Suburban Odyssey

It’s Early!

Upon arrival at Grandma’s, the ladies head to the park, and I head to the liquor store to grab a bottle of champagne for the big Mother’s Day celebration (it isn’t Mother’s Day without Mimosas, of course).  I also sneak over to the Hallmark store to grab some Mother’s Day cards.  Not a good idea at 4pm on the Saturday before Mother’s Day.  But it had to be done.  I spend a solid 20 minutes in line.  Ugh.

I get home and Michele presents Beth with a special early Mother’s Day gift.  Her very own bottle of Firefly!

Grandma has a Chili’s right around the corner from her house.  Our family loves Chili’s.  A lot.  I make the executive decision that we’re going to Chili’s for dinner.  Of course, I ignore the advice of my beautiful (and smart) wife to call ahead and get our names on the waiting list for a table. “It’s early,” I say.  It’s 5 p.m. on a Saturday night…the night before Mother’s Day.  Yeah.  Early.  Sure.

We get to Chili’s at around 5:30, and there are people waiting outside.  Not good.  We are placed at the bottom of the waiting list: 25 minutes.  Not terrible.  We use the time for some photos:

Beth braids Cady’s hair:

Note the logo on the teddy bear that Cady is doting on. Just sayin’.

Finally, we’re seated, Presidente margaritas & beers are served, and all is right with the world.

Again, note that Cady is wearing her favorite VT sweatshirt. Dad is clearly teaching her well

We order some chips & salsa for the table, and they bring us two bowls.  One is placed between Beth and me, and the other is placed in front of Michele, Grandma, and Cady. You decide which one is which after about 15 minutes.  Again, recall that one of these is just inches from my fingers. These pictures were taken at the same time.

Our waitress is on top of things.  She gives Juju an empty cup to play with, which frees up Mom and Dad for maximum eating & drinking. Needless to say, her tip reflects this.

Dinner is served, and the camera is put away.  It goes without saying that  there are 6 happy people, and at least one (me) who eats WAY too much.  Did I mention how much I (we) love Chili’s?

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Road Trip, Unplugged

Destination #5: Back to Grandma’s, Flemington, NJ. Approximately 200 mi.

10:22 a.m. EDT: Time of Departure (38 minutes ahead of ETD)

Weather Conditions: 77°F, sunny

Traffic Conditions: Moderate

Soundtrack:  None

Budget: No change.

Gas: ¾ of a tank

10:37 a.m. Cady “reads” her books to her “children”. She does a remarkable job remembering the story to Rino-Mani, which is a Spanish story. She translates as well as Mom and Dad do, anyway.

10:40 a.m. Enter Maryland. Cady is busy turning people into witches with her “magic wand”, which is made of magic markers. She asks if she can sleep with her wand tonight. At least she has a good imagination.

10:52 a.m. The unfathomable happens. Cadence asks to watch Chrysanthemum again, and as I try to turn it on, nothing happens. To our horror, some sort of fuse seems to have been blown in the power outlets. We think it must be because we tried to charge the computer into the adapter yesterday. So, we are kicking it old school today: no movies, no backseat-soundtrack. Just good old-fashioned family fun. I don’t think a sing-along is far off.

11:15 a.m. We hit Saturday morning traffic, inexplicably, just south of Baltimore. Turns out it is due to an accident.

11:37 a.m. Two minutes after we pass the accident and start moving, we hit stopped traffic again, waiting to enter the tunnel. And this is supposed to be the quick, easy leg of the trip. Uggh.

11:40 a.m. Whole car is listening to Cady’s Mix, rocking out to Rihanna’s “Please Don’t Stop the Music”, despite the traffic.

12:34 p.m. Enter Delaware. Finally. Those traffic jams have us over 30 minutes behind where we should be. Craig enjoys a bag of Snyder’s pretzels, thanks to Brady.

12:42 p.m. Cadence is doing a great job entertaining herself in the backseat. Unfortunately, this means that she’s talking non-stop.  I think I miss the DVD player more than she does.

12:56 p.m. Enter Pennsylvania. Craig, forgetting my dairy restrictions, suggests stopping at Pat’s (a Philly institution) for a cheesesteak. I give him the evil eye, but consider inciting an allergic reaction in my seventh-month-old daughter for this. We ultimately scrap the idea.

1:04 p.m. We pass the Philly airport, and Cady says, “Mom, I love airports.” Unfortunately, we don’t see any planes taking off.

1:09 p.m. We decide that the next time we take a road trip, we’ll take another route on the way back. Different scenery.

1:18 p.m. Cady starts threatening to pee her pants. We were hoping to not have to stop, but it’s not going to happen.

1:37 p.m. Get off at Exit 37 after Philly for potty/feeding break. So close, yet so far. Quick stop at the most tricked out Burger King I’ve ever seen. They’ve got a rockin’ playplace with TVs playing kid videos, as well as wired computers for their older guests. Weird. Craig gets me a Coke for $1.06.

1:52 p.m. We’re back on the road…only to hit more traffic. Don’t these people know it’s Saturday? This one is due to a motorcycle gang who’s decided to pull off to the side of the road for a mini-party.

2:07 p.m. Enter New Jersey. Cady claims she’s going to take a nap for the rest of the ride, but she keeps opening her eyes and asking questions. She truly has been in wonderful spirits for the whole ride. As we cross the state line, we see this cool car…

2:18 p.m. Cady starts making silly noises and faces to make Juju laugh. Juju thinks her sister is absolutely hilarious, and she produces big belly laughs for the next ten minutes. Amazing little people, these two.

Click here to see the hilarity for yourself.

2:35 p.m. We drive up to Grandma’s, where we’ll spend the next two nights, and celebrate Mother’s Day.

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Will this make the blog?

As soon as we pull in to the DeHoust’s driveway, the whole family greets us. Deidre immediately apologizes for not having a beer waiting. Someone’s been doing her blog homework.

Kyle, who’s almost five, takes Cady into the playroom. Cady had asked earlier if they would have dress up clothes, and I said that they probably would—but not princess dresses and such. Soon, Deidre and I hear Kyle say to Cady, “What? You don’t want to be a construction worker?”

Blake, who is two years old, is infatuated with Juliet. “Bay-bee, bay-bee!” He takes it upon himself to be her personal toy retriever. Juju is happy to be out of the car, but not happy enough to let Deidre hold her.

They must teach hospitality at Virginia Tech, because the DeHousts are also fabulous hosts. We dine on custom-order pasta bowls a la Brady, and a scrumptious salad a la Deidre. Kyle and Cadence even have their own special table, and we can hear them having “little kid conversation” as they eat. Fast friends.

The older kids get to stay up late playing tonight, and Kyle eventually reads Cady a story about trucks, of course.

They finally go to bed after 9 p.m., attempting another sleepover in Kyle’s room. They fall asleep pretty quickly, but Cadence ends up downstairs with us around 12:30 a.m. At least she tried.

The adults have a nice evening filled with laughter and conversation. Topics run the gamut—from kids to the Hokies to Emmett Swimming (again) to houses to wine to wearing helmets while skiing (sorry, Brady). We promise for more get-togethers in the future, and hope they’re seriously considering making it up to a BC vs VT football game (or Syracuse 2010?) soon.

It’s a quick visit, because Kyle has soccer in the morning, and then the DeHousts are off to Lake Anna where Brady is running in a triathlon(!)—and we’re headed to see Grandma, who is anxiously awaiting our return. We leave their truly gorgeous home with happy hearts, and a special parting gift for Craig from Brady. Apparently, the two of them consumed more than their share of Snyder’s pretzels while “studying” for exams in college. Brady bought them special for Craig’s visit, but almost forget until we were about to leave.

As I wait in the car, I watch them say their final goodbyes, and I can see the invisible ties that connect them, even after all these years.  I’m thankful that we decided to take this trip on the road. These Hokie visits are well overdue.

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Six ‘a One, Half Dozen

Destination #4: The DeHousts, Oak Hill, VA. Approximately 436 mi.

10:37 a.m. EDT: Time of Departure (37 minutes behind ETD)

Weather Conditions: 83°F, hazy sunshine

Traffic Conditions: Moderate (many lights)

Soundtrack:  96.5 The Drive. Back on the road song: Elton John’s Tiny Dancer

Budget: Our bill from the Sheraton lists $53.86 worth of liquor over the week. Strong work by us.

Gas: Less than half full, stop at BP on the way out, and fill it up for $27.82 (2.06/gallon)

10:40 p.m. Craig decides to ignore Angus. Rather than following Angus on the scenic back roads we took on the way in, Craig chooses to take Rte 501 all the way to 95. We assumed that 501 was the most direct and quickest route. It is more direct, but a good part of it is just as slow as the “backways” that Angus had us on. A lot of lights, a lot of cars. We assure ourselves that rather than being slower it must be “six of one, half dozen of the other,” and we may not gain time, but we won’t lose it either.

11:16 a.m. Turning around in the front seat to attend to someone in the back, I bang my knee into the seatbelt buckle clip thingy for the twenty-seventh time of the trip. It is one too many times, and I actually injure my knee. This is what you get for turning around every ten minutes to give someone something.

11:25 a.m. In Angus We Trust. It seems that ‘ole Angus was insisting on the small roads for a reason. 501 stinks. Next time we will be listening to the Automated Irishman.

12:10 p.m. Enter North Carolina, and pass South of the Border, a giant tourist rest stop with rides, mini-golf, stores and restaurants. Rte 95 is peppered with billboards for South of the Border all through both states. It’s one of those places that we say we’ll stop at someday, but probably won’t.

12:53 p.m. We stop at a rest area in Fayettville, NC. It’s clean, has a changing table, and picnic tables in the shade. Now was that so hard? Craig and Cadence eat lunch (PB&J, what else?) in the shade while I feed Juju in the car. We’re back on the road by 1:15 p.m.

1:30 p.m. Cady’s Mix is playing in the back. The Hold Steady is on in the front. Craig, on his own accord, turns off The Hold Steady to listen to Isn’t She Lovely. He mumbles something about there being too many competing noises. But we know the truth. He likes Cady’s Mix.

2:02 p.m. Cady says, thoughtfully, “Mommy, I miss my cars.” She has cars at home that she is friends with. She drives them, in a pack of about ten, and parks them in various spots around the house.

“You do, Cade?” I answer, trying to suppress a smile.

“Yeah, they’re all alone.”

“Well, they have each other, honey.”

“But they only want me,” she explains, with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

What can a mother say to that? Eight days away from home, and your cars, is a long time.

3:05 p.m. Enter Virginia. Coincidentally, it smells like raw sewage suddenly. This is not a commentary on Virginia. This is a true account of events.

3:21 p.m. Cady is sleeping soundly, and Juju has gotten restless. The last thing we want is for Cadence to wake up from her sweet slumber. To calm her down, I give her some puffies, but she’s mostly interested in the container. This keeps her quiet, until she drops the container, which falls to the ground by the side door—and out of my reach. In desperation, I literally try to fish it toward me, using my seatbelt as the fishing line. This doesn’t work, so finally I stand up, straddle the seats, and reach down over her to retrieve it. Anyone driving by at this time I’m sure has quite a chuckle. I give her the container back, thinking the crisis is averted. Until I check on her and see that the top has come off of the container.  There are puffies and puffy dust all over her and the car seat. I do my best to clean it up, but all she wants is that container back. Unfortunately, this means that Cady’s nap is sure to combust soon.

3:31 p.m. Cady is awake, and not happy about it. She complains of a headache, and then whines repeatedly, “I wanna go home!” You can’t really blame the kid—it’s a lot of driving. So now we have the entire backseat whining and crying. Craig and I look at each other and just chuckle. There’s not much else to do at this point. I decide it’s time for me to jump into the backseat for a while, and try to entertain the troops. This is somewhat successful. I distract them by singing the Cranky Cady song, and I even get a smile out of Cadence. Craig sings back-up and works the rhythm on the steering wheel.

3:52 p.m. Time to pull out the alphabet game. Cadence pretends she doesn’t want to play, but then loves it. We soldier on through Richmond.

4:04 p.m. Craig and I are getting punchy. We’re stuck at Q for the alphabet game. We start talking in southern accents. It gets addicting, and Cady wants to know if I’m still her mom.

4:17 p.m. We stop to get gas at the Chamberlayne Sunoco, just north of Richmond (2.19/gallon—total of $30. 86) and head to McDonald’s to use the bathroom and feed the Juju.

4:48 p.m. We’re back on the road, bracing ourselves to hit Friday evening traffic. Cady is watching Chrysanthemum in the back, so Craig and I decide to finish the alphabet game (continuing our southern accents). Luckily, we pass a sign for Dairy Queen, and we soon finish the game handily.

5:38 p.m. We hit crawling traffic about 10 miles before Quantico. Gotta love Friday night. We’ve already been in the car longer today than any other day on the trip.

6:19 p.m. Cady starts to get punchy. We’re close, and she can feel it. She’s squealing and singing and trying to make Juju laugh.

6:22 p.m. We’re close to the May’s house and we had thought about possibly stopping in to retrieve Cady’s doll. Unfortunately, it’s just getting too late. Cady asks, “Mom, can you email my dolly?”

6:29 p.m. Juju strikes again. I had given her a small bag of rice cakes to play with, and she was happily crushing it for some time. Finally, Cady yells, “Moommm, she opened it again!” And she did, somehow she got a big rip in it and she’s covered in rice cakes. Yes, I should’ve learned to stop giving her food as toys, but she’s much more interested in playing with anything that isn’t a toy these days. The trip home has been much messier than the trip down.

6:44 p.m. We finally make it to the DeHoust house, and we’re ready for another fun stop in Northern VA.

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“I hate the beach.”

We’re finally heading out to the actual beach at Myrtle Beach today. We have a leisurely morning, and get to the beach around 11 a.m. The beaches here are great, because there are small, free public parking areas all along the coast. It’s about a three-minute drive from the hotel. As soon as we arrive, Craig and Cadence head down to the water.

It’s not super-warm, but it’s doable and there are some nice waves. Cady likes running away from the waves much more than running into them. Juju settles into her tent, and I settle into one of our awesome backpack chairs (thanks Mom and Dad!).

We make a “princess sand castle” (is there any other kind?) and decorate it with shells.

Cady does a mean Stevie Nicks impression when she suddenly feels like dancing on the beach. Her moves just scream ’80′s video:

It’s low tide, so there are big pockets of water all along the sand that are like bathwater. This is much more Cady’s speed, and she spends the rest of the time lounging there. Mom and Dad switch off with her while Juju sleeps in the tent, and it is quite warm and lovely.

The only time Cadence goes back to the ocean water is when she has to go potty. There are no public bathrooms on the beach, so it’s time to teach her how to use the world’s largest potty. She tries to crouch down, but every time a wave comes, she gets up and runs away. She won’t walk any further into the water so she can stand up. So, finally, I ask her to just stand up straight where she is and let it flow. She does, and I scoop water onto her legs as I see the pee trickle down. Cady thinks this milestone is wildly funny, and she’s very proud of herself.

Cady’s ready to go “home” around 2:30 p.m., saying, “I don’t like getting all sandy.” I assure her that we can clean off all the sand when we get back. She is absolutely her father’s daughter. Although he puts on a good face, and has a great time playing with Cady in the water and sand, later when we get back, Craig admits (rather adamantly), “I hate the beach. I hate sand. I hate salt water. I hate the wind. I hate leaving the beach feeling all yucky. I hate everything about the beach.” Sigh. It was still a nice experience for everyone. Even Juju, who sat in, and tasted, sand for the first time. Yum!

We take quick showers when we get back, and Cady and Dad end up taking a long nap together. Juju and I explore the grounds, and we end up by the pool. She falls asleep while I read my book and enjoy a cocktail. Not a bad afternoon.

When Daddy and Cadence finally wake up, we head over to the mini-golf spot at the resort. We don’t keep score, but Craig definitely wins. Cady gets markedly better as we play, and becomes so professional that she can lift the flag out of the hole while putting.

As if we didn’t have a full enough day after all this, we try out another of the resort grills for a hot dog feast. We realize that we need to start consuming all the food we brought since our days here are numbered. Craig does more than his part, weighing in at 3 ½ hot dogs. We also have started hitting the poolside bar, as our alcohol inventory is dwindling. I have a margarita, while Craig and Cady have a beer.

Just kidding, that’s Cady’s juice. The juice box straw fell off, so we needed to get a cup from the bar. Cadence thought it was absolutely hilarious that it looked like she was drinking “beer like Daddy!”

We rounded off the evening with another evening pool session, and we even snagged some time in the “hot pool” before some adult couples could make it in.

It’s almost unbelievable to realize how much we fit into one day. Especially since this is our “do nothing” vacation. We sure do excel at doing nothing!

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Mom, I’m Happy

It’s Cinco de Mayo, so we decide to make this our one day of indulgence. This means going out to lunch rather than consuming yet more PB&Js, buying drinks rather than downing more Tecate, and getting ice cream rather than shoveling in the last of the M&M’s. It’s also overcast and threatening thundershowers all day, so we figure it’s not the best beach day. We head out to Broadway at the Beach, which is a major tourist trap, and exactly what we’re looking for today. Luckily, it’s right around the corner from the resort, so we walk. On the way, we see more ducks, and some cool turtles.

Broadway at the  Beach is filled with restaurants, shops, and kiddie rides. We pay $20 for nine tickets (each ride is one ticket, and adults don’t have to pay). It’s a little steep, but it’s our only entertainment expense so far, so we think it’s worth it. Plus, Cady has a blast:

Juju gets to ride a kiddie train for free, too. Since we didn’t think she’d notice one way or another, we didn’t buy her a ticket. However, at the last minute, the train operator says to me, “Bring that baby on; this train is gonna ride whether you’re on it or not.” And we were wrong: she did notice. And she loved it.

For lunch out on Cinco de Mayo, we have two choices. Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville or Senor Frogs. For some reason, I am really feeling the Senor Frogs.

I think someone told me it was good once. That someone must have been in college and must’ve been praising it for its bar scene. Not the most family friendly joint. They have a kids’ menu, but when Cady asks for chocolate milk, our waiter, deadpan, replies, “We don’t have milk.” Course you don’t. Also, you can get drinks in this thing, called The Yard:

Craig doesn’t specify a size for his beer, but apparently The Yard is the default. He’s “thrilled” that he’s drinking out of the giant contraption, and, bonus, we get to take it home. Perhaps Cady can use it in the sandbox or something. And no, the gigantic margarita is not for Cady–that’s all Mama’s. The food isn’t as bad as we expect it to be (how’s that for a backhanded compliment?). Craig experiments with a Molcajete, a Mexican smorgasbord: chicken, beef, salsa, a cactus leaf, an avocado, and two mozzarella sticks of all things. It’s a lot of food, but we figure this is our only meal out, so we make it count. Total lunch bill, including tip: $85.00. Kinda pricey, especially considering it doesn’t hit the spot as much as we’d been hoping. But, at least the place has “character”. We’re sitting out on a nice closed-in porch, while a two-man band is starting the Cinco de Mayo party early inside. Cady likes dancing while she eats. Also, while we’re eating, a family of ducks strolls through the restaurant.

I ask the waiter if they’re “regulars”. He points to a straw-covered awning over one of their many bar stations and says, “Well, they were born up there, so that pretty much makes them our pets.” They are a big hit with the tourists, if not necessarily a sanitary addition to the Senor Frog family.

Not to be outdone by a family of ducks, lunch also provides another milestone for Juju, as she sits in a restaurant high chair for the first time. What a pro!

After lunch, we continue to explore the vast tourist haven that is Broadway at the Beach.  Our intention is to find ice cream for Cady, and maybe (wink, wink) another drink for Mom and Dad. First, we hit more rides:

She is all alone on this ride, and at first, loves it…then…shy face:

Another one she’s alone on.  This time, she enjoys the whole ride:

And the final ride, a kid version of the famous pirate ship. I go on it with her, since Dad isn’t a big fan of anything that makes him lose his stomach. Perhaps Cady will follow in his footsteps. As we’re on the ride (we’re the only ones on the ride, by the way), she says, “My tummy hurts when we go down.” But it doesn’t seem to bother her too much–yet.

The quest for ice cream is finally complete when we find a Coldstone Creamery. Fortunately, it’s right next to Margaritaville. So, instead of ice cream for Mom and Dad, it’s drinks again (ice cream: $2.83, drinks: $10.95). It is Cinco de Mayo after all.

As the threat of rain approaches, we rush home just in time. Luckily, it’s early enough to get both kids down for a nap. A true family siesta ensues. After that, we make more PB&Js and head to the pool for dinner and a little night swimming.  Highlights include Cady and Juju making their first excursions into the “hot pool” (jacuzzi).  Cady is apprehensive at first, but likes it when Dad holds her. Then it’s back to the lazy river. Juju gets her very own raft this time:

It’s been a long, fun day, and we head back for a quick bath before bed. The girls get to go in the big spa tub, and they both love it.

Cady’s a little hungry after the pool, so I give her some cereal while Juju is going to bed. She’s staying up later tonight because she had a late nap, and we let her watch “Kung Fu Panda” with Mom and Dad. Later, when we’re brushing her teeth, she looks at me with her big beautiful eyes in the mirror and sighs, “Mom, I’m happy.” My heart swells with delight as I think about how she must really “get” how special this all is, how lucky we are to have this family and be able to do all these fun things together on vacation from our regular lives.

“You’re happy?” I say, grinning.

“Yeah! I got to have two helpings of cereal!” she exclaims, amazed with her luck.

I laugh, and realize how simple it is to make her happy. She doesn’t need rides. She doesn’t need pools. She doesn’t even need ice cream. Two helpings of cereal is all it takes. And we drove 900 miles to find that out.

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