(Grown-up) Birthday Extravaganza!

My birthday is July 21.  Thomas' is July 23.  We are not huge birthday people.  Overall, we are definite over-achievers when it comes to holidays, especially Christmas, but for whatever reason that just doesn't extend to birthdays (or Valentine's Day).  We usually exchange a small gift and maybe go out to dinner. Of course, there are exceptions.  For Thomas' 30th, I surprised him with a trip to the All Star Game in Detroit.  For my 30th, he surprised me with a deluxe weekend at a Bed and Breakfast in Charlottesville.

Flashback photo--2005 All Star Game!

Having kids who are aware of what a birthday means has added a little more excitement to our special days. Last year the kids were super-excited to bake me a cake with Thomas.  They still talk about the experience. They also love to ask what we want; I have asked for the same thing the past couple of years, and I imagine it will be my birthday wish for years to come: a day of no fighting.  But, as Jack remarked, "umm, that's too hard...how about a nice movie instead," so I am not going to get my hopes up.

Regardless, this year our birthdays were greatly anticipated, if not by us, then at least by our children.  I have been wanting to go to Medieval Times for awhile, but Thomas was not enthusiastic, so we usually ended up doing something else for which we could both get excited.  I decided my birthday was the perfect time to cash in and announced that I would like to go to Medieval Times.  Thomas readily agreed.  We decided to see an afternoon show.  I went to the gym early and when I came home, the house was still quiet.  I assumed everyone was still sleeping.  I walked into my bedroom and everyone jumped out at me, yelling "surprise!"  They all demanded I open their presents right then and there.  Thomas had given me his gift early--an 1865 copy of my favorite book, Pride and Prejudice.  The kids had picked me out jewelry.  Some large hoop earrings and necklaces.  I was very happy to have gifts that they picked out themselves.

We went out to a late breakfast and then headed to Baltimore.  The kids enjoyed walking around the mall, but were a little irritated that we wouldn't let them do the things they wanted (like ride the train).  We kept explaining that Medieval Times was our entertainment.  They really liked the Bass Pro Shop and the Disney Store.

At Bass Pro Shop

Finally, it was time for the show.  After they got their crowns, the kids got more enthusiastic.  I think they were not sure what to expect.  Kara kept referring to it as a movie and didn't believe us when we told her there would be real horses.  Unfortunately, our knight was kind of lousy.  He seemed to have an aversion to looking at the audience.  The other knights seemed much better at interacting with the crowd.  Regardless, it was a fun time.  Jack especially loved the show.  He was an enthusiastic boo'er and cheerer.  He was especially thrilled that one of our ally knights was the victor.

They were trying to pose like knights.

Jack booing

On Monday, it was back to camp for the kids (they went the three weeks I worked and then had one final week).  On Thomas' birthday, I met him for lunch at Panera.  Then, I picked up the kids from camp and we baked him a cake.  I had already taken them to pick out presents.  With slight encouragement ("I know you like that, but do you think Daddy would?"), they had found gifts they were very excited to present.  They wanted to surprise him the same way he surprised me, so we hid in the living room and jumped out when he got home from work.  The kids had him immediately open his presents (Kara gave him a bird house, Anna picked out a nice shirt, and Jack gave him a Marvel belt. I gave him a silver age comic and some baseball cards).  The kids were beyond excited to give him the gifts; Jack was literally jumping up and down with excitement.  Their enthusiasm really did make everything more fun.  I was going to make a nice dinner, but we decided to just have hotdogs, since we were all anxious to get to the cake.

Finishing touches on the cake.

Kara was very excited about the birdhouse

Jack literally jumping up and down in anticipation of Thomas' opening his gift

The best family in the world.

Summer Summary (thus far)

It has been an eventful summer.  I spent three weeks working, which was a bit tedious for all of us.  The first two weeks I had to commute to DC and the last week was spent locally.  To make the time more interesting, I opted to get books on tape (well, iPhone).  Because I am cheap, I looked for the free ones in the public domain and found myself listening to Anne of Green Gables.  My grandmother's family was among the first to settle Prince Edward Island, so it had added meaning for me.  In fact, after I finished the three books (it's a long commute), I tried to persuade Thomas to take a last minute vacation to Canada.  Because he is a wonderful husband, he was willing to indulge me, but reality set in and I decided it was too ambitious for a last-minute endeavor.  I still hope to one day see the old family farm, but I think it will have to be on more than a whim.  Whims are good for weekend getaways, but are not so practical with 3 little kids.

The kids spent those 3 weeks at a camp at a local Catholic church.  One day, we walked into Jack's room and he was holding "church."  I am not sure what the Priests are like for camp, but Jack was pretty mean to the girls.  He had a spot for them to sit, stand, and kneel and seemed grievously insulted that they were not appropriately reverent.  The really enjoyed their time at camp (minus the getting up early, which was a huge struggle for Thomas every day).

He moves so much, that it was impossible to get a good picture, but you can see his priest garb

The week after that the kids were invited to attend a Backyard Bible Camp at a neighbor's house.   The camp was held for four days from 9:30-11 and they loved it!  Every day they would come home and repeat the Bible stories they learned and the songs they had sung.  My favorite is J-U-S-U-S.  No amount of correction will convince them that the lyrics are anything other than that.

After that fun week, we had more exciting news.  My oldest brother and his family were coming for a short visit! This brother lives in England, so we rarely seem him.  In fact,  we hadn't seen the kids in over 4 years. One of their children is grown and is serving in the Air Force.  So, it was my brother Jim, my sister-in-law Sheryl, and three of their kids: Joshua (15), Jessica (12), and Emily (8).  My kids loved being with their cousins!  They came in Friday afternoon and left around 11 on Saturday, so it was a very quick visit, but we are glad they made the effort to see us.  I was super impressed with what nice kids my nieces and nephew are.  They were so patient with their little cousins and were just nice to be around.  We had a great time and hope that we see them again soon.

Fourth of July Fun

We had a tough time deciding what to do on the 4th of July.  Thomas and I wanted to go to the Nationals game and make that a new yearly tradition.  But, we were reluctant to take the kids.  They don't have the best attention span for baseball and it can be frustrating to try and entertain them.  We decided that we will start that tradition in a year or two.

This year, we decided to stick closer to home and go for a hike at Calvert Cliffs.  It was on my list of things to do this summer and it seemed like a good day for it.  We had a leisurely breakfast and left around 9:30.  We had fun during the hike.  There were lots of little bridges and every time we came to one, someone would pretend to be the Grumpy Old Troll Who Lives Under the Bridge from Dora.  One of Jack's questions was, "what is taller than a house"?  

I answered, "a skyscraper."  

Wrong!  He shouted.  

Jack as that Grumpy Old Troll

The girls and Thomas correctly answered, "a dinosaur," and were allowed to pass.  He gave me another arbitrary question that I also got wrong.  He took his role very seriously and finally allowed me to cross (the girls were much kinder trolls).  Thomas and I asked questions about the holiday and were proud the kids had an (very) elementary understanding of what Independence Day was commemorating.

The hike to the beach area was 1.8 miles.  We were not sure how the kids would manage, but they were surprisingly good.  Kara had incredible energy and led the way for most of the hike.  They kept us on track and enjoyed seeing the mile posts counting up and searching for the marks on the trees to confirm we were still on the correct trail.

Kara photobombed Anna!

We hadn't planned on going in the water, so we didn't bring bathing suits.  Jack and Kara got soaked looking for shells and building a "house for the sea animals."  Anna and I looked for interesting shells and shark teeth.  Everyone had a great time.  We stayed for about an hour and it was hard to pull the kids away. We promised that we would go again and stay even longer the next time.

Jack had insisted on carrying his camp backpack and while we were complaining about his wet, muddy state, he gleefully reminded us that he had brought a change of clothes.  Poor Kara was the only one left to suffer in wet clothes.  She seemed to dry pretty quickly and didn't complain.  Speaking of which, nobody complained.  We told them if they made it the whole walk back without whining or complaining, they could play on the playground. 

This fallen tree had an awesome bench carved into it.

Since we decided to stop playing the Grumpy Troll at every bridge, the return walk was much quicker.  Thomas alternated kids on his shoulder and we were back in about 40 minutes.  We made good on our promise and they played on the playground for a bit, then we went to Taco Bell/KFC for lunch.  It was a fun morning.

Thomas barbecued for dinner and it was the perfect culmination to a great day.

Friday, the 5th of July, we went to St. Mary's City for their orchestra and firework event.  We went last year with the Darrows and had a great time.  We got there around 5:45 and found ourselves a spot.  Unfortunately, the good shady areas were taken, but we were centered in front of the orchestra and thought we'd have a good view of the fireworks.

We walked around a bit and bought ice cream and snacks.  Then, we played a few rounds of Old Maid.  Time went by quickly and soon the orchestra started playing.  

Every time someone picked a card from Kara, she would ask, "who was it?"  Then, every time she picked a card, she would delightedly turn to Thomas and say, "I got Grandma" (or whoever it was).

As soon as the music started, Anna decided she had to go to the bathroom.  So, Kara, Anna and I weaved our way through the crowd and waited in the long line.  Shortly after the second half started, she did the same thing.  This time, the line was monstrous.  We were gone for more than 30 minutes!  During which time we missed several songs that the girls, and I, would have enjoyed (such as One Day my Prince will Come).  It was somewhat frustrating.

Jack relaxing and enjoying the show.

Finally, it was 9:30.  The orchestra started playing the 1812 Overture and we knew it was almost time.  Jack then announced he had to go to the bathroom.  Life with kids, I suppose.  Fortunately, the boys line was short and Thomas and Jack were back before the fireworks started.

When the fireworks did start...we couldn't see a thing!  They were off to the side and blocked completely by a large tree.  We couldn't believe it!  We watched for about 2 minutes and decided to move.  So, I took the kids and wound our way through the crowd, yet again and found a place where we could see.  We sat on the ground and watched.  Meanwhile, Thomas gathered up our gear.  I am sure we weren't crowd favorites, but there was no way we could sit with our 4 and 5 years old and not let them see the main event.

The loved the fireworks.  At one point, Kara stopped watching, threw her arms around Thomas and proclaimed, "this is the best night ever, thank you, thank you for bringing us here!"  Priceless.  Speaking of which, the girls were very excited to wear their 4th of July clothes (which were the same ones they wore when we picked up Thomas at the airport).  I lost track of the number of compliments Kara received on her sailor dress.  Every time we walked through the crowd (which as you'll recall, was a lot), multiple people would comment on how cute she was. 

We had family movie night, complete with popcorn and snacks on Saturday and stayed close to home and relaxed on Sunday.  A good time was had by all.