ScrumpyDaddy

Each day we were at the Outer Banks we tried to do some touristy stuff in the area. My parents had never been to the Outer banks before.

Jockey’s Ridge

Wright Brothers’ Memorial

Kitty Hawk Kites
We went to Kitty Hawk Kites twice. Once with the whole family (the kids and my parents) and once just Dave and I. Dave and I had to go back just us as it was impossible to really look at anything with the kids there. Wrangling at times can be so difficult. Each time we went we bought kites. The first time we bought 2 butterfly kites for Abby. She had never flown a kite before. We had tried once before locally at a park, but there just wasn’t enough constant wind. At the beach there is always wind. Abby had a blast getting her kite into the air and watching it there. The second time we went we bought another kite that was a 3-D kite of a blue angel jet. It was awesome. Zach loved it and when we flew it he just kept saying airplane and pointing at it.





Mini Golf – Jurassic Putt
Abby did a great job hitting the ball with the club and trying to get it in the hole. She had lots of fun and loved the theme of the place. She still talks about it at home when we drive past our local mini golf place. She will tell me how it is the same as at the beach except that the beach had dinosaurs.

This year we went on a family vacation with both sets of Grandparents, Aunt Edie, and Uncle Pat. We went to South Nags Head, Outer Banks, NC. We had been to Kill Devil Hills, OB almost 2 years ago just us for a couple days. We loved it then and had been wanting to go back ever since. Zach had only been a month old when we went last time. Abby had been almost 3 and it made quite the impression on her. She had been talking about the beach ever since that trip. This year we were able to make it happen.

We got a house right near the beach and I mean just a couple hundred feet from the beach, so it was an easy walk for everyone. The house was just big enough for all of us to enjoy and had a nautical theme. There was also a deck off the front, which was wonderful to sit on and listen to the ocean and watch the birds.

Each day we went to the beach for sun and swimming at some point and also tried to do something touristy whether it was sight seeing or shopping. The kids of course loved the beach the best. The sand to play in and the waves crashing. It was honestly hard to keep Abby out of the water whenever she was near it. She didn’t care if she had a bathing suit on or regular clothes. She wanted to play in the waves. She loved running up to edge and waiting for the wave to come in. Then as the wave splashed her she would come running back out with a huge smile on her face. She also loved it when she would hold someones hands and jump the waves. She did eventually go in deeper with Dave holding her, but most of the time she just played in the shallow water.

Zach on the other hand was the complete opposite. He loved the water and every time he would see it he would yell, “Wawa.” Seeing it was the extent of his love for the ocean. He only went in once with Dave and didn’t cry the second he got near the water. All the other times he just wanted held up with his feet completely out of the water. If you tried to put his feet in the waves he would start crying. The only thing he did like was when Dave would dig holes in the sand deep enough that he would get water. Dave would make little wading pools for Zach to play in.

In the fall Abby will be starting Kindergarten. I can’t believe how big she is getting. Sometimes it feels like she was just born and yet she has a 2 year old brother and another one on the way. She is getting to be quite the little lady.

At the beginning of June her school had graduation day for the Pre-K class. All the classes participated in the ceremonies except for the babies. They even had Zach’s class sing a song. Mostly it was the teachers signing with the kids trying to play with all the decorations that were around the stage. It got better as the classes got older.

Abby’s class was the last and wore the graduation caps and gowns. They looked so nice altogether. They sang 2 songs. I am not sure the name of either song, but one was about various fast food restaurants and the other was about Kindergarten here we come and what they learned in Pre-K. Then the teachers handed out diplomas to each child. It was a very nice ceremony.

Afterwards they had cake, cookies, and drinks for the kids. They were also handing out some small gifts, which were very nice. They gave each child a Clifford book about school. Abby’s teacher gave each of her kids, there are 2 Pre-K classes, a small bucket of sidewalk chalk and a lollipop.

Since it was Abby’s day we asked her what she wanted to do after the ceremony to celebrate her graduation and she chose to go to Taco Bell for dinner and play at the play area in the mall.

Each year we go to my brother-in-laws to celebrate our niece and nephew’s birthday over Memorial Weekend. This year our nephew Dorian was just finishing up his first year of school. He was a big Kindergartener. Lydia is doing great. She doesn’t show any signs of after effects of being a preemie. Way to go both of you!

It was an interesting start to the party this year. Rob went to move the basketball hoop and as he did he found black snake curled up on his driveway. Luckily, one of his neighbors was willing to pick the snake up and take it back to the woods. No further signs of snakes were reported that day.

The rest of the weekend was uneventful, though my allergies were really bad. With being pregnant and not taking any medicine for allergies this year I was becoming miserable with being outside. Sneezing and blowing my nose for most of the day was exhausting. Finally, I had to ask Erin if she had any meds I could take. Luckily she did. It helped, but at times I was still miserable.

See the rest fun we had.