Pizza Night

Tonight as a family we made pizza. The kids were fascinated by the pizza dough and helped push it flat onto a cookie sheet (after washing their hands, of course). We let the dough cook for a few minutes and then pulled it back out so they could add sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. Avery and Zach gobbled down more dinner than ever before! Next time maybe we will get more creative and add some vegetables :)

Swim Lessons

Avery and Zachary had their first swim lesson yesterday. I was worried about whether Avery would listen to his teacher for his class, and figured that Zach would do fine since we were in a parent/child class together.

As it turned out, Zachary clung to me the entire time and didn't crack a smile until it was time to say goodbye to the instructor. Avery, on the other hand, did great! I was with Zach, so I was watching from afar, but from what I could see he listened really well to the instructor. His class didn't spend much time in the water swimming, but the teacher had them sitting on the steps kicking their legs and blowing bubbles. They also had to hold onto the wall and walk around the pool in the water.

[Update]

Today was our third day of swim lessons. Avery is getting exponentially better at swimming. He will go under for a while now and swim towards someone. He has a bit too much confidence when it comes to how long he can stay under; he's come up a couple of times spitting up water.

Zachary is still very clingy during class, which I don't understand. He is able to do everything the teacher asks, but when it isn't his turn to try something he gloms back on me. I think Eli and I will have to work with him in the big pool outside of his lessons. And I think I understand the techniques from swim class well enough that we can cancel his second session and have Mommy / Zachary tutoring while Avery has his lesson.

Family Breakfast

This morning we had a big family breakfast, courtesy of Robin, Todd, Jeff, and Robbie. Whole wheat pancakes, egg and sausage casserole, bacon, and coffee cake were just a few of the dishes on the menu. It was so good, I think I ate enough food for the entire day.

Breakfast was also somewhat melancholy, as it marked the end of the week; time for people to start leaving the island. We went to the beach shortly after breakfast and stayed for almost four hours. One final glorious Hurrah! to end the week.

Creekside at Pawleys

The creek side houses at Pawleys have less cachet then the ones on the beach, but they have advantages as well. Beautiful sunsets, a place to swim with no waves, a dock for fishing and kayaking, and don't even get me started on the creek floats. The kids get a quite a kick out of the crabs and minnows that can easily be caught along the shore.

Global warming may not have affected ocean levels yet, but this year we saw the tide come up higher than ever before. Some of the docks were completely under water. Some houses along lower areas of the island even had to move their cars to avoid flooding.

Mexican Night 2007

Mexican Night always starts off with Donut Morning. The mysterious donut fairy delivers a box of fresh Krispy Kremes to each household. It is a joy to the palatte and a bane to the waistline.

This year, guests arriving for the annual Mexican Night party were greeted by the Tequila Worm, made from those very same donuts. Andy and Jamie had collected all of the leftovers, sliced them in half, and constructed the Tequila Worm with sea-grass bristles and a chocolate drizzle. Yum!



Even after eating donuts all day long, Avery and his cousin Kyle were more than happy to eat a couple of segments of the Tequila Worm.

Breakfast with Jim and Lila

We can always count on an early morning visit from Uncle Jim. He stays in a house full of slugabeds and when his granddaughter Lila gets up he will take her visiting while Granny and the O'Reillys sleep in. Lila is more than a year younger than Avery and Zachary but they are more than happy to share their playdough and play with her.

Kids on the Beach

This year more than 90 relatives and friends of the family came to Pawley's Island, which meant there was never a dull moment on the beach. Only a few cousins are the same age as Avery and Zachary, but some of the older ones, like Ryan and Brianna Bollar, and Jamie and Kristy Hildegrass, took quite a shine to our boys.

Brookgreen Gardens 2007

This year when we went to Brookgreen Gardens, Aunt Caitlin tagged along. We started our visit with a picnic lunch on the grounds. The birds must get fed by the visitors because we had more than a few come over to our picnic table to scope out our grub.





As usual the boys loved looking at the sculptures, flowers, and fountains. But, without a doubt, their favorite spot is the koi pond. I think they would spend hours watching the fish if we let them.

Pawleys Island 2007

Every June we head to South Carolina for our annual beach vacation. Each year the drive gets a little longer and a little harder, thanks to young children. But being at Pawley's Island always makes it worthwhile.

In order to maximize our vacation time, we usually drive down a day early. It helps us avoid some of the worst traffic and makes the first day more relaxed. This year we spent Friday night at a hotel in Conway, just west of Myrtle Beach. When we got into our room, Mommy and Daddy collapsed while Avery and Zach immediately started jumping back and forth between the two beds.



The next morning we went to the Children's Museum of South Carolina. Eli thought it was rather dated and run down, but the kids had fun making play pizza, stacking blocks, and looking at the small reptile and mammal exhibits. We heard that the museum is moving and expanding, so we may try it again in a few years.





After leaving the museum we ate a quick lunch at Red Lobster, and then I got some Mommy time at the Tanger outlet mall. The kids fell asleep in the stroller while I bought maternity clothes and Eli picked up some new boxers at Banana Republic. After that we had just a short hop down the coast to Pawley's Island.