Block Party 2019

Our annual block party is always a highlight of the summer, and this year was no exception.

All last week, Saturday's forecast called for rain. But the day was not only completely dry, but also not too hot and not at all humid. The perfect weather for an event that lasted from 9 a.m. to midnight.

The kids decorated their bikes for the bike parade, did crafts, hit the pinata, danced to the live music we had later in the evening and went to bed way too late. Paul and I enjoyed chatting with neighbors, snacking all day long and generally hanging out. I think most of the street got a kick out of the visit from the firetruck and the games that Paul and a neighbor planned for the men of the street.

The day was practically perfect for us, and hopefully for the 50 or so neighbors that attended as well. Now to wait 12 months until the next one ...!

A Week at Ocean Isle Beach, Part 2

Myrtle Beach is about an hour away from Ocean Isle, so we decided to make an afternoon of it. Paul had been there as a kid, but not me or the kids. I wanted to see what it was all about.

We got there about 2 p.m., accompanied by gray clouds and a few sprinkles. We walked the boardwalk, got ice cream and Italian ices and stopped in some souvenir stores. That was enough of Myrtle Beach for me.

On the return trip to Ocean Isle, we made a slight detour to the Calabash Seafood Hut, sharing a large platter of fish, clams, oysters, shrimp, fries, hush puppies, coleslaw and a stuffed crab. Delicious. It was a feast we shared on an outdoor picnic table, and then under an awning when it began to rain.

The remainder of the trip was more of the same -- swimming, sand and fun, followed by a long 10+ hour drive home to put an end to our first family beach vacation.

Credit (and many thanks) to Kathryn for this photo!

Credit (and many thanks) to Kathryn for this photo!

Credit (and many thanks) to Kathryn for this photo!

Paul playing Frisbee with a friend.

A Week at Ocean Isle Beach, Part 1

Paul and I have taken a lot of different types of vacations -- cities, cruises, a dozen or so countries. But last week's trip was truly one of a kind.

Last week we shared a 12-room beach house with about 50 other people, fairly evenly split between adults and kids. We are good friends with two of the other families, had met an additional two and had never set eyes on any of the others.

Wow.

The duplex was steps from the sand at Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. Six families (or group of friends) stayed on each side of the house, with separate kitchen and living areas, but a shared deck and pool.

Our house, right on the beach.

View from the beach house in one direction ...

... and the other.

It was amazing. We would often spend the morning in the ocean or the pool, back for lunch, and then while away the afternoon in the opposite. After the kids were in bed, the adults would talk on the deck, play games or watch movies. And nearly everyone had a drink in their hand each night! My favorite parts of the trip were the late nights, and my least favorite parts were the early mornings that followed.

Both the kids and Paul and I made so many friends, and we all came home a deeper shade of brown (or pink!). The photos below are from the first half of the trip, and next week I'll follow with photos from the second half, including our afternoon in Myrtle Beach.

Atticus called these his "whistle chips."

Edith Finishes Kindergarten

May 30, 2019: Last day of school

Edith was almost sad on Thursday.

It was the last day of school, after all, and she already anticipated missing her kindergarten teacher. But she was so looking forward to a fun-in-the-sun-filled summer, that it was difficult to be too disappointed.

Sad or not, I now have a 6 1/2-year-old who has learned so much over the past school year. She can read, do basic math and, in the last few weeks alone, picked up more about bees that I probably ever knew. And she proved what I was already well aware of: She is a kind girl and a good friend.

Good luck in first grade, Edith!

Wasn't the first day of kindergarten only yesterday?