Escape From the City

Aunt Kelly decided to abandon the city for a weekend at the beach. She said she wanted to enjoy summer before it slips away, but I think it was just an excuse to come visit her family that she misses incredibly. Right, Aunt Kelly? We did our best to show her a good time, but Mother Nature was less than cooperative. She completely rained us out of our pool plans on Friday. On Saturday, Mother Nature was a little nicer. We were able to enjoy about an hour on the beach before she sent a pretty intense afternoon thunderstorm barreling towards us. Oh well! Aunt Kelly didn't seem to disappointed with the back-up plan, shopping at the outlet mall.It was nice to have Kelly home, even if it was just for a few days. She's quite the city slicker now though and not very comfortable when surrounded by nature. I had to laugh at her as we walked along our neighborhood boardwalk. The sights and sounds of nature had her more than a little stressed out. She didn't like watching the crabs scurry around in the marsh grass, and she seemed rather unsettled by the sight of large heron and cranes.

It's okay though. On Sunday, she headed back to The Big Apple where she was among more familiar surroundings and "normal" creatures like rats and pigeons!

Pee Wee to Pro

Friday was graduation day at Pee Wee Golf Camp, and the boys made the most of their last day together on the course.First, they warmed up with a round of Snag Golf, a game that involved hitting a target with over-sized velcro golf balls.Then, the boys moved on to the real deal, the driving range. Jax developed his own system where he'd line up several balls to hit. The instructor was quite impressed by his resourcefulness. Evidently, Jax's method is a drill the instructors actually use with older kids. Maybe my boy is a natural?!

Jax also took the golf cart for a little spin on his last day. It looks like I may have an ally now in my argument for purchasing a family golf cart. However, I may also have competition for the driver's seat.The boys also had a chance to tour the groundskeepers' garage. Climbing on the equipment equals BIG excitement!The day ended with a small ceremony acknowledging the boys' accomplishments. Each of them received souvenir golf balls, a camp t-shirt, and their very own bobble-head trophy. Luckily, Jax won't have to wait a whole year for more lessons. We discovered the club offers mini clinics every Saturday morning for kids. Watch out, Tiger, my kid may be your future competition!

Fore

Today, Jax started Pee Wee Golf Camp. It's a 3-day crash course offered within our community for kids ages 4 - 7. The goal is to teach the kids the fundamentals of game, but the instructors quickly discovered that all 9 of their pupils are already somewhat experienced golfers thanks to overly eager fathers that dream of producing the next Tiger Woods. The kids, however, were just there to have some fun.

Jax took a seat front & center when the class was called to order. I can only hope that he'll show the same enthusiasm when it comes to math & science classes!

First, they went over safety and etiquette. Makes sense to me. Nine little boys swinging golf clubs with all their might just screams trouble. Then, they briefly discussed the rules before moving on to their first skills lesson: putting & chipping. This was when the boys got excited. It was time to actually play golf!
As with any sport, the kids displayed different levels of dedication. Some, like Jax, were intensely focused. Others were more interested in playing with the sand in the bunkers. I think their parents should probably accept the fact that their kid won't be wearing a green jacket. At least not the one that matters.

Although, the fun and games did come to an abrupt end when the instructors announced the day would conclude with a putting competition. All the kids snapped to attention at that point! Sadly, our children live in politically correct world. There was no winner! They were all winners! Say it with me now...BS!

Breaking Point

Breathe, Grandfather! Breathe! For the rest of you that may not understand the significance of the photo above, let me explain. This activity table and the floor surrounding it are usually COVERED in Disney Cars toys, but yesterday, I reached my breaking point.

I walked into a complete disaster. Actually, disaster doesn't even come close to accurately describing the mess. There were Cars EVERYWHERE! It wasn't the sort of mess than occurs because the toys are being played with either. It was just a mess made for the sole purpose of making a mess to see your parents' heads spin around while they breathe fire.

Jax has been warned about this sort of behavior before. In fact, he was warned less than 3 days ago about what would happen if he ever made a mess like that again. Well, I don't make empty threats. Every single vehicle was packed into a storage bin & placed in the closet. Did you finally take that breath, Grandfather? You thought they were in the trash, didn't you? I wouldn't do that to you...Jax? Maybe, but not you.

Maybe, and that's a big maybe, the Cars will be unpacked in time for your visit. We'll have to see how the rest of the week goes.

Photo Craziness From the Weekend

This weekend, we went photo crazy! I think it's safe to blame our behavior on a good friend, Farid. He flew down for a quick visit this weekend ,and that pretty much sent us into tourist mode with the camera. Actually, it's nice when that happens. Not only do we end up with new family photos, we are forced to take a break from our usual routine and enjoy our little beach town. Too often we get caught up in same ol' day-to-day activities.

On Saturday, Anh and Jax treated Farid to a whirlwind tour of the sights around town. Then that night, we met up with Jay, Lisa, and the kids to celebrate Jay's birthday. It was nice. We ate at a popular seafood restaurant on the Intercoastal that we had all been wanting to try, and I now understand why it's such a big hit with the locals. We had driven past several times, but were scared off by the ridiculously packed parking lot. Factor in a less than impressive exterior, and we just didn't see what all the fuss was about.

Well, behind that shabby exterior is a lovely outdoor patio, shaded by a beautiful canopy of old oak trees, overlooking the Intercoastal. There's even a section of beach complete with a tire swing. Turns out, the food is yummy too. I think it's safe to say that we'll become regulars, along with the rest of the city!Sunday morning, we decided to treat ourselves to another nice meal and headed up to our clubhouse for brunch. After all, it just wouldn't be right to send Farid off to the airport on an empty stomach. Afterwards, we lingered on the lawn overlooking the golf course and once again the cameras were brought out to document the lovely surroundings. I can't believe we didn't do this sooner, considering that we live here.I don't know whether Anh was determined to give Farid the complete neighborhood tour or whether they just wanted to walk off a little of our very filling brunch, but that afternoon, the boys took a stroll along the boardwalk. We joked with Farid throughout the visit about him being the "location scout" for his wife and the kids. If he reports back favorably, then they will book a trip for the entire family. Hopefully, we receive high marks, and we'll see them all again soon. It was so nice having a chance to catch up.

I Knew This Day Was Coming

I've learned to dread the school newsletter. If they aren't announcing some new fundraiser that is going to cost me a fortune, they are sharing news of some illness that is being passed around. Usually there's a description of the symptoms that the sick children are displaying and a reminder that sick children are to be kept at home.

I've actually become somewhat indifferent to the notices because Jax (thankfully) has a decent immune system and manages to avoid contamination. (I just knocked on some wood, by the way.) This week, however, I got the newsletter I've been dreading. Moms, you know the one I'm talking about...head lice! No, not my kid, but someone in his class has head lice, and now, we're all to be on alert. Great! Just what we all need!

Lord, Help Us

Baylor has mastered climbing the stairs and now is working on the descent. And I thought watching him go up was stressful!