I want to remember ... Hilton Head Family Vacation

I want to remember the drive which was uneventful.

I want to remember the delight in my children at the CrackerBarrel.

I want to remember the awe of the “fancy” residence inn of preschoolers.

I want to remember singing songs on the long drive.

I want to remember silly things grandma said.

I want to remember the detour to pick berries.

I want to remember how the van smelled of strawberries.

I want to remember the girl who loved the sand.

I want to remember the girl who delights in burying her feet.

I want to remember the girl who does NOT care about getting sand in her suit, hair, face, arms and legs.

I want to remember the girl who builds sand castles, volcanos, mud pits, and just shovels sand to make nothing.

I want to remember how the water refreshed me.

I want to remember how the sand smooshed around my feet.

I want to remember how the sun glistened on the water. 

I want to remember how we watched ghost shrimp and found crabs.

I want to remember how Thea pronounced Jenga blocks as “Jacob blocks’.

I want to remember how they all played Jacob blocks so nicely.

I want to remember how the big kids built towers for Ollie to knock down.

I want to remember how Ollie carried those blocks to every room in the house.

I want to remember how Ollie walked and babbled and spider-crawled.

I want to remember how I encouraged Ollie to say my name and then he did.

I want to remember the boy who loved the water.

I want to remember how he loves it washing over him both in the waves and at the shore.

I want to remember how he would punch it and dive into it.

I want to remember how he was NOT afraid.

I want to remember how he smiled and laughed as he rode waves with his aunts and uncle.

I want to remember the trip to the ER when my eye wouldn’t open or stop watering.

I want to remember the ER Dr. Snowman who works in a resort town.

I want to remember the Eye Dr. Johnson who proclaimed I would NOT go blind from my eye abrasion.

I want to remember when I could finally open my eyes again.

I want to remember that straw hats and giant sunglasses can hide the eye that looks like it was punched.

I want to remember early morning pool swims.

I want to remember how Jones wanted to be tossed in.

I want to remember how Thea preferred the hot tub and playing with sand toys in the pool.

I want to remember how Ollie loved to splash and found so much delight in the pool.

I want to remember pool noodle swords and cannon balls.

I want to remember matching swim suits.

I want to remember to check where the deep end is before I jump in.

I want to remember the late-night pool party.

I want to remember the water so hot “it will blow your mind”.

I want to remember post beach wash the sand off pool parties.

I want to remember the little children’s museum and Jones loved the racetrack, and Thea loved the kitchen/restaurant area.

I want to remember making crafts at the museum.

I want to remember pirate golf.
I want to remember how my kids really only wanted to golf for like 4 holes maybe 9.  
I want to remember that I did get a hole in one.
I want to remember the baby racoons we saw at the golf course.

I want to remember family dinners and clean-up.

I want to remember that ice cream is a staple of family vacation.

I want to remember Thea’s little song about Hilton Head South Carolina.

I want to remember our day trip to Savannah.

I want to remember the oak tree lane and our hike that Thea walked at the pace of a snail.

I want to remember how my siblings (and best friend) love on my kids. 

I want to remember the big moments and little moments and how a family vacation is not always ideal but we do it together. 

Our Summer Bucket List

We made our summer bucket list recently (we actually already started crossing things off).  Theas contributions were so funny she wants to Karoke, Parades, band concerts and sandcastle.  Jones wants indoor playground, s’mores, wildberry.  

Anyhow we are already well into having fun we have hit up chuckecheese and picked berries too.  My kids enjoyed both events thoroughly. 


We tried another Berry farm but we prefer freels farm and it’s much closer.

Less Plastic

In addition to using the reusable towels, dryer balls and reusable ziplocks, I have made a few other simple changes to use less plastic.  I use bamboo toothbrushes.  I have used two brands Giving Tree and Sprmal.  Both are relatively same price as plastic brushes and I think work great. I have not switched my kids out yet mostly because they got like 4 free brushes last year and we are finishing up using those.  

I also switched to bar shampoo Ethique is the brand it’s rather pricey but in comparison to good shampoo anyhow so only slightly more.  I have been very impressed with it too it seems to be good for my hair.  

I also have tried Primal Life deodorant which is biodegradable packaging.  It’s also organic (no aluminum).  I like this deodorant but I am also trying another recommended brand.  But this one is good too.  

Anyhow these are all simple steps and they will reduce the plastic that I leave behind.  When I think about all the shampoo bottles, toothbrushes and deordant sticks I have used in my life and the fact that “maybe” 15-20% have been recycled I feel good making these baby steps.

2019 Ice Show

We have loved skating lessons.  This year Jones is night and day better.  I look forward to seeing Thea also make that progress as well.  

Jones will switch to learn hockey in the summer or the fall.  He loved the show especially the finale where the kids get to skate all together with the hockey player and girls on synchro.  He didn’t want to come off the ice.  He also was thrilled to see his crush there he hadn’t seen her in a few months. 

Thea wants to continue with figure skating she wants to be a ballerina on ice now.  She’s actually been practicing their routine post ice show still as if she might be called upon to preform it again.  Lol!  

One of my favorite things about this event is watching my kids compliment other kids.  Literally they were telling all the kids how good they did and screaming and cheering while they watched the older kids skate.  

Funny story.  After my kids were watching the show and we were walking in the hall back to the locker room we passed some of the men’s hockey team and one of the girls said “are you on the hockey team?”  And the guys said yes.  And Jones said “you guys did so good in the show.  Good job!” Absolutely priceless here’s a 4 year old complimenting the varsity hockey team.  The hockey team of course complimented them back but I just thought it was so cute.  

100burfamselfies

For the 100 day project I landed on taking 100 selfies with my kids.  I am almost always behind the camera and therefore I am rarely in photos of our adventures so I want to be able to capture us a whole.  So far it’s been going good.  I find I remember early in the morning and just about bedtime I am not so good about remembering mid activity but hopeful we get there.  Here are a few of the shots I have taken. 

The Pool

This winter we needed some more activities since playing outside was soooooo cold.  So I got us a membership to the Rec which gives us access to the pool.  It’s indoors and usually it is warm and we have been going for an hour or two depending on what time of day we go.  Jones is getting to be a good swimming he needs to work on his breast stroke but he’s able to swim the width of the pool.   Thea still tormented from swim lessons prefers to wear her vest.  Anyhow it’s been a fun activity although I much prefer an out door pool.  

The 100 day project

The last three years I have completed this project.  I have never finished but I have enjoyed the process.  Last year when I left post it’s it was my favorite one I think.  This year I am leaning towards doing something towards my less waste goals, or collages, or maybe cross stitch or maybe selfies with my kids.    Seriously soooo many ideas.  

It starts April 2nd so I need to get deciding.

Gateway Arch

Jones got the flu in Denver and the doctors advised us not to fly home.  So we made the decision to make the 19 hour drive in two days.  On the second day our break on the trip was at the gateway arch.  We took a walk around it.  Jones was sooooo sad the two entrances were closed and we didn’t go to the thrid so he didn’t get to go inside the arch.  So he’s pouty and crying in all the photos.  He was also more impressed with the Mississippi River than the arch.  He’s been trying to spell Mississippi Ever since.  

Sometime we will go back on a weekend trip and go up in the arch and visit the zoo and that city museum.  

Also let’s pretend I didn’t have on two pairs of glasses or a dress with sweatpants.

More Denver

We didn’t do a lot of touristy things in Denver.  We spent most of our time with family and doing routine things.  We went to the arcade, swimming pool and shopping.  We also went to gymnastics and music class with Ollie.  We did use our reciprocal museum benefits and visit the children’s museum, it’s much improved from last time and our membership to Cincinnati got us half off.