update: installment one

Hello world!

It stinks when I just up and disappear, I know.  But I am back–with lots and lots to share.

Sam, Jane, Grams and I had quite the excellent road trip (or the "adventure" as the kids called it) from Providence to Connecticut to Savannah to Florida back to Savannah to Tennessee and back to Providence.  All in a week!

We started our trip on a Saturday with a visit to Connecticut to see the new baby.  It’s love.  Alison is awesome.  Plump and pink and perfect.  And I didn’t take a single photo.  I was so enthralled that I never reached for my camera.  (no worries, I see her again this weekend, and vow to take some good ones.)  I DID, however get these adorable ones of Kate, 6 weeks from her due date…

(full-fledged maternity session coming in the next few weeks)

After supper we got the kids into jammies and hit the road.  Grams gave Sam an early birthday present, a portable dvd player, (which may have saved our entire vacation from disaster)  and we put in a movie and  were off!  We weren’t even out of Connecticut before Janie was throwing up in the backseat.  Not even out of Connecticut.  Luckily, that was the end of Janie’s carsick tendencies…

We stopped for breakfast in North Carolina, at a lovely  (and I am not kidding) McDonalds.  Got the kids washed up and filled their bellies with pancakes.  There were such beautiful windows throwing the nicest light on my hotcake-eating kids, that photographer in me took over…

We arrived safely in Savannah, washed carseats, sent the kids to the sandbox and crashed for the night.  Bright and early on Monday we headed out to a very important place….Sonic.  I don’t know why the Sonic people decide to air their commercials about delicious limeades and slushes in areas where no sonic exists…I assume it is only to drive me crazy.  But right away there were slushes for the kids and limeasde for me and Grams.  Mmmmmmm.  Cherry limeade.  And that ice….

We drove out to Tybee Island later that afternoon when the tide was out, and let the kids play.  This was a real highlight of the trip.  There was this little river, about halfway to the shore, where ocean water flowed with a current, bit no deeper than their calves.  Jane loved it so much that she kept stopping her play, looking up, flapping her arms saying, "I love this!  I love this!"  This made for the perfect play spot and I got some terriffic pictures….

Tuesday we got back into the car for the 4-hour drive into Florida to see my cousin Amy, hsband Steve, and the DiClemente kids, Kevin, Danny, Jake and Mia.  They live in a gorgeous community in Lake Mary, the houses are amazing, including hers.   We arrived just ahead of a thunderstorm, so wasted no time getting right into the pool.  Jake taught Sam how to golf on Wii…loved watching that.  Steve grilled steaks, and they surprised us with a birthday cake for Sam and me.  Thanks for thinking of us, guys!  WE spent the night, watched the celtics game, and got right back into the pool after breakfast.  I wish I could describe how little Miss Mia is swimming.  The word mermaid comes to mind.  Apparently she has had some serious swimming lessons, but this baby girl, 3 weeks older than Jane, is swimming underwater, jumping off the sides, doing her backfloat.  It is unreal.  The miracle of the day for me, though, came from Sam.  Armed with his swimmies, he hit the (not hot) hot tub where is must feel small and safe for my little nervous boy.  He called me over to show me that, while standing, he could pull his knees up and just float.  Exhilarated, I  said, "know what you’re doing there??  Swimming!"  He got right into the big pool, into the shallow end, and within a few minutes was doing the doggie paddle.  I was so excited that I texted TK from the side of the pool, "SAM IS SWIMMING!!"    This is big, people.  BIG.

(finally!  A photo where we look alike!!!)

(she must have walked around that house for 45 minutes with those goggles on, carrying on as if she didn’t even realize they were there.)

THE INCREDIBLE SWIMMING MIA!

Home to Grams house Wednesday, after having a FUN dinner with Uncle Scott and Aunt Judy at their restaurant.  We even got to see cousin Erica too!  It was so wonderful to be at the same table with them, talking and laughing, it was even worth having to see all of the Green Bay Packer stuff that fills one corner of the restaurant….and that says a LOT coming from a Patriots fan….

OK.  More installments tomorrow…..have lots more to show and tell!

S