Holy Hanna!

Nothing caps off a great week of vacationing at the beach like driving home for seven hours in the midst of a raging tropical storm! Scott definitely wins the medal of valor for getting us all home safely through 40 mile per hour winds and torrential rain. At one point, a little birdie told us that I95 was closed north of Richmond because of downed power lines across all four lanes (thanks, Rhona!). We couldn't get any hard information on when the road was opening again and what the backup looked like, so we decided to skirt around the area. The detour took us on tiny little roads in the middle of farm country east of Richmond. It would have been more enjoyable if it weren't pouring rain and Henry wasn't screaming, but it was still beautiful country. I particularly enjoyed the sign I spotted for "Poultry Crossing." It gives whole new meaning to the age-old question--"Why did the chicken cross the road?" To escape the hurricane, perhaps.

Traumatic return trip aside, the week down in Corolla, North Carolina was really great. I have tons of pictures and will post more of them when I can. It was great to spend time with the H-G family, and there are too many entertaining stories to share. Here's a brief sample:

Max and Amelia enjoyed collecting "pine noodles" (pine needles) on the deck and eating "popsigoats" (popsicles) every evening after dinner.

Amelia taught Max to ask for "something else!" whenever he didn't like the toy he was given or the food on his plate. Thanks, a lot, Amelia!

Max displayed an uncanny resemblance to his father in learning to take great glee in needling Amelia. He would pick up her sippy cup and watch her with a devilish grin on his face until she noticed the offense and went hysterical.

Max and Amelia enjoyed taking a bath together in one of the GIANT bathtubs in the house. Yes, there were photographs taken and yes, Susannah and I are planning to use them as blackmail material when the kids are teenagers.

All of the kids enjoyed swimming in the "hot pool" (hot tub) at the house. For some reason, however, Max was terrified of the jets.

Henry and Isaac enjoyed throwing their sleep schedules to the wind and waking up any old time they felt like it both day and night. Who needs a schedule, really? Certainly not the mothers of these two boys...

All in all it was a lovely week as far as family vacations go. All of you childless people reading this blog should note, however, that you will never again be able to quietly read your book on the beach. Instead, you'll hold your crying infant while you toddler shovels sand on you and demands "something else" for snack apart from the melted granola bar that you've brought for him. Meanwhile, you will have carted more gear than a Mt. Everest sherpa and you will barely have time to set it down in the sand before some crisis or another (a missing sippy cup, perhaps? a sudden inexplicable fear of waves?) forces you to haul it all back to the beach house where you can spend the next hour rinsing sand off of the children.

Sigh...

But they look so damn cute in their bathing suits and sunglasses and it is so much fun to watch their amazement as they jump over waves at the edge of the ocean ("Another wave! Another wave!").

Maybe next time I need to bring a nanny.

:-)