summer is in full swing.