Day 9

Success! We found quite a few shark teeth on the beach today. As you can see from the picture, they're black...just like Mr. Grouch said. It's crazy to think that these teeth were around thousands of years ago! A tooth become a fossil when it is buried in sediment (or other material) soon after being lost from a shark's mouth. In general it takes approximately 10,000 years for a tooth to become a true fossil.

Last night, we witnessed an awesome storm. The lightning show was a non-stop 3 or 4 hour spectacle. Ryan was like a kid on Christmas morning. He'd run back inside after each lightning strike and ask excitedly if I'd seen it. So cute...

The boys are all doing well. Both of them are so much more comfortable with the beach and the ocean water than they were just a few days ago. It bodes well for us and summer trips to Martinique and/or Clam Harbour beach this year! We were outside for most of the day, trying to take everything in one last time.

We're now starting to think about leaving and heading back home. Sad stuff...but that's the definitive sign of a good vacation. We'll try and pack up tonight, and hit the road tomorrow morning. Our goal will be Fredericksburg, VA, but really, there's no schedule. We'll be home at some point!

TODAY'S GRADE: A

Day 8

This morning we toured around for a few hours to nearby Surf City. It's also right on the water, just about 10 minutes from where we are. Apparently there's some good fishing, surfing and windsurfing there. The town seemed so much more crowded than where we're staying (North Topsail Beach). As a 'fyi', those are 2 of the 3 towns on the 26-mile long barrier island. Surf City is nice, but when we come back, it'll be to TI for sure.

Other than that, we just really took it easy today (as opposed to the other gruelling days spent on the beach and in the ocean). Angus had some sort of a stomach bug that lasted all of 3 minutes. I thought he was trying to be dramatic by gagging and holding his hand over his mouth when I told him to eat his dinner. Apparently not.

Royal wedding tomorrow! I do believe I am the only one in my various circles of friends who are into it.

TODAY'S GRADE: B

Day 7

The boys were playing on top of a pile of sand this morning and asked me to join in (Hurray! Acceptance by the majority!)...so of course I did. We were having fun jumping, 'skiing', and yelling that we were kings of the castle. Until Mr. Grouch came by and told us to get down or else it was a $500 fine because the dunes were restricted from walking/playing on. I said thanks, and he continued to tell me that we were not allowed one the dune. I said ok, thanks, and spoke loudly enough (for Mr. Grouch's benefit) to the boys that we had to get down. As we were heading back to our umbrella, he kept talking! "So, it's a big fine...you shouldn't climb on the dunes!" Ok! Thanks for the heads-up! Honestly, if I took a picture of this dune and posted it, you'd see that it doesn't look like a dune at all; it's a bleeping pile of sand...a man-made pile of sand. You know what? I'm gonna post one. It's cloudy outside, but I'm going to head out, take a picture and post it. Be right back....

You should be able to see it at the top of this post. As a side-note, I'm all for protected areas, and sanctuaries, and obey all the rules, but the area behind this pile was a dune, not the thing we were jumping on. Moving on...

We'd been searching for shark teeth for the past few days. I was looking for giant white things (even though Ryan said it was black teeth I should be looking for)...but no luck. Mr. Grouch came out again, walking toward us, but said nothing. Since we're planning to come back here, and the fact that we still have a few days left, I played my 'friendly, dumb tourist' card. I asked him if he'd had any luck finding shark teeth because we'd been having a hard time finding any.

Mr. Grouch: Yep...I found upwards of 75 yesterday and 50 the day before.

Me: Really? Wow! You're good! I guess I just don't know what to look for. I'm looking for giant white things, like they have in the stores.

Mr. Grouch: Well, that's the problem. You need to look for tiny black things. Best time to look is in about 30 minutes during low-tide. (Looking at Angus)...Hey Boy! You know there aren't any train tracks out in the ocean right? (Angus had a big black engine in his hands)

Angus: Yes. Then runs away from us and sits obediently on beach blanket.

Me: (I laugh uncomfortably. The kind that could be perceived as a series of coughs, or a weak laugh. Was it a joke, or was he admonishing my son for having an imagination?) Ok...well, thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to look for black teeth in half an hour!

Mr. Grouch: Didn't say anything, was already walking away while I was in mid-sentence.

Angus then rejoined me, and we kept playing around. About 20 minutes later, Mr. Grouch came back to us, held out his hand and showed us three sharks teeth that he had just found. We admired them, but I was careful not to touch them. I didn't want to piss this guy off further, he seemed like the type who could get us thrown out of town. I thanked him for showing them to us, and he pushed his hand forward and said the were for us.

Mr. Grouch: I found them for you folks. See here? They're fossilized, which means they're thousands of years old. If you search around the gravely parts, you'll have better luck.

I thought that was the sweetest gesture ever! I know his type...all bark, no bite. A big softie inside. This is a specialty of the men on the Rose side of my family, whom I all adore greatly! Mr. Grouch then asked where we were from, what drew us to this area, and told me about a Marine who surfed from right in front of our house to Surf City and back. He also told me about his grandkids, turtle mating season in the area, and how the arrival of jelly fish ('not the kind that hurt you') marks the beginning of turtle season. By chance, I've run into Mr. Grouch 3 times in the past 24 hours, and had a pleasant convo each time. We may even say goodbye to the old coot when we leave on Saturday. I guess the saying really is true, "Good neighbours make good fences..." Or was it, "Don't throw stones at the gift horse's silver lining"? In any case, I don't plan on making any more enemies here at North Topsail Beach...been there, dune that. [Oh, come on...that was comic gold, and you know it.]

Todays Scores:

Angus: 3 time outs, 3 tantrums, 5 cuddles, 2 showers, 4 asthma puffer pumps

Henry: 1 kick, 3 pushes to the head, 5 cuddles 1 pin to the wall with head butt, 1 steamroller, 2 falls off the bed, 4 tantrums and timeouts , 1 shower

Oliver: 25 pokes in the head (eyes, ears, nose), 5 soother steals, 10 saliva/snot drenched kisses to the head

TODAY'S GRADE: A

Day 6

This morning, I thought that I would try something new. The sun was shining, breakfast was done, and 2/3 of our kids were napping. I'd been reading quite a bit about barefoot running, and how it's supposed to be so much better for the runner, as well as a much more ethereal experience than running in your Nikes (I am a reformed Nike lover). I didn't pack my running shoes this trip simply because I have packed them on every other trip I've been on, and never, ever, use them. I headed out for what I thought would be a quick 20-30 minute excursion. The beach was fairly empty, "Tiny Dancer" was first up on my Shuffle, and I felt great. I ran for 15 minutes up one end of the beach, turned around, and expected to end my run 15 minutes later. Only problem: at the end of my run, I had no idea where our house was. They looked all the bloody same! I continued running, sure that my pace had slowed significantly, and there was no way that I had already passed it. After 45 minutes, the bottoms of my feet felt like I was running on razor blades. I started walking. After 15 more minutes of walking, I completely alone, completely lost and starting to get quite dramatic (in thought). I walked to the road, and realized I was two miles past our house. I trudged home, and after two hours of being gone, I was back home again. One of my special talents is getting lost easily. Remember, I was on a beach. A g-d beach! I walked in the house and started sobbing that I wasn't sure I'd see Ryan or the kids again. Ryan said he saw me run by, and he thought I was feeling energetic and decided to keep going. I was parched, burnt, and sore all over. My feet are now peppered with blisters, and every joint in my body is screaming...oh, and that thing about me not burning? Well...I'm redder than a tomato. Apparently 2 hours in the sun without sunscreen is a one-way ticket to burnsville. I will definitely try barefoot running again. Just not here. Only once my feet have healed. Or maybe not ever.

In other news, Angus was a bit under the weather today and was indoors for most of it. Henry wins the team-player award today. He was game for going out in the water, going for a wagon ride, colouring, and just being cute. At one point, I noticed that it was a bit quiet in the kids' room, and walked in. Angus had Henry pinned up against the wall in the closet, and had both of his hands around Henry's head banging it repeatedly against the wall. The kicker? Henry was just looking at Angus in hopes of seeking acceptance. Not crying, not telling on him...just happy to hang out with him. Sigh. Oliver had his first smile today! Then he barfed, and so it wasn't a real smile after all.

Ryan cooked an amazing steak dinner, which we enjoyed once the kids were put to bed ("Ok, boys! It's 6:00 pm, but you're really tired, right? Good night!"). Angus finally stopped sneaking out of his room at 8:00 pm. He liked the steak, too.

TODAY'S GRADE: B

Day 5

Lobster is yummy. Looking like a lobster is not. In our attempt to get some colour on our "winter-white" bodies, we're looking a little rouge. Ryan is sporting the "Tourist Tan" (his body is burned where his hands could not reach to apply sunscreen [middle of back] as well as areas he thought were covered, but were missed [i.e. ankles, one shoulder]). I did use sun screen, but did not reapply. There's a reason that people ask me if I'm [insert preferred ethnicity here] (I've gotten Greek, Italian, Spanish, Mexican, and even Filipino). I have dark skin. I don't burn. Except for earlier today. It's almost bedtime, though, and the burn is almost all tan. I'm sure I'll regret not reapplying sunscreen when I'm 45 and look like a California raisin, but for now, I'll thank my Hungarian genes. The boys looked like mimes as they headed outside today - that baby sunscreen takes forever to absorb. Thankfully, they're still pasty white.

Today we played around outside, met our neighbours (who later brought us fresh mussels and shrimp!), and did some groceries where I made friends with some locals. I'm still amazed* at some people's preconceptions of Canada. Here's the exchange I had earlier today at the Food Lion...oh, a preamble. I pulled out my VISA to pay, and the cashier asked me for identification because I was buying wine. I looked at her like she had just proposed to me. With glistening eyes and a huge smile, I breathlessly said, "Yes! Oh yes...thank you!" and handed her my licence. The middle-aged man behind me (I can only assume) noticed that I wasn't from around here. And here we go...

Man: Where y'all from?

Me: Canada!

Man: What part?

Me: Nova Scotia!

Man: Yeah, I know where that's at on a map, but, heh-heh, you know I don't really know.

Me: Oh...it's on the east coast...right on the ocean!

Man: Must've been a long drive for you with the baby and all. [I had Oliver with me]

Me: Yeah, it took us three days. We have 2 other little ones, so it seemed longer than it was.

Man: I bet. So this weather and people must be quite a culture shock for y'all...[Was this a question? A statement? Hmmm...best just agree with whatever he says and say 'Have a nice day, eh?']

Me: Well, it is getting warmer at home. We'll be in shorts and t-shirt before you know it!

Man: Really? Wow! That's great I had no idea. Well, y'all enjoy the other culture while you're here then!

Me: Yes, thanks.

'Other culture'? Like the pelicans? Maybe I'm missing something, but we're in a beach resort town in North America, no? We have beaches in Nova Scotia too, and I'm pretty sure the culture's the same. I find it humorous** that some people still think it's still winter year 'round, or that Canada is one homogenous population, where we likely know all other Canadians (no, Man did not say this, but I have experienced it).

Tomorrow's weather forecast is rain. Wednesday: rain. Thursday: more rain. Let's hope the weather's as accurate in NC as it is in NS.

TODAY'S GRADE: A+

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*I'm not amazed.

**I don't find it humorous at all.

Day 4

(We're in #3740)

A quick description of our vacation rental: a single home, on the beach. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms. Master bedroom w/ ensuite downstairs, 2nd bedroom with queen bed downstairs with bathroom, and 3rd bedroom upstairs with bunk beds and third bathroom. Open concept kitchen and living room upstairs with 3-tiered deck (each bedroom has patio doors) which descends onto white sand beach. Also, deck is equipped with private outdoor shower.

We spent the majority of the day on the beach, reacquainting ourselves with the sun, sand and water. We scoured the beach looking for shark teeth (apparently they’re quite common on North Topsail Beach). It felt great being outside for hours on end! We loved watching the boys have free run on the beach, building sandcastles, burying my legs, and just having fun (Henry has a acquired a taste for sand, then coughs like a cat with a hairball immediately after, and does it all again). I took several mental snapshots just watching everyone having a good time together on the beach. It was so much work to get to our vacation, and is a ton of work while we’re here just because they’re so young, but I can’t imagine doing this without the boys. A wise woman once told me that you don’t do family vacations and outings with your kids when they’re young because it’s fun, you do it because you’re a family, and anything more than that is a bonus. ;)

By 4:00, the boys were exhausted. Henry fell asleep in the wagon as Ryan was pulling him along the beach (and also got a face full of wave while falling asleep...haha...poor Henny!). We rinsed them off and came inside, bathed them, fed them, and Ryan and I were looking forward to relaxing together with a beer after everyone was asleep. Minor problem: we were just as tired and fell asleep too.

Also, if you can get your bones out here this week, please do...there’s more than enough space!!

TODAY’S GRADE: Somewhere between A++ and 15/10.

Day 3

Our day started at 04:15 due to a domino effect. Angus woke up quite upset (we forgot to put a diaper on him at bedtime...no further explanation needed), which woke up Oliver, who in turn woke Henry. The hotel offered complimentary Starbuck’s beverages, and if you know me well (presumably you do if you’re reading this) you know of my deep-seeded love for all things Starbucks. To my shock, there were no barristas on-hand eager to caffeinate me at 05:00. It was an omen.

As Ryan navigated through the dark and the rain, we talked about how the invention of that third brake light on vehicles was genius (the one in the bottom-middle of the rear window). How did people ever know when other vehicles were braking; especially during the day? We also laughed at how according to the GPS, our “Eco Travel” had declined considerably. On day 1, we were excited and thought it would be a neat challenge to see how much mileage we could get from one tank of gas by driving economically. We recorded gas prices, distances travelled and average speeds. By day 3, we were hammering, just trying to complete the drive in the quickest time possible. BTW, gas in the States is ridiculously cheap. To fill our van in the US costs about $50; in Canada, about $90. Plus, our dollar is on fire right now, so it really only does the USD amount.

We encountered several meltdowns on, this, our third day of travel. At this point, we anticipated nothing less. I don’t believe anyone can spend 72 hours straight with ANYONE, and expect to be skipping through meadows while holding hands and teaching the world to sing in perfect harmony. I won’t go into detail, but until we actually set foot on sand, the ride was hairy. I tried to infuse some humour at certain points, but my pointing out each Target store and yelling “Thure’s anuther Turget!” using my best Kristin Wiig impression was wearing thin by day 3. Angus was trying to keep it interesting by playing “I Spy”, but tweaked the rules a bit so that (a) he was always asking people to guess what he was spying...even if they asked (i.e. Me: I spy with my little eye something that is blue! Angus: Ok, that’s good. I spy with my little eye something that begins with orange!) (b) The ‘thing’ he spied always ‘started with [insert colour here]’, (c) if he already spied something in a particular colour, no repeats of that colour were allowed, even if it was a different item, and (d) the item he spied may have been something he spotted 2 days ago in Maine. Ryan tried his best, too. The day before we left, he watched a Dirty Harry movie for the first time, and was randomly reenacting Clint Eastwood saying “Stick it up your a**!” complete with sneer and gritted teeth. It’s was actually really funny, and I’m laughing as I type this just thinking about it.

We drove through so many more cool parts of the US today...Delaware*, Maryland (esp. Baltimore because we’re huge fans of The Wire!), Washington DC (so close to seeing 1600 Pennsylvania Ave - but maybe on the way home when we have more time), and Virginia. By the time we crossed into North Carolina, it was like we’d found summer! People were wearing shorts! Flowers were in bloom! Bug guts littered our windshield! At one point, a truck passed us with New Brunswick plates...I was driving at this time, and tried my best to follow them...to me, seeing NB plates this far south felt like it was immediate family! The people in the truck were probably just trying to get away from a crazy chick driving a black mini-van who was tailgating them (Ryan was sitting in the back so it looked like I was driving alone). As we got closer and closer to our destination, I was amazed at how many locals were showing their support of TI (he’s a rapper who recently did a stint in prison) by slapping “TI” stickers onto their vehicles. It was only on Day 4 that I would realize the TI stickers referred to Topsail Island.

We finally pulled into the driveway shortly after 16:00. The sun was shining, and the temperature was 25. It was immediately apparent that anything negative we’d gone through to get to this place was completely and absolutely worth it!!

TODAY’S GRADE: In like a lion (F), and out like a lamb (A++)

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*Delaware is not a cool part of the US

Day 2

Hazzah! Hazzah! We've made it another day! We're now just one more day away from our destination. Today's travels were made possible by the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. We were in the van packed and driving by 06:00, local time, made about 4 pit stops, one play stop (thank you, McDonald's Playland!), and only one detour to avoid potential traffic problems in NYC (thank you, Garmin!).

The boys were team-players today. No real problems (except when Angus almost darted into traffic at the rest stop in CT. Or Henry screaming bloody murder when Ryan brought him into the restroom to be changed). We were in the car or about 10 hours, and the rocked the drive. One highlight: Stuck in traffic on the I-84, Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby's Got Back" playing on the radio and Angus ad-libbing his own lyrics which included "Tell 'em to shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake that dirty diaper!"

In terms of scenery, today was the best so far. Passing by some of the old towns and cities on the eastern seaboard really made for some great sightseeing. There were some beautiful, historic (I'm sure) buildings in some of these places that would have been fun to explore...but not to be on this trip. Some of the homes we drove past, most notably in Connecticut, were spectacular. Our detour through the Bronx had us drive by 2 old FDNY buildings dating back to the late 1800s (which Angus especially loved!), and driving on the George Washington bridge was really great (although Angus asked a few times if we were on the Angus bridge*...). The New Jersey Turnpike offered some close-ups of a variety of aircrafts, which we all loved (Ryan and the 2 older boys usually head to the airport on Saturday mornings to watch the planes land/take off).

And here we are...at the Courtyard Marriott in Cranbury, New Jersey. Service, once again, has been very good, but we're in an industrial park. Not that we were planning on doing anything. Our view is of the pea gravel-covered roof below us, which suits us just fine. By the time we bathed the boys, fed them, and got them to sleep, the only venturing out of the room we'll be doing is to switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer. We do wish we had more time to explore NYC (we've both been, but not together), so maybe on the way home we'll take a Sunday and explore.

Tonight's sleeping arrangements: Bed #1: Me and Oliver. Bed #2: Ryan and Angus. Play pen with actual bedding: Henry.

TODAY'S GRADE: A-

*The Angus MacDonald Bridge is one of the connector bridges between Halifax and Dartmouth. We call it the Angus bridge, and Angus likes that it's "named after him." Go with it.

Day 1

You know that nervousness of uncertainty you get when you have a new car, and you're just waiting for that first scratch to happen? Or you have to speak in front of a crowd, and you just want to get the the first few lines out of the way? Once the scratch happens, or the first few words are spoken, you can relax, because they're done. Well, that's what today was. We were worried about what to expect with all three boys in the car for the majority of daylight hours. We have the entire baby spectrum covered and thought we knew who would act up. Behind door # 1, Oliver. Brand new. Cries to communicate. Doesn't smile. Doesn't do anything, really. Door #2: Henry. 20 months old. Can speak minimally using adult language with emphasis on the words NO!, Owwwwww, Please, Woah!, Angus, Mummy, and Baby. Smiles, but also likes to throw things. Anything. And finally, door #3: Angus. 3 1/2. Walking that delicate tightrope between baby and boyhood. Can speak remarkably well, but for some reason has selective listening (i.e. When it suits him). Who can guess the winner? Did you say Door #2 as the wild child? You win (nothing)!! Truth be told, all boys did tremendously well, considering. It was only the last 90 minutes that Henry started to melt. By that time, we'd been on the road almost 8 hours, there had been no playtime, he'd watched 2 movies, and had pretty much had it. We tried to sing (Noooooooooooo!), tried to feed him ("Yes please! Nooooooooooooo!" followed by said food item being launched within the confines of the van), and tried ignoring him (Mummmmeeeeeeee!!! Mummmeeeeeeeee!! Mummaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy!!)

We stopped driving in Bangor (what is the correct pronounciation? "Bang-OR", "Bang'er"?), and checked in at the lovely Hilton Garden Inn. The service has been amazing, so if you're ever here, you should stay at the HGI. Ryan was trying to get the 2 older boys to sleep, and Oliver was crying, so I put him (Oliver, not Ryan) in the carrier and walked down to reception where they got me a lovely glass of wine, and proceeded to walk around the inn (wine in hand, baby in carrier), with nary a sideways glance from anyone. In fact, one older gentleman looked at me knowingly, smiled, nodded and said, "I remember when my three were babies..." I like Maine.

Current sleeping arrangements: Me, Oliver, Ryan: Bed #1, Angus: pull-out couch, Henry: playpen with towels as bedding (can you say 'middle-child syndrome'?).

Well, in the wise old words of Mel Blanc and (fittingly) Looney Tunes, "Th-th-th-that's all folks!" Good night.

TODAY'S GRADE: B+

On the Road Again...

Another baby, another year, and a new vehicle later we've decided to hit the road again! This time our destination is Topsail Beach, North Carolina. We're renting a beach-front property for one week - hopefully the weather will cooperate. The drive down should be quite comfortable, now that we're a van family.

Our estimated departure time is 07:00 ATL...stay tuned for daily updates...this is gonna be memorable!