Back to School 2013

Well, I caught up on my magazines, read the stack of books on my dresser, decluttered, slept in a lot, went to the beach again and again, had my bloodwork done, my boobs squashed, my moles biopsied, my feet checked, teeth cleaned, Shmoo's checkup, saw all 4 grandparents, learned how to make tortillas, had barbeque and mexican food in Texas, rode the rides on the boardwalk and ate a funnel cake. I guess it's time to go back to work.

Schmoo and I were both a little stressed before school started....he meditated :) 

 

 And the all important first day of school clothes and new backpack.  This year's choice was Skylanders. 

 Someone was sticking out their tongue a LOT for dad's photos in the am.

 

Schmoo and I on our first days of school :)  

And then from FB:

Well I'm trying to sort truth from fiction as Schmoo tells me about his first day of second grade. I'm pretty sure the eyeball scanner at the bathroom entrance is fiction... Whereas I know his bus did wait at a stop for 45 minutes because a child was missing from the bus. The child was found safe and sound on the wrong bus. 

Blog slacking! Summer trip 2013

Holy Moses, I am behind on the blog!  Yeah, super slacker here.  Once again, I'd like to blame it all on Facebook.  I think I'll set a new goal that I can't post something on Facebook without blogging it first....so without further ado....

August Trip, 2013

Upon arrival in Wichita...

We shared a kiss in the place we met for the first time ever :)

I am so bad about taking pictures when we go places that we are familiar with.  We went to Kansas and Texas during August.  It was probably one of the worst trips on record!  The day before we left, James got the stomach flu....he was fine for the travel day, then for the next 17 days, all of us (including family we were visiting) passed that nasty bug around multiple times.  It was so very bad!  We took that bug from NJ to KS to TX.  So many people got it and I just can't emphasize how miserable that bug was....but we survived and got to see our families!

The only pics I took in KS were of this awesome water park that Great Bend has put in.  We were all finally well enough on the same day to go right before we left... It only cost $3 to get in, what a deal!  It had this giant play structure and then a regular pool with lots of slides.

And then the TX part...from FB

Well James and I made it from Kansas to Texas...but our luggage did not. Sitting here wearing my dad 's clothes so I can wash the clothes I wore today. At least we're not vomiting, right?

 

And now I hope to not run into anyone I know as I sneak into HEB in my dad's clothes so I can buy some essential hygiene items.

 

In case you're trying to keep up with my fashion trends in the face of luggage crisis, I'm currently wearing a sari made from a vintage sheet.

 

Yay! My luggage arrived! Just in time for James to get sick again. Seriously. What stomach bug comes back 3 times?

The good: for the first day since aug 9th, no one is suffering from G I problems and I got to see 4 of my nieces! The bad: I knocked down all the styrofoam cups from Dairy Bar with a swipe of my purse. They threw them all away. Also bad, I drove away from the gas station with the cap flying in the wind since I haven't pumped my own gas for 3 years. The weird: James wears the same size shoes as his 19 and 20 year old girl cousins! They both tried on his new school shoes-comfy fit!

 

James said "can we go back to Buccees so I can get some commemorative merchandise?"

 

And finally tonight: Papa says, "james, I sure am going to miss you." James' reply: "I'm going to miss cable."

 Illness abounding in Texas...

 Proof that they wear the same size :)

We're just sitting there at Fuddruckers and mom discovers an okra dad was carrying around in his pocket.

 Learned how to make tortillas from mom and dad's friend Lydia. 

Book of Mormom update

We are reading the entire Book of Mormon before Schmoo's baptism.  Some days are more successful than others...

We are slightly behind on our goal, but I'm sure we'll be done in time, even if we have to do a few marathons...

Harlem Globetrotters

Last night we went to see the Harlem Globetrotters play down in Wildwood.  Oh my gosh it was so fun!  They were great players--and their show was hilarious for kids and adults.  We had a fantastic family time :)

Swim Classes

Woohoo!  We graduated from level 2 in swim class.  We were in that that level for two summers--but he got all the skills he needed to move up to level 3 for next summer.  The really cool thing is that the pool is actually at his school-or rather the school he's moving up into to.  His last school was only Kinder and 1st grade.  This school is 2nd-5th and they have swimming for a whole trimester! Woot! 

Boardwalk!

I can't believe how much of the summer we let go buy without hitting the boardwalk!

Schmoo and I conquered our fears and rode the ginormous Ferris Wheel.

View of  one side of OC 

Schmoo's scared face :) 

 My scared face!

Then we had to ride it again later that night...

 

Other rides to be had...

OC is a wonderful place to be!

A visit to the Seaport

A group of us (9 kids and 5 ladies!) took the train into Philly, then subway, then walked our little hearts out to the Seaport Museum.  It was a day of transportation!  Train, subway, walking, avoiding buses and taxis, tour of submarine and warship then back again!