Summer Travel Journal Part 5: The Egg Drop

My family likes to keep things entertaining when we all get together. 

For instance, while I was growing up, my parents had to figure out a way to keep us all occupied in that lull of vacation-laziness between Christmas and New Year's.  When we got to the point where everyone had been on break long enough to feel relaxed...and we were all starting to get a bit ansty to do something...and when the sugar buzz from all the homemade caramels and cookies was turning more into diabetic shock, my parents would buy some giant bags of rubber bands from Sam's Club, take us all to the church gym, and we'd have a giant rubber band shooting war.  The only rule? Don't shoot anyone in the face.  Other than that, it was a free-for-all to release excessive pent up energy.  And after a couple of rounds of shooting family members with rubber bands as hard and as often as I could while fending off their attacks on me, life was good and we were all ready to go back home and put together some Christmas-gift puzzles.  Good times. 

(Side note: If you ever try this activity, I would suggest wearing long sleeves and pants.  Just sayin'.)

I think most families go see a movie or something?

Anywho, my point is, my family likes to mix it up in the entertainment area.  Our family reunion was no exception.  About a month before the reunion, my mom told us all to prepare for an Egg Drop--the kind of activity you did in 5th grade where you try to package your raw egg in such a way that when it's dropped off the roof of the school, it won't break.  (If I remember right, my egg in 5th grade did break.  Bummer.)  While my siblings all paid attention to this email...I think I was buried up to my elbows in homemade paper mache and promptly forgot about it.

It all worked out okay in the end though, since I had been pinata-making instead of planning our egg's protection, we just used the broken halves of the pinata to package the egg. 

How's that for being resourceful?

Most of the family--waiting for the excitement to start!

Woohoo!  Not a single crack!

The rest my family did just as well and not one egg broke.  I'm pretty sure that means we hold the World Record for "Least Number of Eggs Broken During An Egg Drop Contest At A Family Reunion". 

(Cue music: We are the champions...we are the champions...no time for losers 'cause we are the champions...of the world)

I think we might have to add "Egg Drop" to our permanent family entertainment list.  Oh, and we'll be stocking up on rubber bands too.

Summer Travel Journal Part 3: Hanging Out with Dr. C's Family

You all probably thought that I had forgotten about the promised Summer Travel Journal. But, you are in luck, because I didn't forget and we are ready for the next installment.

We spent the first week at Dr. C's parents' house--where Miss B broke a lamp and an alarm clock; I broke the dryer and Dr. C's razor's case stained the bathroom sink. 

They were probably pretty ready for us to leave by the weeks' end. 

 The boys got to try on Grandpa R's Green Beret.  Very cool...although I'm not entirely sure that they understood the significance of it other than "Grandpa's neat hat."  T-Man kept wanting to wear it like he was a Newsie.

What's with the one squinty eye?

Miss B took over the Flintstone car like she'd had her license for years and was cruising around in her hot rod. 

 One night involved some intense games of capture-the-flag.  I think the girl's team only one once; but hey, at least we won, right?

Miss Banana kept getting tripped over, so she eventually became our inside cheerleader. 

Yeah, not happy about that.

Another night we had a bbq at Aunt E's house, where much fun was had by all.

They have a kiddie-car-wash...how cool is that?!?

Water balloon volleyball (and regular volleyball) were also big hits.

Fearless and T-Man got in a water fight. 
Fearless thought he had the only water gun.

 Until Uncle C brought out the BIG gun.  And when I say BIG, I mean BIG...as in T-Man needed help picking it up once it was full of water. 

That thing was like a fire hose.

Fearless didn't stand a chance after that!



Despite losing the water war, Fearless was happy because later that evening, we partied for his birthday.  He shares a birthday with Grandma R and a couple of days later is Grandpa R's birthday, so everyone got to celebrate.

Miss B was a little stinker that night because I wouldn't let her gorge herself on cupcakes.

I'm such a mean mom.

 Thank goodness for all of the family members that cheered her back up; she's so much more pleasant to be around when she's not screaming her head off.

And, since you've made it this far, I will end with a little treat.  Dr. C's niece (in the background of the picture above) has been playing guitar since she was 9; and recently won 1st Place in her division of the local Idol contest.  She just wrote her first song, True.  The recording makes it hard to understand some parts, but listen closely; there is a verse about Miss B!!

(Sorry, tried to embed it, but the video isn't working...hopefully the link works!)

Summer Travel Journal Part 1: Discovery Gateway and Olympic Plaza

Welcome to our Summer Travel Journal. 
It will be long. 
But, it will be flooded with pictures. 

Let's get started, shall we?

After our 25 hour drive west, we arrived at Dr. C's parent's house.

As we were getting out of the van, Fearless and I had this conversation:
Fearless: Mommy, we have a really crummy car.
Me: (surprised) Really?  Why?
Fearless: (innocently) Because there are a lot of crumbs in it.
True dat.

To take a break from our crummy car, we took the train down to Salt Lake City to visit Discovery Gateway.

Miss B's first train ride!

For those of you who have not yet visited Discovery Gateway, you are missing out.  It's a pretty fun children's museum.  My kids had a blast.

 And, as an added bonus, I saw another cute little girl with Ds playing there too.  I love seeing other kids with Down syndrome...warms my heart every time.

We also had to make a stop at the splash pad in the Olympic Plaza.

 This is also where I realized just how much I have acclimated to The South.  It was a bright, sunny, 93 degree day with very little humidity.When I used to live in Utah, I would have complained about how miserably hot it was.  This time, it felt quite pleasant.

Fearless with his cousin...these two were like peas in a pod.

Generations

I don't think the "Generation Gap" is as big as people think. Sure, each generation has its own set of challenges and circumstances that form the identity of that generation...but when you get down to the basics--each generation learns a lot of the same life lessons--that working hard pays off; that family and relationships are most important; that we all still have a lot to learn. The young, the middle-aged, the old...we all have a lot more in common than we initially might think.


Take my 91-year-old Grandma for example. She was visiting my aunt and uncle in Louisville, KY (only 7 hours from us) so we went up there to visit her a few weekends ago. My cousin took my family and Grandma shoe shopping. I thought I was a major shoe-shopper and that I could spend days looking at shoes, but my Grandma outshopped us all. In the crowded mega-shoe sale, she was squeezing through the crowd and trying on shoes like nobody's business. And then in the checkout line? My cousin had one pair of shoes, I had 2 pairs for me and one pair for Miss B....but my Grandma? 6 pairs. And she could have kept going!!

She is my hero.

Generation gap? Nah.

Spring Break Recap--Part 2

We went on a hike one day when the weather was nicer.  Taking my kids on trails I've traveled many times is a nostalgic way to share my childhood with them.

T-Man with the cousins.

A good hiker needs a nice walking stick.  I think this was the 3rd or 4th one that Fearless picked up.  Please also note the trail guide and the "collecting bag" that, by the end was filled with various rocks, leaves, and small sticks.  They are regular woodsmen.

Ahh, The Cheese Rock.  When I was little, I remember climbing this rock Every, Single. Time.  Although it seemed a lot bigger then...Anyway, the rule of The Cheese Rock is "if you want to get on top, you have to get up there yourself."  Which was a challenge my boys couldn't pass up.

T-Man on the way up.

Not to be left out, Fearless on the way up too.

Conquered!!

Now to get down...

Fearless: "I did it, Mommy!  And I wasn't scared at all!"  I know, honey.  That's why we call you "Fearless."  I think sometimes it would be good if he had a healthy fear of things...but that is a post for another day.

Grandma and Grandpa waiting for us to catch up.  (We had to stop to add more rocks to the collection.)

Not sure what is up with the hat style here. 

And this hat was obviously too big--but hey, he chose it.

And one of Miss B.  I was wearing her in the carrier, so it was hard to get any good pictures of her from arm's length away.  As funky as this pic is--she's kind of making an old lady face--it was really the best. 

Sorry,  little lady.

More pics to come...next up--St. Patty's Day projects!