Sunday, July 25, 2010
Avalon 2010
This weekend we headed to NJ for the first of 3 beach weekends we planned for this summer. The Shulls were nice enough to extend an invitation again to their beach house in Avalon, which has become a yearly tradition for us, and one we eagerly anticipate. Their house is 1.5 blocks from the beach, but they also have a pool in their backyard, so we have the best of both worlds. The temps were HOT all weekend long, so we especially having the poo to cool off in when we didn't want to pack everything and walk to the beach. Ryan was equally happy in both places. When we were sitting in the sand on the beach, he kept saying "Mommy, let's go to the beach!!" I said "Ryan, we're AT the beach" and he replied, "Let's go in the water!!" To him beach = ocean, and we could not keep him away from it, he loved running down to the water's edge, splashing around, and then running away form the waves. We built sandcastles, dug a pool, and enjoyed ourselves. Later in the pool, Ryan got braver and braver, eventually telling us he wanted to go underwater, and then proceeding to dunk underwater several times in a row. We have to get this kid in swim lessons! We walked down to the little arcade and played games - skee ball of course (Grandpa will be proud!) - and won prizes, then cooled off with ice cream and Italian Ice. There was also plenty of relaxing on the deck and luckily the temps cooled off at night so we had the perfect weather for enjoying the summer evenings. This year, Ryan was not the only kid, he was very excited to be joined by Andrew (4 months). Andrew is the cutest baby, and Ryan loved hanging out with him - Whenever Andrew was napping or not in the room, Ryan asked "Where is Baby Andrew?" We are looking forward to Avalon weekends in summers ahead when the boys are running around together, jumping the waves and likely getting into some trouble! Thanks again to the Shulls, Kim and Mike for another great Avalon weekend!
Friday, July 23, 2010
The Beach
The Beach. Just saying those two words brings back a flood of memories. There are many beaches in the world, but when I was growing up, those words only meant ONE place. Salisbury beach. It was the place where my family vacationed from the time I was an infant, through my young adult years. Each summer, usually in mid-July, we would pack up our cars and head up on a Friday night for 2 weeks. We only lived 25 minutes away from our vacation destination, but it felt like another world. My grandparents rented the same cottage. Every.Single.Year. For two weeks. Unless you own a vacation home, I think it is extremely rare these days for a family to vacation in the same town, in the same house, year after year. People want to travel, see the world, and do new things. Not us - We were quite happy with our beach cottage. I still smile when I remember move in night. Various members of my extended family would trickle in - some would arrive Friday night, some Saturday morning but we all were there. Sometimes the adults would commute back and forth to work during the week, but everyone stayed as long as they could, and us kids were always there.
During those 2 weeks we were beach bums - putting on our bathing suit when we woke up, and leaving them on until dinner time. The house was literally on the beach, with a large front porch that us kids loved to jump off of (when my grandfather wasn't looking of course), into the sand. About 30 feet from the porch was a wooden fence, and past the fence and over the hill was more beach and the ocean. The fence provided a very small amount of shade from its wooden slats, and I still remember those days when the sand was really really hot. We would run up the beach from the ocean, stopping at the fence and cooling our feet in that shade for just a minute, then running the rest of the way to the house. We would then dip our feet in a bucket of water to get the sand off before entering. Somehow the house still had sandy floors!
Each year until I was about 14 years old, the same family, the Murphys, rented the other half of the duplex cottage for the same two weeks as us. All of us kids were fast friends picking up each summer as though no time had passed. In the evenings we put on gymnastics shows, plays and magic shows while the adults sat and watched us from the porch, probably enjoying a few adult beverages. We would traipse in and out of each other's side of the cottage as if we were family ourselves. On Friday nights we spread our blankets out in the sand and waited for the fireworks. At that time, my brother and I were the only kids in my family, and with no cousins to play with we treated the Murphys as our cousins. There were many years I cried on that last beach day when I knew we had to say goodbye to them. They only lived in the next town over back home, but for many years we still only saw each other during those magical 2 beach weeks.
During those two weeks, there were plenty of visitors - Friends from back home would take a day off work to spend at the beach with us. The Hammans and Pineaus would always come on the same day, and the kids and Dads would spend the morning at "the center" riding the water slides. We would then stop for creamsicle ice cream cones at Wiley's on the walk home and spend the rest of the day on the beach. We built pools and sandcastles, rode the waves, and layed in the sand. On Wednesdays Uncle Bernie would arrive with his homemade ham salad. I never did taste that ham salad but he claimed it to be the best ham salad in the world, and I'm not sure he would have been allowed to enter the cottage without it. Dave and Sally always brought fruit salad. Others brought special treats and snacks - no one seemd to show up empty handed. In those days there were no cell phones - we had to walk to the pay phone to call our friends back home to coordinate visits, and we really never knew who would show up at our backdoor on any given day.
4:00 meant cocktail hour. The adults would retreat off the beach, up over the hill and set up their chairs on the sand in front of the cottage. Uncle Mike made his famous margaritas, and snacks were passed around. We soaked up the last rays of sun and then would retreat inside for dinner. After dinner, we listened to the Red Sox on the radio, and in later years, on TV. First on a small black and white TV in the living room brought from home. In later years there was a color TV with cable. We scooped ice cream into small bowls, sweated through no air conditioning, Nana taught me to play solitaire and we played 45's.
We looked forward to those few cherished nights where my parents would take us to "the center" in the late afternoon/early evening. We got ice cream at Joe's Playland, ate fried dough, cotton candy and drank fresh squeezed lemonade. We bought salt water taffy from Wiley's Candy Shoppe. We rode the bumper cars, went in the fun house, went on the Witch's Castle, played skee ball, and the lights at Jake's. And of course my Dad always played pinball. I know there were several other nights that my Dad snuck off to the center after us kids had gone to bed because, of course, he was the biggest kid of all. I remember a couple mornings coming downstairs and finding a prize on the dining room table that he had won for us the night before playing skee ball on one of his solo trips to the center.
The second Saturday we were there each year was reserved for the clam bake - lobsters and steamers and corn on the cob. We ate out on the front and back decks. My grandmother always made steak or chicken for herself, being the one who didn't like lobster. There was plenty of beer too, of course!
In later years, there were more kids as my aunts and uncle started having children of their own. In the summer of 1990, two of my aunts didn't come to the beach because they were due with my cousins Krista and Sean. This led to several birthday celebrations for those cousins at the beach as they got older. As my younger cousins grew up and the families expanded, and as my brother and I grew up as well, we stopped spending nights at the beach, but we still traveled up on several weekdays and the weekends during the 2 weeks that everyone was there. One of the first places I drove to when I got my license was the beach.
The one year I missed going to the beach was 1998, the year I moved to Baltimore. After that first summer in Baltimore, I returned to the beach every summer, as long as my family rented the cottage. When Tim and I were first dating, I brought him to the beach cottage with our friend Emil, and that is where he met my family for the first time. He stood in the ice cold water and payed football with my younger cousins. In later summers we traveled back for the Saturday clam bake and could finally enjoy the margaritas and cocktail hour.
When I think about the beach, random memories come flooding back - Nana telling guests they should help themselves because she wasn't going to make their lunch for them. Walking to Church on Sunday and stopping at 4-D on the way home to buy fresh bread for the Italian dinner my mother always made on Sundays with her homemade sauce. Walking to 4-D with the Murphys every afternoon to buy the newspaper for our grandfathers and of course treating ourselves to some candy too. The large dining room table (that our family would eventually outgrow) that had chairs on one side, but a church pew on the other. The dresser in the dining room that we used to store beach towels and sunscreen. The wooden bookcase in that same room that held our board games, magazines and books. The other dresser that served as the cupboard in the kitchen for our snacks and bread. I remember the year that there was a huge fire at the center and - even though we were 1 mile away - we could clearly see the flames. The huge and raucous trivial pursuit games where my Dad and Uncle annoyed everyone by yelling things like "pie-age!" and "Viva La France!" Looking back, I am pretty sure there were adult beverages involved in that too. My grandfather standing at his post - out in front of the cottage - directing family and friends on where they should park. Hearing the announcer on the Himalaya ride "And now we're going to go really, REALLY fast!!!" sometimes even all the way from our cottage, 1 mile away. Hanging bathing suits and towels on the close line to dry, and then running out to gather everything quickly if we heard rain coming. Going to the movies or the arcades at Hampton on the few days when it did rain. The sight of my grandfather sitting in his rocking chair on the porch, reading his book or napping.
Several years ago, my family stopped renting the cottage, when it became apparent that my grandmother was not physically able to go up and down the beach any longer. I think that in the aging process, giving up her beach days has been the hardest part for my grandmother - even harder than recovering from her two strokes. I still recall her at her happiest on the beach, laying in her lounge chair, glowing. She certainly passed on her love of the beach to me, and if the past 2 summers have been any indication, she has passed it on to her great grandson Ryan as well. We spent this past weekend at a beach in New Jersey, and the memories of the beach days of my youth were in the front of my mind. It comforts me that Tim was able to experience this special place with me, and that we can keep the beach traditions alive for years to come with Ryan. A few months ago, I referred to a quote here on the blog "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." So now, I will just close my eyes, picture "the beach" and smile...
During those 2 weeks we were beach bums - putting on our bathing suit when we woke up, and leaving them on until dinner time. The house was literally on the beach, with a large front porch that us kids loved to jump off of (when my grandfather wasn't looking of course), into the sand. About 30 feet from the porch was a wooden fence, and past the fence and over the hill was more beach and the ocean. The fence provided a very small amount of shade from its wooden slats, and I still remember those days when the sand was really really hot. We would run up the beach from the ocean, stopping at the fence and cooling our feet in that shade for just a minute, then running the rest of the way to the house. We would then dip our feet in a bucket of water to get the sand off before entering. Somehow the house still had sandy floors!
Each year until I was about 14 years old, the same family, the Murphys, rented the other half of the duplex cottage for the same two weeks as us. All of us kids were fast friends picking up each summer as though no time had passed. In the evenings we put on gymnastics shows, plays and magic shows while the adults sat and watched us from the porch, probably enjoying a few adult beverages. We would traipse in and out of each other's side of the cottage as if we were family ourselves. On Friday nights we spread our blankets out in the sand and waited for the fireworks. At that time, my brother and I were the only kids in my family, and with no cousins to play with we treated the Murphys as our cousins. There were many years I cried on that last beach day when I knew we had to say goodbye to them. They only lived in the next town over back home, but for many years we still only saw each other during those magical 2 beach weeks.
During those two weeks, there were plenty of visitors - Friends from back home would take a day off work to spend at the beach with us. The Hammans and Pineaus would always come on the same day, and the kids and Dads would spend the morning at "the center" riding the water slides. We would then stop for creamsicle ice cream cones at Wiley's on the walk home and spend the rest of the day on the beach. We built pools and sandcastles, rode the waves, and layed in the sand. On Wednesdays Uncle Bernie would arrive with his homemade ham salad. I never did taste that ham salad but he claimed it to be the best ham salad in the world, and I'm not sure he would have been allowed to enter the cottage without it. Dave and Sally always brought fruit salad. Others brought special treats and snacks - no one seemd to show up empty handed. In those days there were no cell phones - we had to walk to the pay phone to call our friends back home to coordinate visits, and we really never knew who would show up at our backdoor on any given day.
4:00 meant cocktail hour. The adults would retreat off the beach, up over the hill and set up their chairs on the sand in front of the cottage. Uncle Mike made his famous margaritas, and snacks were passed around. We soaked up the last rays of sun and then would retreat inside for dinner. After dinner, we listened to the Red Sox on the radio, and in later years, on TV. First on a small black and white TV in the living room brought from home. In later years there was a color TV with cable. We scooped ice cream into small bowls, sweated through no air conditioning, Nana taught me to play solitaire and we played 45's.
We looked forward to those few cherished nights where my parents would take us to "the center" in the late afternoon/early evening. We got ice cream at Joe's Playland, ate fried dough, cotton candy and drank fresh squeezed lemonade. We bought salt water taffy from Wiley's Candy Shoppe. We rode the bumper cars, went in the fun house, went on the Witch's Castle, played skee ball, and the lights at Jake's. And of course my Dad always played pinball. I know there were several other nights that my Dad snuck off to the center after us kids had gone to bed because, of course, he was the biggest kid of all. I remember a couple mornings coming downstairs and finding a prize on the dining room table that he had won for us the night before playing skee ball on one of his solo trips to the center.
The second Saturday we were there each year was reserved for the clam bake - lobsters and steamers and corn on the cob. We ate out on the front and back decks. My grandmother always made steak or chicken for herself, being the one who didn't like lobster. There was plenty of beer too, of course!
In later years, there were more kids as my aunts and uncle started having children of their own. In the summer of 1990, two of my aunts didn't come to the beach because they were due with my cousins Krista and Sean. This led to several birthday celebrations for those cousins at the beach as they got older. As my younger cousins grew up and the families expanded, and as my brother and I grew up as well, we stopped spending nights at the beach, but we still traveled up on several weekdays and the weekends during the 2 weeks that everyone was there. One of the first places I drove to when I got my license was the beach.
The one year I missed going to the beach was 1998, the year I moved to Baltimore. After that first summer in Baltimore, I returned to the beach every summer, as long as my family rented the cottage. When Tim and I were first dating, I brought him to the beach cottage with our friend Emil, and that is where he met my family for the first time. He stood in the ice cold water and payed football with my younger cousins. In later summers we traveled back for the Saturday clam bake and could finally enjoy the margaritas and cocktail hour.
When I think about the beach, random memories come flooding back - Nana telling guests they should help themselves because she wasn't going to make their lunch for them. Walking to Church on Sunday and stopping at 4-D on the way home to buy fresh bread for the Italian dinner my mother always made on Sundays with her homemade sauce. Walking to 4-D with the Murphys every afternoon to buy the newspaper for our grandfathers and of course treating ourselves to some candy too. The large dining room table (that our family would eventually outgrow) that had chairs on one side, but a church pew on the other. The dresser in the dining room that we used to store beach towels and sunscreen. The wooden bookcase in that same room that held our board games, magazines and books. The other dresser that served as the cupboard in the kitchen for our snacks and bread. I remember the year that there was a huge fire at the center and - even though we were 1 mile away - we could clearly see the flames. The huge and raucous trivial pursuit games where my Dad and Uncle annoyed everyone by yelling things like "pie-age!" and "Viva La France!" Looking back, I am pretty sure there were adult beverages involved in that too. My grandfather standing at his post - out in front of the cottage - directing family and friends on where they should park. Hearing the announcer on the Himalaya ride "And now we're going to go really, REALLY fast!!!" sometimes even all the way from our cottage, 1 mile away. Hanging bathing suits and towels on the close line to dry, and then running out to gather everything quickly if we heard rain coming. Going to the movies or the arcades at Hampton on the few days when it did rain. The sight of my grandfather sitting in his rocking chair on the porch, reading his book or napping.
Several years ago, my family stopped renting the cottage, when it became apparent that my grandmother was not physically able to go up and down the beach any longer. I think that in the aging process, giving up her beach days has been the hardest part for my grandmother - even harder than recovering from her two strokes. I still recall her at her happiest on the beach, laying in her lounge chair, glowing. She certainly passed on her love of the beach to me, and if the past 2 summers have been any indication, she has passed it on to her great grandson Ryan as well. We spent this past weekend at a beach in New Jersey, and the memories of the beach days of my youth were in the front of my mind. It comforts me that Tim was able to experience this special place with me, and that we can keep the beach traditions alive for years to come with Ryan. A few months ago, I referred to a quote here on the blog "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." So now, I will just close my eyes, picture "the beach" and smile...
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
The Evil Empire
Last week I was watching ESPN and they were discussing George Steinbrenner's death, and showing clips from the Yankees over the years. Ryan yelled from the dining room "Is that Red Sox." "No, Actually it's the Yankees," I replied. "BOO Ankees!" was his response. We're teaching him young!
My little sponge
Kids really are sponges...At this age, they learn so much and so quickly! I love hearing what Ryan learns at school, and usually he comes out with it when I least expect it!
About a month ago, he and I had a special Ryan and Mommy afternoon - We got ice cream, and then went to the playground in Fells Point. As we were eating our ice cream, we sat on a bench that said "Baltimore" in big letters. Ryan looked at it, pointed to the E and said "E for Eli!" Eli is one of the little boys in his class. I said "That's right Ryan, E is for Eli!" He then pointed to the O and said "O for Olivia." I asked him what the M was for and he replied "M is for Mason." Olivia and Mason are also classmates of his. He then noticed the R and said "R is for ME!!!" I was blown away. Not that he could identify his letters, because I know that is pretty standard. But that he took a concept he learned in school (I later asked his teacher and she said they do this when they review their letters) and he applied it completely out of context, identifying the letters and then remembering whose names the letters went with. I mentioned to his teacher a few days later that he had done this and she seemed really proud as well. She also thanked me three times for telling her, because she said it is wonderful to hear from parents that the kids are retaining the concepts they teach them, and that they are doing a good job. I imagine they aren't told this nearly enough.
Earlier this week, Ryan was playing with a puzzle at home, made by Melissa and Doug (maker of lots of great children's toys and games). At the bottom of the puzzle, in a script type writing, it says the brand name - Melissa and Doug. Ryan looked at it, and said "That's like Dougie in my school. That says Doug."" I asked him to repeat what he had said because I could not believe it. He said again "That's like Dougie at school!" Again, blown away!!! Don't get me wrong, I know Ryan is not reading at the age of 2 and a half. At school, each kid in his class has their own seat at the table for breakfast and lunch, and their name is written in big letters, and taped where they sit. His teacher once told me this is to help them learn to recognize their own name. I just could not believe that he identified another kid's name, again, completely out of context, and in a different handwriting than he was used to seeing it in. Writing this story reminds me that I really need to thank his teacher again, and tell her that he was able to recognize the name Doug at home. I am already starting to realize the amazing impact teachers have on kids lives, even at the young age Ryan is at...
About a month ago, he and I had a special Ryan and Mommy afternoon - We got ice cream, and then went to the playground in Fells Point. As we were eating our ice cream, we sat on a bench that said "Baltimore" in big letters. Ryan looked at it, pointed to the E and said "E for Eli!" Eli is one of the little boys in his class. I said "That's right Ryan, E is for Eli!" He then pointed to the O and said "O for Olivia." I asked him what the M was for and he replied "M is for Mason." Olivia and Mason are also classmates of his. He then noticed the R and said "R is for ME!!!" I was blown away. Not that he could identify his letters, because I know that is pretty standard. But that he took a concept he learned in school (I later asked his teacher and she said they do this when they review their letters) and he applied it completely out of context, identifying the letters and then remembering whose names the letters went with. I mentioned to his teacher a few days later that he had done this and she seemed really proud as well. She also thanked me three times for telling her, because she said it is wonderful to hear from parents that the kids are retaining the concepts they teach them, and that they are doing a good job. I imagine they aren't told this nearly enough.
Earlier this week, Ryan was playing with a puzzle at home, made by Melissa and Doug (maker of lots of great children's toys and games). At the bottom of the puzzle, in a script type writing, it says the brand name - Melissa and Doug. Ryan looked at it, and said "That's like Dougie in my school. That says Doug."" I asked him to repeat what he had said because I could not believe it. He said again "That's like Dougie at school!" Again, blown away!!! Don't get me wrong, I know Ryan is not reading at the age of 2 and a half. At school, each kid in his class has their own seat at the table for breakfast and lunch, and their name is written in big letters, and taped where they sit. His teacher once told me this is to help them learn to recognize their own name. I just could not believe that he identified another kid's name, again, completely out of context, and in a different handwriting than he was used to seeing it in. Writing this story reminds me that I really need to thank his teacher again, and tell her that he was able to recognize the name Doug at home. I am already starting to realize the amazing impact teachers have on kids lives, even at the young age Ryan is at...
Sunday, July 11, 2010
No growing up allowed!
Yesterday we decided to take Ryan to see Toy Story 3 in the movie theater. I wasn't sure how it would go - I had no doubt that he had the attention span for the movie (he has sat through TS1 and 2 about 70 times!), but I wondered if it would be too loud and overwhelming for him in the theater. We settled into our seats and he was very excited to see Buzz and Woody. However, as we sat through 30 minutes of previews (yes, you heard me right - 30!) of some truly bizarre movies, his enthusiasm waned. He kept asking for Buzz and Woody, and then started saying he wanted to go home. Tim took him for a bathroom break, and didn't return until the movie began. The first scene was a loud battle scene between Mr Potato Head and Woody, with Buzz Lightyear swooping in to save the day. Loud is an understatement - the theater was practically vibrating and there were explosions and crashes. Ryan was visibly scared, and started whimpering "I don't like this. I want to go home!" We tried to hang in there, and when the opening scene was over, the movie began with old home movies of Andy (the main character) playing with Buzz and Woody when he was a child. When the home movies ended, we see Andy as a 17 year old, with his younger sister Molly, who has also grown up since the last 2 movies. Ryan still wasn't interested, and asked to go to the bathroom. In the bathroom he informed me that he didn't like the "different Molly." I explained that Andy and Molly grew up, he told me that there were 2 Andys and 2 Mollys, and he didn't like the grown up Molly and Andy. Coincidentally, I didn't either - as I watched the opening scene showing Andy as a child and then as a teenager, I had tears streaming down my own face, picturing Ryan as a teenager abandoning his toys from childhood. But that's another story! I attempted one last time to go back to the theater and asked Ryan if he wanted to return to our seats. His response? "I want to go get Daddy, pack up, and go home!" Looks like we'll be waiting for the DVD...
Friday, July 9, 2010
out of the mouths of babes
Yesterday in the car on the way home...
Me: Ryan, mommy's belly hurts.
Ryan: Remember when I was in your belly?
Me: Ryan, mommy's belly hurts.
Ryan: Remember when I was in your belly?
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Milestones....
Last night was Ryan's first night in his new bed - and it went so well, and was so natural that I can't even believe he was in a crib this long! Another milestone checked off the list - and yet another one that I worried and worried about, only to see him transition with no issues at all. I think I will continue to worry about these transitions, because it seems the more I worry, the easier things go! I worried about getting rid of the bottle, dropping to one nap, potty training, leaving him for a weekend with friends, having him be the ring bearer in a friend's wedding, and now the big boy bed. And he rocked it all! I really think there will be payback when he is a teenager, because things can't be this easy forever :)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Happy 4th of July!
We had a blast at the Doody annual 4th of July party! Neil Diamond was there, of course! But this year he was joined by Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift, in honor of Collen's fiance, Kenny, who is a big fan of country music. It was a long day filled with lots of good food and drink, catching up with family members we don't see often enough, some friendly competition in the games on the lawn, and lots of pool time to beat the heat. Ryan had an absolute blast with his cousins and family members, ending the night dancing up a storm in the backyard. We already can't wait for next year!
Helping Papa find a place for Uncle Sam
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Showered with love
Today we showered my sister in law, Colleen, with love and presents to celebrate her upcoming wedding in September. It was a beautiful day to celebrate with a bridal lunch on the Hudson River in Albany, and great to catch up with family and friends. We started the day with pudding shots...doesn't everyone do pudding shots before their bridal shower? :)
Friday, July 2, 2010
Miles and Ryan a.k.a Buzz and Woody
Today we were able to make a quick visit up to see the Knussmans at their new house. We don't see them as often as we would like, but when we do, it's almost as if no time has passed and we catch up right where we left off!! It was much too quick a visit, so we hope to see them again in the fall when their new baby boy arrives. Miles and Ryan had a great time playing with Play Doh, eating pizza and, of course, playing with Buzz Lightyear and Woody - They are both Toy Story obsessed! Before we left I asked Ryan if he and Miles were friends and he replied "Yes, just like Buzz and Woody!" 
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