The kids have been getting stir-crazy lately, can't say that I blame them. It seems like they have been cooped up all summer due to triple digit temps and now are facing returning to school in 2 weeks and where did the summer go? We are almost at the half-way mark for Daddy's deployment and I have been so busy dealing with the garden it makes sense that their behavior has been spiraling downward lately - they are just BORED! On the upside, last week we got the first phone call from husband/sailor/daddy/farmer since he left in May! The kids were so excited and it was so nice to hear his voice, yet at the same time it has renewed the incessant "when's daddy coming home?" questions. We were down to once a week, now we are back to once an hour LOL! They had a lot to update daddy on, they can both swim pretty well now, the tooth fairy visited Loch twice in one week, and they have both started piano and fiddle lessons since he left. This is unfair to me, since by the time he gets home they will sound loads better than the "music" I have been subjected to LOL!
Back to the weekend - after seeing their faces drop when I carted in yet another basket of tomatoes Friday afternoon, I thought to myself "oh hell, they can live on the counter for a few days"! Being financially challenged, I had to do some thinking, but luckily we live at the beach and the Naval Base here also has several low-cost activities to do.
Friday Night: Movie! The base just happened to be showing a kid flick at the $2 theater so we saw 'Despicable Me'. I normally hate animated movies, but I am pleased to report this one was pretty good! Bonus that concessions are very nicely priced at the base as well, this is one activity I had pretty much written off in past years due to the outrageous cost, normally we wait for the DVD release, but now I have to remember to take advantage of more of the perks we military families have, since I know the kids just love the whole movie theater experience!
Saturday: Splash Park! Our local YMCA has a great new feature this year for kids, and they also have another outdoor pool if they feel like swimming.
Burning off that energy!
Here is my new favorite photo of Finnegan, I know it will make hubby cry, it did me! Sometimes I am just amazed that these two boys are ours, they are so darn cute!
Don't expect this to happen again soon, a photo of me! Kids playing with camera at the pool! Normally I would just "delete" but since I am actually smiling I will post for hubby. I'm not sure why, but he seems to not care what I look like - and that's a good thing...
just exactly what color is that hair, anyways, green??? I have chlorine & sun to thank for that lovely shade, blech!
Sunday we decided to drive out to one of the local beaches and just walk around. The resort area is near our house and it's impossible to park in the summer so we headed out to Sandbridge instead and had no problem parking. We wandered around a couple of shops and bought a kite the kids could fly on the beach. It started looking like it was going to thunderstorm pretty badly so I splurged and bought the kids an early dinner at a local seafood place on the beach. We are pretty much all in agreement here about our love of seafood, so everyone was happy.
My favorite meal of all time - a broiled crabcake sandwich!
Eating a crabcake anywhere other than the mid-Atlantic area is a sin in my opinion, they are never quite right! Even around the birthplace of the crabcake some restaurants can't seem to get their act together, so when I have one that is really good, I make sure to spread the word. So here's my plug: Sandbridge Island Restaurant & Raw Bar gets a big "thumbs up" for their Chesapeake Bay Crabcake!
I wish I could review other things, but wherever I go I can't get past the crabcake sandwich, if it's on the menu, it's on my plate. If I want to be adventurous, I just steal off the plate of whoever I'm eating with LOL!
Speaking of, the fish in the Loch's fish basket was really good too :)
I think it was $3.50 for the kids' fish dinners, fresh, yummy and a huge portion, I'll take that over a lame H@ppy Meal any day!
Taken in between Finn swatting my hand away from his plate!
I just heard the weather and it is expected to be 78-80 tomorrow - I may die of shock! I am hoping the weekend activities will buy me some good behavior out of the kids while I get busy ripping out the summer plants. After all, they can fly their new kite into the power lines while I work, right?
Another random ironic thought... I have been so busy this afternoon blanching and freezing FRESH vegetables that I didn't have time to cook and fed my kids a frozen pizza????? At least I threw a fresh tomato on it. Does this happen to you? Strange...
I keep having the same problem with forgetting to EAT the fresh vegetables BEFORE they get preserved. Or the fact that I canned a bushel and a half of peaches, but only ate two fresh... How does that happen?
ReplyDeleteOOOhhhh...low 80's for temps? I'm coming over.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think that a month of summer vacation is okay for parents and kids both. We all get a bit bored after the novelty wears off, but you guys seem like you're keeping busy.
Half way marks are fantastic! Keep it going strong, my friend.
It's always made me so frustrated that during the summer when I have all this luscious FRESH food with which to cook, I never have any time for working in the kitchen! Except to can and preserve, of course. Not fair.
ReplyDeleteYour boys are both indeed adorable. Cute, cute, cute! But that picture of you was totally unfair to us who would like to get a good look at you. Those mongongous sunglasses hid 50% of your face!
MamaPea, LOL... I had just bought those! I broke mine and absolutely cannot drive without sunglasses so I pulled into TJ Maxx and grabbed the first pair I saw that weren't "bejeweled" (LOL, what is that all about anyways?) Today a teenager outside on the sidewalk said "those are sweet-cool shades" to me.. I had to laugh at that, I'm sure he couldn't tell there was a 40 year old behind the humongous glasses!
ReplyDeleteErin, your kids are so adorable! They looked like they had a lot of fun at the movies and also playing at the Pool. I am sooo impressed with your YMCA pool. Wow! They don't have pools like that at our local YMCA. Ours is a puny indoor pool that is pretty old and gross.
ReplyDeleteI put our habaneros in our pickles. About 1/2 of one. It makes it spicy!
Mmm... crabcakes.... That's one thing I miss about not living in Virginia. Seafood in the midwest just isn't the same!
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh about the pizza incident- We had chinese takeout the other night because I had so much to do after work that I didn't want to take up time or stove-top space to cook. And then I canned or froze all the tomatoes and barely had any fresh to feed my MIL! What's wrong with that picture!!?
I'm glad you're at the half way point. It's the downhill stretch now- although I'm sure it will seem to drag on forever.
Judy
Oh, yes. I spend all day in the kitchen, preserving the harvest, then get Chinese take out from Panda Express. Your seafood dinners look sooooo good!
ReplyDeletemeemsnyc, I put one into pickles too! I hope they aren't explosive by the time they are opened LOL
ReplyDeleteJudy, both you and Granny order Chinese when preserving the garden, maybe I'm missing something? I'll try chinese instead of pizza next time - notice how it still involves me not cooking when there is loads of fresh food on my counter LOL
What a great weekend. I, too, am a crabcake lover, but living a 16-hour drive from any coast, it's not something we get a lot! Frozen pizza! Life saver. My kids are old enough now (12 and 14) we have "fend for yourself" nights. I refuse to confess what they have been known to eat for their dinners on those occassions.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great weekend! Your boys are very, very cute - and I agree completely with you on the subject of crabcakes. I have been disappointed so many times, that I am loathe to order one out. It is ironic that those of us who labor over our fresh vegetables on counters and in canners have no time or energy to enjoy the food while it's fresh!
ReplyDeleteI actually envy you guys with all the excess produce! For three years in a row now I've looked at my harvests and said "Nope, not big enough yet!" One of the first things I'm doing when DD starts school again this fall is work on expanding the garden again!
ReplyDelete