Ocean City

Almost a year ago, we sat through an incredibly painful 3 hour timeshare pitch filled with propaganda, shame, guilt, blood, sweat, tears, etc. And why? For the free gift of course. Which was two separate 2-night hotel stays anywhere in the country and each one included a $50 check and a $30 gift card to the Olive Garden or Red Lobster (that last one sealed the deal). Of course it has taken us nearly a year to actually get through all the paperwork and red tape and long phone calls to actually successfully use our first free hotel stay. But we had such a fun mini vacation in Ocean City, Maryland, that I think it might have all been worth it.

Playing in a hotel room is always lots of fun...and check out these posh Howard Johnson accommodations. Nice subtle patterns on the windows and beds:





I got the manager to upgrade us to an oceanfront room for free...probably because the hotel was pretty empty. View from our patio:


We went out for a little night stroll on the beach. It didn't take Amelia too long before she was soaked. Elsa was completely terrified.





Breakfast at Dip 'n Donuts:


Okay. So the weather turned out to be cold and rainy and generally terrible for a beach trip. But we definitely made the most of it. I think the kids enjoyed their vacation from PBS kids shows with the added luxury of having cable.

No beach vacation is complete without mini golf!











The rain stopped so we rented a family bike and cruised along the boardwalk. I can only imagine how crazy it must be in the summer so it was nice to be there in the off-season and avoid crowds.




The kids LOVED riding in the bike and chasing birds off the boardwalk.





Boardwalk fun:








We spent the afternoon playing on the beach. It was 60 degrees, sprinkling, and we were the ONLY people on the beach. But Amelia was so excited to play in the sand and in the water. Yes, she and Ben actually swam in the ocean. Elsa stayed bundled up on the beach.




(Looking for shells.)




(Building a sand castle.)


(Chasing the birds.)












(This is how Elsa would throw food to the birds...so much effort and so little distance.)

Amelia also really wanted to swim in the hotel pool. It was outside. And not really heated. I decided it was my turn to take the challenge so I dove in and then swam around with her. Elsa stayed on the sidelines for awhile, but finally couldn't resist and jumped right in with her clothes on. It even started raining quite a bit while we were swimming. I'm sure we looked insane.







We checked out Tuesday morning and spent the rest of the day on Assateague Island which is just a few miles away. More on that in a separate post.

Now to figure out where to go for our second free hotel stay...

Playground.

Last week we watched our friend Bria for the day. Elsa and Bria are about the same age, although I think Amelia had just as much fun having her around.

We spent some time outside playing on the little playground in our yard.


Bria wasn't sure about the tunnel at first...


But she gave it a try...


...and was quickly suffocated by two other children.



Snack break:




Elsa freaks me out with her need to climb on all things. She figured out how to climb onto the outside of the playground awhile ago by watching Amelia. She's actually quite agile, but it still scares me to watch her. Here is some video of her climbing:

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was so lovely. I got to sleep in and was treated to a french toast breakfast. The girls made me cards. Amelia did a great job singing a Mother's Day song in church. I enjoyed an afternoon nap followed by a delicious dinner made entirely by Ben.

On the menu: BBQ ribs on the grill, cornbread (made from scratch), mashed potatoes (also from scratch), spinach salad, corn on the cob, and my favorite Trader Joes beverages...sparkling Clementine juice and French berry lemonade.



And he washed every last dish. (While I lounged on the couch and talked to MY fabulous mother on the phone.)

And for dessert, Ben made his first pie from scratch. An amazingly delicious key lime pie. Really. Here is the recipe from Barefoot Contessa. You will want to try it. AND, it keeps in the freezer for a long time so there is no need to devour the whole thing in a day or two.





Favorite moment of the day...
Amelia: "Mom, I really need to tell you something."
Me: "What?"
Amelia: "I love you."

Definitely a good Mother's Day.

Biking + Disc Golf = My favorite combination

Last Saturday we spent most of the day doing yard work and generally unexciting things. We were in need of an adventure so we took advantage of the nice weather, loaded up the bikes, and headed to Burke Lake Park. After a dinner picnic, we rode our bikes around the lake. It was such a pretty ride. Near the end is a playground and the girls were in heaven there. They loved riding in the bike trailer just as much, screaming with laughter at each bump and wild turn. After our bike ride, there was still just enough light to play a little disc golf.