Surprise! A Change in plans.

This week was FULL of surprises! On Monday morning, as my kids were slowly straggling from the TV to the kitchen, some were getting dressed, some laying around, the phone rings. It is my boss at the gym. Aimee has locked her keys in the house, and she needs someone to come and teach water aerobics. Class starts at 9:30, it is 9:15. I tell her that I have to dress and feed 4 kids, so I would be hard pressed to get there by 10:00. She takes it..... I quickly dress and feed the kids and we made it to the gym by 9:50. It was a bit crazy, but we worked it out. This disrupted our plans for a play date with Barbara, but she let us come over after we were done at the gym anyway.
Much to my horror, after being at Barbara's home for about 10 minutes my son, (who has been in a wicked bad mood for like 2 weeks now) announces "this place is stupid, I NEVER want to come back here AGAIN!" I took him out to her front porch, and let him sit out there for a while. Mostly for his safety! How rude!
Well, I get home from out lunch/play with the Haneys and I get a phone call from some Friends of our who own a beach house in Ocean Pines, MD. They rent it through the summer and were not able to rent it this week. They're wondering if we would like to use the house this week. Brents Schedule of course would not permit him to join us, but we took advantage anyway. In a whirl wind of events, I found a sub (Thanks Aimee) for my Water Classes, made up a shopping list and got ready to leave for the beach house on Tuesday.  It was about a 2 hour drive, at about 1:00 we arrived at this:
The house was beautiful and fully equipped with dishes etc.. for the renters (or in our case the moochers;-) )  There was a room on the top floor that the girls nabbed right away, it had 2 twin beds and a TV.   Just off of their room was a huge walk in closet and a loft and a bathroom all to themselves.  They were in heaven.  Liza could hardly contain her excitement.  We invited Barbara and her Boys along on our adventure, so the boys grabbed the "bunk room" a nautical themed room with 2 big bunk beds.  Alex claimed a top bunk, as he has never slept on a top bunk before.  Felt a little ripped off that there wasn't a TV in his room, but he slept with the girls in their room on the second night.

This place was big enough to easily sleep 14 people, if you were willing to sleep on sleeper sofas and floors, a whole lot more would fit.  It was really nice and really big!  

That first day we let the babies nap a bit and then we headed out to the beach for some sun setting fun.  We weren't out there long before the wind kicked up.  The ocean was quite cold and then the rain came.  We sat it out for a bit, and squeezed in a few photos, and then ducked and ran for cover.

Liza loves the Ocean, being a girl of very little fear, she doesn't bother with the dangers that the ocean presents.  She is happy to be out there in the Freezing cold water, leaping over and into waves.  When sucked under, or thrown on her backside, she laughs and runs back into it.  That is a perfect description of Liza in general.  
Tori enjoys the sand.  She was sucked into the water once last year and refuses to get back in it.  She will jump around in it about thigh high, but not more then that.  She plays it safe and fears the dangers that she has learned lay inside that water. Again, a fairly good assessment of Toris personality.

Alex will get into the water reluctantly and mostly only upon peer pressure from Liza.  He really only got in on day 2 and he ended up mad at the ocean and played by himself in the sand for the remainder of the time.  yup, that would be Alex, willing, but resentful if he gets hurt.

Katie,  Katie hates sand,  she really doesn't like to be barefoot anywhere other then home.  She doesn't like to walk on the tiled floor at the pool.  She stands there and cries if I put her down in the tiles.  She did the same thing with the sand.  For nearly the whole trip she stayed either on a beach chair, or her Dora towel, to make sure she was off the sand.  As if there isn't enough junk to haul down to the ocean through the sand, but I was carrying Katie too.  She did however enjoy digging in it with a shovel, and pouring water out of her watering can onto it to make it wet.  She cried when I put her feet in the ocean, and actually shook with fear when I sat her on my lap and let the waves come to us.  By the last day, she walked barefoot in the sand all the way to the car.  I am sure that the fact that she was leaving was a great motivator, but I was proud of her anyway.  

We had cold wind and rain on day 2 at the beach too.  We were a little bummed, but the kids managed to enjoy themselves anyway.  On the positive side, we weren't hot and sunburned, and the kids were not begging for snow cones.

We had some nice quiet moments at the beach house while babies slept and kids watched DVDs and we took the kids out for dinner one night.  (that was interesting)  

We headed back on Thursday morning, tired and spent.  It was a nice get away.  We found out on the last day from a life guard that there is a hurricane out in the ocean (bertha) Out in the ocean causing the cold water from the bottom of the ocean to come up, and also causing the winds and rain that we saw.  

We didn't take too long to get back into our busy schedule.  On Thursday night Brent was post call, so we took the kids to see Wall E.  They were so excited!!  The had a blast, and enjoyed the show.  Katie enjoyed about 1/2 of it, and then spent the other half getting exercise, as she climbed up and down the stairs on both sides of the theater.  I tried to keep and eye on her, but at one point the stinker ran down the exit hall, I went to go and get her since I could no longer see her and she was had managed to leave the theater and was in the theater next to ours!  Scared the life out of me!  It was a cute movie.  not my favorite pixar, but good.

On Friday, I had a little photo session with the girls.  I scheduled hair appointments for them for Saturday, and wanted some last shots of their hair.
Liza Donated to locks of love again, I will post a picture this week of her new style.  11 inches taken off, and she is quite happy to be rid of it. :-)

Tori had never had a hair cut.  Not even a trim.  4 years old!  I couldn't stand to part with the curls on the ends.  I took her out to Kristen, my hairdresser, her salon specializes in curly hair.  They taught me how to treat Tori's hair, what kinds of products to use, and they say that I should be able to bring all those curls out.  I sure hope they are right.  We only cut off about 2 or 3 inches from Tori.  She is mad about this as Liza is getting all the shocked respnces "OH!  Liza, you got your hair cut!!" and no one is noticing her trim.  She told me she wanted to cut her hair short like 'talia's.  I can't bear to do it.  I had a hard enough time trimming it.  Oh my curly haired blondie, I love her hair. 

Katie got her bangs trimmed, she looks so much older now.  So cute!  I will post some pictures of the haircuts next week.

Friday night was the ward camp out. We went and got our free slurpee from 7-11, we had to go to two stores to find some, but we got one anyway.  Then we went to the camp out,  We went for the hotdog roast and smores and then we came home.  As it was, it was 10pm by the time the kids got into bed anyway.  Saturday, I got my 3rd surprise.  I was planning on having the kids all day, as Brent was scheduled to take and exam all day.  To my surprise he was home when I got home with the kids from the hair appointments, and I took off shopping with Barbara for a few hours.  Came home and fed the kids and then took them to Co Op.  Brent and I had a wonderful evening with Chris and Tracy, it was nice to get out with them again.  We all 4 walked around the mall, the men putting quite the damper on Tracy and I's style.  We tried to ditch them a few times, but they kept waiting for us.  :-)  Tracy tried to make them our honorary drink/ ice cream holders, but they still weren't very fun to shop with.  We decided to spend the remainder of our time planning our return trip, where we would be sure to take full advantage of all these sales.  :-)

So this week...

I have no idea what we are going to do tomorrow.  Something inside, as it is supposed to rain.  Maybe we'll call in play dates and bake cookies for the troops. Or maybe the science Center, the kids love that one!  I teach water aerobics at night.

Tuesday:  Gym and Swim. Boy it feels like forever since we've been to the pool at the gym.  I can't wait to go.  I think I will take the Latin Fusion class at 9:30.

*TUESDAY NIGHT*  calling all who need their toes painted, I am having a "toe party" at my house after kids are tucked in tight.  If you are going to recipe swap, you're welcome to come over here after that is over.  It usually goes late.  If you are pregnant and can no longer paint your toes, we do take pitty on you and will paint them for you.  Every mama need pretty toes.  Also if you still haven't gotten your Arbone stuff from me or Scarlett, we'll try to have it here that night.

Wednesday,  I think I am going to take the kids out to Lariland Farms for picking raspberries, blue berries, and flowers.  It is supposed to be quite hot, but it looks like a good day for picking.  Hopefully we can make a batch of raspberry jam since we've flown through the strawberry jam.  I signed up to feed the missionaries tonight, so I have to plan for that too.

Thursday:  Gym and swim.  I teach water, and then we'll stay for a swim.  It is supposed to be a really nice day.

Friday: I plan to do what ever I didn't do on Monday.  Should be fun.  *FRIDAY NIGHT*  I have a sitter (Co Op) and No Date (Call)  any takers?

Saturday: clean the house, and a bike ride around the lake.  The kids will love this one. 

*Remember next Saturday I am going to Christmas Tree Shop anyone who wants to hop in, it is in York PA.  I plan to spend the whole day away from kids and house work, and shop shop shop in PA.  It is not Christmas stuff, it is good deals!  They change with the season, and from what I can tell are somehow affiliated with Bed Bath and Beyond.  I hope that they put out a flyer before next Saturday so that Tracey (my sister) can look and see if she wants me to bring her anything.  :-)  I will post if they do so everyone can look.  :-)