End of Summer

 I had to take a break from the blog because  few weeks ago we went on vacation for a few days to Gulf Shores, AL and then the week after that (which was today) we spoke in church.  So I spent all week preparing a brutal talk for church.  Glad that is over.

Anyway we went to Gulf Shores in search of some better than Texas beaches.  They were better.  Almost white sand, cleaner water, cleaner beaches, and cool water (not pee warm like Galveston).  It was a 9 hour drive that took us 10.5 with 2 stops.  I was quite shocked at how well the kids did.  Bryce barely made a peep on the drive.  Sometimes he would get fussy but I would lean back and give him a bottle and he was happy.  Mitchel and Dustin probably fought once the whole way there and I don't think they played on my phone at all.  So far we have been able to avoid getting a movie player for long road trips.  I saw on pinterest once that a mother got little surprises and put them in bags and wrote on them cities that they would pass through on their trip and when they passed that city they would get the surprise.  I have done this with the kids on our past 3 road trips.  It works out ok.  I usually give them something every hour and rotate between a toy and a treat or snack.  Problem is since they can't read time or a map they end up asking for the next surprise ALL. THE. TIME.  But every once in a while they get something that entertains them for a while.  These are some 99 cent water arcade games I found on a website that they seemed to like ok.  Mitchel said "it's like I'm playing a game on TV".

Our trip consisted of 2 hr outings followed by returning to the cabin we rented for a meal, Bryce's nap, and some sponge bob squarepants watching by the older two.  We only have broadcast tv at home so everytime we stay somewhere with cable all the kids want to do is watch Sponge Bob....I actually think it's pretty funny.

One morning we went to Fort Morgan, a civil war fort, and let the kids run around.  Unfortunately it down poured 5 mins after we got there but cleared up enough for the kids to explore.  I felt like this took me back to my childhood when we would go visit army forts in Washington.

 

 These stairs were crazy steep and big steps.  Made me nervous.  I don't know how these military guys got up and down those.  Mitchel is all into army guys so I think he was in a little bit of heaven with the  cannons and guns.

 I had to put this picture in because it was the closest we got to a family picture on the trip.  Dustin had been on the verge of NEEDING a potty trip but was trying to hold it until we went back to the cabin.  He had already had 2 failed attempts at the bathrooms at the fort by the time I tried to get everyone to take this pictures.  I guess I waited too long because about 30 seconds after I got them together and began getting the camera he yelled "I gotta go poop!" and then Bryce had a break down.  A family picture was just not meant to be....or maybe this really shows how our family outings always are.  I rushed him to the bathroom to find he didn't really have to go.  Awesome!

 The rest of the time we spent at the beach.  Bryce loves bath time but he hated the beach.  He didn't like the water or the noise or something.  He cried when we brought him up to the water.  Cried when we put him in the sand.  We were a little shocked because he's usually a pretty accommodating kid.  He got where he would splash in some water in a bucket next to him and put his feet in the sand but never really touched the ocean.

 Mitchel and Dustin of course were in heaven.  They loved it.  Sand and water...enough said.

It was a good vacation.  The kids did well.  I was ready for a real vacation of rest when we got back.  I hope we can go there again someday.  One of my favorite things was putting them to bed at night.  The sleeping situation was less than ideal.  Half of the nights I slept with Mitchel and Dustin in a queen bed and it was rough.  But it was so fun to lay down with them and talk about the day and listen to them giggle.  I love seeing them happy.

On another note, August is just about over and I have survived another Houston summer.  Tomorrow my first born man child enters the world of all day shoe wearing and book learning.  I hope that he will like it but the unfortunate truth is I think I'll have to drag him kicking and screaming to school the rest of his life.  Wish us luck.