Sunday, October 25, 2009
Welcome to the world of Legos
Emma playing with her big gift from Noni and Popi, a giant pink tub of "girl" Legos. For a day or two she carried around a big cup of about seventeen Lego butterflies she created and if given the chance she'd name every one for you.



Wings
We went to their various locations on the island five or six times during the week. Everything was half price, and they were serious about the "everything" part. I bought a bunch of new beach towels, a hat, a Redskins bib for Jack, flip flops and beach shoes for Emma, and I found a Redskins lanyard for Uncle B. One of the unanticipated perks of vacationing after the season is over.

Look out!
Besides cold weather, rain, and rough surf we also had to watch out for these hazards:

Sand spurs. The worst part was even if you wore shoes they would attach to your shoes and then transfer to the carpet in the house so you went barefoot in the house at your own peril.


These guys were easier to avoid. Although they were all along the path over the dunes to the beach you really had to wander off the path to step on one. The sand spurs, on the other hand, leaned into the path and were hard to avoid sometimes.

Scooby Party
Emma had her very first "friend party." We invited her preschool class and last year's preschool class. We ended up with thirteen kids. The plan was to start with a Scooby episode, then play a game of wrapping some of the kids with toilet paper like mummys, then eat cake and ice cream, and then have free play in the Play Hut tunnel system and tent that we brought from home.

It all went according to plan, but we ended up with lots more free time at the end than I'd anticipated. The kids didn't mind, but some of the moms took the opportunity to take their kids home and put them to bed closer to bedtime. I would have done the same thing. It was a very high energy party and my head was buzzing trying to keep up (especially having Jack there to worry about, too). I told M when it was over that I'd probably need a year to process everything that had just happened.

We knew we'd done good when Emma told us the next night at dinner, "Mama, my party was a blast!"

Popcorn in hand and ready for the "movie."


Scooby cake.


Enjoying cake and ice cream. You would weep at how much cake was thrown away when all these kids were "done."


Opening presents with plenty of help.


While most of her friends were going nuts in the Play Hut and tent, Emma was being coaxed to open her presents by this friend so that they could play with them.