henry at four

It's the Monday after a busy birthday weekend, and Henry is delighted that it is FINALLY his real birthday. This is the first year he has really understood time in terms of days, so we've been counting them down, and finally the big day is here. It's been pretty low-key today, starting with singing over a birthday muffin, and ending with a big family dinner at Hacienda. It's been a nice, relaxing day after a lot of running around for the weekend.

On Saturday, we made a whirlwind trip to Chicagoland, meeting up with Barb at the Arboretum in the morning, then heading for a birthday lunch at the All Aboard Diner with Barb and Kevin and Johnny, Erin, Lucy, and Richie. When the train brought his birthday cupcake with the candle and everyone started singing, Henry was so excited! We capped off the day with a visit to the zoo, then headed back home. Sunday morning, we picked up Klaudia and headed to the apple orchard to pick some delicious honeycrisp at Garwood Orchards. We got a great haul, and sampled a few of the products along the way.

At four, our Henry is creative and funny and a real live wire. That's the nicest possible way to say that he is an outright terror most of the time, but in ways that make us laugh and shake our heads. Nothing in our house is safe because Henry creates tools from Legos and disassembles things (like the trim and plaster in our dining room!), or picks holes in the plaster walls I've just repaired for the millionth time, or tries to "fix" things and ends up making them worse. He is by turns determined to be just like his brothers and frustrated that he can't be, because no matter what, he will always be younger. He wants to play their video games, read their books, use their toys -- and he tries, only to find that he needs their help, which they are reluctant to give as often as he wants it. It's a pretty unsettled time for him right now, but I have to say that once he gets a little time and practice under his belt, the brothers had better watch out because he will give them a run for their money in any arena.

I know he can't wait to grow up a little bit more and be big enough to really compete with his brothers, but I'll admit that it's nice (more than nice!) to still have one son who is not too grown up to kiss or hug his mother willingly. That's the thing about Henry -- he is such a little destructive dynamo, but then he'll turn around and be the sweetest, most interesting and charming boy you've ever met. I guess that's what keeps him in our good graces, at least most of the time.

Even though the next birthday will be his fifth, Henry's birthday is just after the cut-off for school admission, so he won't be starting kindergarten until he is almost six (to the undisguised relief of the teachers and principal, who ask every time we attend a function at school). So this year and next, he's going to preschool, and so far at least, loving the chance to soak up every little bit of knowledge he possibly can.

So dearest Henry, we wish you a very happy day today, and we can't wait to see what each next day will bring. We love you!

what they'll remember

Liam's teacher keeps a classroom blog, where he posts a question and the students all have to leave comments to answer it. Yesterday's question was what everyone did over the long holiday weekend. Here is Liam's response:

My long weekend was much longer than yours!

So we went on vacation on an island called Ocracoke Island. It was very fun. We went to the beach and great seafood restaurants, including Eduardo’s Tacos and Howard’s Pub. The only bad place was this deserted island called Portsmouth Island. The place was COVERED in mosquitoes. Once we were out of that part we had to walk very far on the beach until we got back on the boat to Ocracoke.

And that about sums it up for them. Henry mentions the seashells, Max talks about going to the beach/ocean, but ALL of them talk about the Nightmare on Mosquito Island. All of the great things we did, and what they'll remember the most is how we got attacked by swarms of voracious bloodsuckers. Yesterday, Max was on the phone with Avalon, telling her about the trip, and I heard him say proudly, "I got bitten so many times that it looks like I have the chicken pox." Sigh. At least it was a memorable trip.

scenes from a long drive home

Yesterday was a very long day. We got up about 4:30, packed everything up, took out the garbage and bagged up our sheets and towels and tidied up the cottage, loaded up the last few things we had left, turned in our keys, and headed for the ferry. We had to be there at 6:00, so it ended up being kind of a mad rush. Hurry up and wait, as they say, since we spent the next few hours hanging out on the ferry to Swan Quarter. On the plus side, Mike finally got to see the sun rise over Ocracoke.

We finally got to the mainland and on the road around 9:30, and from that point on it was just drive, drive, drive. We were determined to get home, partly because we all just wanted to be done with traveling and sleep in our own beds, and partly because we had a one-hour window this morning in which we could pick up Charlie from the kennel (otherwise he would have to stay there until Tuesday because of the holiday). Anyway, the first part of the drive was a different route than the one we took going down, so we saw some new and exciting things. Pilot Mountain made us all gasp when we came up over a hill and it was suddenly there. We drove through mountain tunnels in Virginia, which was very exciting for the boys except they wished the walls were made of glass so they could "see the inside of the mountain," and no amount of explaining on our part could make them understand that all they would see was dirt and rock. We also availed ourselves of some very fancy rest areas in Virginia.

Then it was on to West Virginia, where Henry had a bathroom emergency and we stopped at the sketchiest convenience store ever. It made "dirty" seem appealing by comparison. The less said about that, the better. Trust me. And of course it turned out that once we got back on the highway, there was a clean, well-lit, maintained rest area only five miles up the road. Sigh. So we stopped there for dinner, and then it was on to Ohio. And more of Ohio. And yet more of Ohio. Seriously, Ohio just seemed never-ending. The only highlight of the whole state for us was that the giant windmill farms we had seen during the day on the way down, we saw at night on the way back. Each windmill (and there were hundreds of them!) had a red light that flashed on and off, and they were all synchronized with each other. The boys were long asleep by this time (it was just before midnight), but Mike and I were mesmerized. I tried to take some pictures through the window, but they didn't turn out. Anyway, we finally made it home at 1:15 this morning. That's 19 hours and 15 minutes traveling, if you're keeping track. We hustled the boys straight up to bed, greeted the cats, unpacked the essentials, reveled in being home for a few minutes, and hit the sack.

This morning, we let Mike sleep in (he insisted on doing all the driving on the way back). Liam and I unloaded the van, then we went to pick up Charlie. I swear Liam's eyes were suspiciously bright as we waited for them to bring our dog up front, and there was never a reunion more enthusiastic (or slobbery) as theirs. It was a sweet ending to a sweet, sweet week.

one last day

For this morning's sunrise, I was joined on the beach by Liam and Henry. Mike and Max opted to sleep in for a little while (if sleeping past 6 am can be considered "sleeping in"). We were the only people on the beach, and the ghost crabs were out in droves, heading down to the water to do ... something. I admit, my knowledge of ghost crabbery is a little on the scant side. But it must have been something important, because they were all doing it. Aside from the crabs and a couple of fishing boats that were way out there, it felt like we had the whole ocean to ourselves. We walked for a little while and collected a couple of shells (but only a couple because we are at full shell capacity) and watched the crabs scuttle around and the plovers hang out by the edge of the water. It was as peaceful as a thing can be when Henry is involved in it.

After a quick visit to the coffee shop, we went back to the cottage and had breakfast, then we set off to spend one last morning at the beach. We picked a beach we hadn't been to before, all the way at the north end of the island (so the farthest from the village). Instead of a boardwalk leading to the beach, there was just a path that wound around through the dunes. We came around a corner and gasped as we saw a wall of dune in front of us, with a little bit of ocean visible behind it. The scenery here is just incredible. This is my first visit to Ocracoke, though I've been to the Outer Banks twice before, and I was mostly expecting dunes with some sea oats and scrubby little plants and not much else (kind of like in these pictures). But this island is lush. There are cedars and fig trees everywhere, and these little clusters of goblin flowers bursting all around. Just gorgeous.

Anyway, we spent a very happy morning at the beach. First I went out into the waves with Liam and Max while Mike stayed closer to the water's edge with Henry, then we switched. While Mike and the big boys frolicked like seals, Henry and I took a long walk and collected yet more shells. Apparently everyone goes to the more southerly beaches, because we were pretty much alone the whole time we were there. Eventually, we met up on the beach and made some sand buildings using big shells to dig up the sand. We started at low tide, and when the tide came in far enough to wash the buildings away, we reluctantly headed back.

After a pretty low-key afternoon, we headed out for dinner, then Mike and the boys played frisbee in the back yard for a while. Now the van is mostly packed, and we're just hanging out until bedtime. Tomorrow we'll watch the sun rise from the ferry over Pamlico Sound, and make the long drive home, hopefully all in one shot so we can sleep in our own beds tomorrow night and collect our dog Sunday morning. It's been a great trip, but we're all ready to be home!

mosquito island: the aftermath

We are all covered with welts this morning. And more than a little bit sunburned. So we're taking it easy today, getting plenty of Benadryl and aloe instead of beach time. This morning, Max and I walked to the coffee shop, then later we all walked to a gift shop where we each picked out a souvenir from our trip. Mike, Henry, and Liam are out now getting lunch from Eduardo's Taco Stand (Liam's favorite, if you'll remember; he insisted on getting it again at least once while we're here), then we're just going to chill this afternoon and maybe take a beach walk later on when it gets a little cooler. Tomorrow is our last day here (we have ferry reservations at 6 Saturday morning) and hopefully we'll be ready to go out and hit the beach a couple of times. But apparently today is all about recovering from yesterday.

portsmouth island

One of the things we were most excited about doing during our visit was taking a visit to Portsmouth Island. It's a deserted island (the last residents left in the early 1970s) with a preserved tiny village and beaches said to be just littered with great shells. And today was the day we got to visit! Spirits were high as we got ready to leave. There were about 10 other people on our boat, which seemed like a good number. The captain was great; the day was windy and just a little cloudy. Things were great.

Then we made our big mistake.


We had the option of being dropped off at the village, touring the buildings, then walking 3.5 miles to the beach ... or just being dropped off at the beach. The beach was the first stop, and two very smart women got off there, while the rest of us opted to head to the village first. What a nightmare! We had been warned ahead of time to bring plenty of sunblock and bug spray, along with drinking water since there was none on the island. We were told there would be mosquitoes. What we failed to grasp, though, was that there would be incredible SWARMS of mosquitoes covering every inch of us. I can't even express what a horror show it turned out to be. We went through two full bottles of bug spray in about 20 minutes, and it didn't deter them in the least. We got nets (full body nets for Max and Liam, a head covering for me); the bugs got inside the nets. They were inescapable. We hurried through the village, barely stopping to look at anything, all of us whimpering (okay, Mike didn't whimper) and miserable.

After about half an hour or so, the grassy path opened up to tidal flats, and the wind picked up, which drove the bugs away, but the damage was done. We were all covered in bug bites. Then the path that we were supposed to follow was flooded, only we didn't realize it was even the path (because it was under water!) so we set off across the tidal flats, only to realize after trudging along for a good hour that everyone else was going in a different direction. So we recalculated (just like the GPS lady says to do!), which meant we had to fight our way back through a bunch of brushy areas, which meant ... you guessed it ... more bugs. Did I mention that the only bathroom on the island was back at the village? Yeah, it was about how you'd think. Eventually, we got to the beach ... only we were on the wrong side of the island. So we had to walk some more. A lot more. When the boat dropped us off at the village, the captain reminded us that he would pick us up in four hours at a designated spot on the beach, which would give us plenty of time to get there/swim/look for shells/whatever. As it turned out, we got to the designated spot with only 15 minutes left until the boat came back. We had been hiking in the heat and sun, through mosquito swarms, over tidal flats and brush-filled dunes, and along the seashore for three hours and 45 minutes. When we finally made it to the pickup point, we all basically collapsed in the sand and waited to be rescued.

On the plus side, there were a LOT of good shells. And on the way back, the captain went by a tiny island that is a pelican habitat, and it was really neat. Too bad we were too tired to appreciate it.

animals of ocracoke

By Max

Hi, it's Max. I am on Ocracoke Island. It is pretty cool. The animals are especially cool. Here is a list of what we've seen so far.

1. Ponies: We were at the beach having a lot of fun. Then we saw that there were wild ponies in a pen across the highway. Henry tried to run into the highway. He got in big trouble, he got spanked, and he did not get to go see the ponies [Henry: And THAT'S why I'm still mad. I told you I will never stop being mad!] So me and Liam got to see the ponies. First we went on a platform to see all the ponies. Then we got to pet the ponies and feed them some hay. Mom took some pictures. They turned out cool.

2. Crab: This morning we went to the beach to watch the sun rise. It was Mom, Liam, and me. We came down the stairs of the boardwalk, and we saw something moving. It was a ghost crab! It was really cool.

3. Seagull: We've seen a ton of seagulls. On the ferry, there was guy who was feeding the seagulls potato chips. The seagulls flew into the water and dived down to get the chips. It was not a good idea for that guy to feed the seagulls. Then today at the beach there was a seagull that was flying around us in circles. It was pretty close to us! Luckily, it did not poop on us.

4. Snake: After dinner tonight, we went to a nature trail. We were on the nature trail, which was pretty cool, then Mom and Dad saw a big snake! Then we went up a couple of dunes. On the walk back I saw the same giant snake going across the path. The kind of snake is called a cottonmouth. They are poisonous [Mike: They are VERY poisonous.] Mom got a picture of its tail but it was really big.

top three places to eat in ocracoke (so far)

By Liam

Hey, everybody, It's me, your favorite poster, Liam! I know you're wondering what this is about, and here it is: I wanted to tell you the best places to eat (I ordered it by the top three).

1. Eduardo's Tacos: I loved the shrimp taco. It had shrimp (of course!), double shell, mango salsa, mangoes, and green mole sauce.

2. Howard's Pub: The clam strips were very good, and so were the scallops. Henry got his dinner on a frisbee, then he kept dropping it on the floor. He also fell off his chair.

3. Candyland: They had waffle cone bowls that we filled up with ice cream, then we went to the condiment stand and got a bunch of condiments. I didn't eat all the ice cream because I didn't like the condiments, but I ate most of the waffle cone.


 Sorry Ocracoke Coffee Shop, you would've been in third if mom bought me some coffee.

on the road again

Hello from beautiful Ocracoke Island, North Carolina! Mike and I have been planning and scheming for a while to plan this vacation, and we're finally here. Well, it probably doesn't seem so much like "finally" to the boys, since we didn't tell them we were going on vacation at all. We dropped them all off at school/daycare on Friday, then rushed back home so I could work a half-day and Mike could take the dog to the kennel, pack everything (well, everything I hadn't already stealth packed), and load up the van. Just before noon, we picked Henry up from daycare, then signed Liam and Max out of school. We told them we were going on vacation, told them where we were going, and they reacted with ... blank looks. Really. It was like they just couldn't process what was going on. Five minutes later, on the way out of town, I asked Henry if he knew what was happening, and he said no. I told him we were going on vacation, and at last got a suitable response: "VACATION? THAT'S AWESOME! BUT WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY SO???" That kid.

Anyway, it's been a long two days of driving. The first night we got to our hotel in Lewisburg, West Virginia, right before midnight. And yesterday we thought we would get to Ocracoke before dinner, but it was pushing 8 pm by the time we crossed Virginia and North Carolina, hit the ocean, drove all the way down the Outer Banks, hopped a ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke, then drove down the length of the island and found our cottage. Happily for us, the cottage owners left the keys for us since we got here after hours. We took a short walk, got some dinner, unloaded the van, and everyone crashed out. This morning Henry and I ventured out to Ocracoke Coffee Company, which was packed but funky and friendly. And now we're off to unload our bikes and take a ride and check things out.

As part of an ongoing attempt to entertain the boys on our misguidedly long car trips, this time I busted out a camera and handed it over to them. The results were mixed: a lot of shots that highlighted dirty windows with blurry scenery behind, but also some really neat things that caught their eyes. Check it out.