tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48336999427508754772024-03-13T12:11:04.895-07:00Ella's Blogmollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12222608706060800549noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833699942750875477.post-36483972632914945502016-11-14T17:12:00.002-08:002023-05-26T22:23:23.857-07:00Caitlin, Oliver & Emmie - Glow In The Dark Bubbles!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12222608706060800549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833699942750875477.post-18609283894853688892014-09-21T12:27:00.002-07:002023-05-26T22:23:05.725-07:00Throwback... Um, Sunday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
You know what's fun? Finding an old memory card with a bunch of photos you forgot you even had. These were taken in 2011 at a summer barbecue. For reference, when these were taken I had just finished my freshman year of college, and Emmie was just a baby. </div>
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Sooo many things have changed in the last three years.</div>
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Ray and Kathy are history. Well, I should say <i>Ray </i>is history; Kathy's still my mom's sister, so she's not really going anywhere. Their divorce was not surprising. Bethany (Kathy's daughter/my cousin) was thrilled. For some reason, she always hated Ray.</div>
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Speaking of Bethany--</div>
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Even though she's 11, here, wow... she looks SO YOUNG to me! You should see her now, at 14-going-on-15. You wouldn't even recognize her. o_o</div>
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Awww... Levi! (Gus's nephew.) He's four, now, and just a bundle of energy. Can you believe Gray and Jaemie STILL live with Gus's dad? They're trying to have more kids, too. I adore Levi, but smh.</div>
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Haha, omg, look at my dad! I forgot that he tried to grow a beard that year. FAIL.</div>
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Kacey! Kacey and I are still friends, but we don't hang out as much as we did back then. I went to college right after high school, but it took a while for her to decide what she wanted to do. Now she's trying to become a travel agent. She wants to travel to all kinds of exotic places. I want to stow away in her suitcase.</div>
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One thing that's changed since 2011 is that Caitlin and Oliver have their own bedrooms, now. When I was a junior in college, Gus and I, and several of our college friends, decided to rent a house together. My parents were really angry with me about that. They thought I should live in the dorms, or at least get a small apartment with another female. But I did what I wanted and it worked out great! And I graduated college with a 3.67 GPA, thank you very much.</div>
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But when I made <i>that </i>decision, my parents decided to eliminate my bedroom... or, at least, my bedroom as I knew it. They hired contractors to put a wall down the center and add a second door, and now Emmy has one of the smaller rooms and Caitlin has the other. Upstairs, the twins' old room got divided, too, and Oliver sleeps in one of the rooms and the other is now a playroom. </div>
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Suffice it to say, I was really upset when my parents did that. Especially since it meant that when I came home for visits, I had to sleep on the couch. :(</div>
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Caitlin and Oliver are in second grade now. Oliver is quiet, serious, sensitive, curious, and tries to please everybody. Caitlin is talkative, impatient, whiny, a little bit lazy, and is always trying to boss other people around. They're both very smart and love to read and draw.</div>
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D'aw, Mickey! Mickey is doing great, despite being a Senior dog. When we rented the house near campus, Mickey got to come live with us! Gus and I are debating whether Mickey should get a little brother or sister pup. I want a Poodle or an Old English Sheepdog; Gus wants a Chihuahua or a Collie.</div>
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And what about Gus and me? How have <i>we </i>changed? Well, I think I'll save <i>that</i> for my next post.... :)</div>
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XOXO,</div>
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Ella</div>
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mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12222608706060800549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833699942750875477.post-8952167372285849442013-11-01T19:47:00.003-07:002023-05-26T22:22:46.746-07:00Halloween 2013!<div style="text-align: center;">
Halloween, 2013! (Hey, it rhymes!)<br />
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This year I was a witch...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfC-MFHShPE/UnRjmyIdOmI/AAAAAAAAJkE/wxDQcSCwsTA/s1600/snapshot_b326a5ee_1f801dfe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfC-MFHShPE/UnRjmyIdOmI/AAAAAAAAJkE/wxDQcSCwsTA/s400/snapshot_b326a5ee_1f801dfe.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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And Gus was a...<br />
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well, uh...<br />
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He <i>claimed </i>he was going for "Used Car Salesman Circa 1937," but I still contend he ended up looking like Tony Stark's dad.<br />
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Oh well, he was still adorable.<br />
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So were my siblings, apparently. My dad sent me these pics this morning....<br />
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^Emmie, Oliver & Caitlin in their costumes </div>
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Panda + Kittycat = Love</div>
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Oliver, trying to look tough. Arrrr!<br />
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Dad says that before the kids left to go trick-or-treating, he came across Oliver trying to teach Emmy to say "trick-or-treat!" in the sweetest, cutest-possible voice, so that people might give her -- and, because it would be rude not to, all three kids -- extra candy.<br />
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Not sure if it worked, but if it didn't, the people giving out candy were clearly cold-hearted souls.<br />
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Dad says they made it down three streets before Emmy had a meltdown, but the kids were satisfied with their loot.<br />
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I hope everyone had a happy Halloween!<br />
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Love & Jelly Beans,<br />
Ella</div>
mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12222608706060800549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833699942750875477.post-73790480928825307892012-10-15T21:56:00.001-07:002012-10-15T21:57:13.536-07:00Annnnd Oliver!<div style="text-align: center;">
Okay, here's the last vlog I'm going to do for a while! </div>
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Here you go, Oliver!</div>
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<object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/2iwmYpJUDXQ?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/2iwmYpJUDXQ?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12222608706060800549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833699942750875477.post-1557597932481115152012-09-11T22:59:00.003-07:002023-05-26T22:23:42.825-07:00Off To School<div style="text-align: center;">
Sooo my mom's kind of in a state of WTF these days. I can't really blame her. She's got one daughter in college, one in diapers, and two kids who are starting elementary school. It's enough to boggle anyone's mind. My dad -- who, of course, is in the same situation -- is off in lala land, working on another boring article (again -- sorry, Dad. But seriously, they are really boring.)</div>
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Anywayssss here are a couple of pics to commemorate (I guess?) the biggest day thus far in the twins' lives (except for maybe their day of actual birth.)</div>
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<i>Caitlin and Oliver's First Day Of School</i></div>
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D'aw. Look at that. Nicely groomed, hair neatly combed... trust me, it won't last.<br />
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Meanwhile, even Emmie is taking part in the whole educational experience. My mom enrolled her in a Toddler Music class. She loves it.</div>
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Whether or not we have a miniature Beethoven on our hands, only time will tell....</div>
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<3 Ella</div>
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mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12222608706060800549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833699942750875477.post-29523467769730131162012-08-17T17:41:00.005-07:002023-05-26T22:24:19.363-07:00Here Comes The Sun, Dun-na-na-na...<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, it's finally happened. After a pretty mild summer, the sun has officially come out and has started to relentlessly shine itself down, in preparation of killing us all. 104 degrees yesterday! 75% humidity! Everyone around here is cranky. We're all stuck indoors because nobody wants to venture outside, not even to the van to go somewhere. It's like 30 feet to the van but in the time it would take to get there, a person could melt into a puddle of goo. Not worth it.</div>
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Every day Gus comes over with Mickey because his place doesn't have AC, just a couple of old fans. Today he brought his nephew, Levi, over to play with Emmie. We like to joke that someday the two of them are going to wind up together. Levi Preston and Emmeline Bradley, a match made in heaven. Of course, not for another decade or two. But someday. Right now the only thing they have in common is that they both like to unroll the toilet paper and make a huge mess the second you look the other way. And splash around in the cat's water dish. And smear applesauce on the dog.</div>
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But it's all good. We're surviving. And school starts in a couple of weeks. Gus and I are going to a rent a house this year with three of our friends from school. My parents flipped out when we told them, but I think they've finally accepted it. Because it's happening.</div>
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I hope it will be awesome.</div>
mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12222608706060800549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833699942750875477.post-9143165308445422382012-08-01T21:29:00.001-07:002012-08-17T17:42:22.850-07:00A video for my sister Caitlin<div style="text-align: center;">
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mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12222608706060800549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833699942750875477.post-91827142296970554272012-07-25T01:28:00.002-07:002023-05-26T22:21:56.742-07:00Camping!<div style="text-align: center;">
We got to go camping last weekend! Like, actual camping at a campground! Mom, Dad, Caitlin, Oliver, Emmie, Gus, Mickey, and me.</div>
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My mom was in charge of the BBQ and did a most excellent job.</div>
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Mickey loved being out in the woods. There are sticks everywhere!!</div>
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Gus searches for a really annoying-sounding bird we kept hearing. I don't think he ever found it.</div>
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Dad & Caitlin go for a spin.</div>
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Gus teaches Emmie to dance!</div>
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I think Gus is Emmie's new Favorite Person.</div>
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Caitlin and Oliver being silly</div>
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"Hey, who's in my bed?"</div>
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"Oh well, there's room for two."</div>
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D'awww</div>
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Gus & me:)</div>
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Did I mention Mickey LOVED camping?</div>
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At night, Caitlin & Oliver got their first taste of roasted marshmallows</div>
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Yum!</div>
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Emmie was more interested in the fireflies. And the crickets. And the zipper on the tent. Annnd pretty much anything and everything.</div>
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Fireside conversations</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oYIVrN7vEPc/UA-ougtYhoI/AAAAAAAACmg/HoLTswptDi8/s1600/snapshot_b326a5ee_3d1b5f2d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oYIVrN7vEPc/UA-ougtYhoI/AAAAAAAACmg/HoLTswptDi8/s400/snapshot_b326a5ee_3d1b5f2d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Gus knows how to make perfect marshmallows, golden brown with perfectly-melted insides.</div>
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Mine just burn.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HQ2ULSiO2KU/UA-o8BbMdFI/AAAAAAAACq4/7r2JUG7CBLQ/s1600/snapshot_b326a5ee_fd1b5cbb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HQ2ULSiO2KU/UA-o8BbMdFI/AAAAAAAACq4/7r2JUG7CBLQ/s400/snapshot_b326a5ee_fd1b5cbb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Telling ghost stories</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3uenqCsg2CM/UA-o8nk4grI/AAAAAAAACrA/qwW0NgM-Urs/s1600/snapshot_b326a5ee_fd1b5cfe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3uenqCsg2CM/UA-o8nk4grI/AAAAAAAACrA/qwW0NgM-Urs/s400/snapshot_b326a5ee_fd1b5cfe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Annnd time for bed!</div>
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Now it's back to the real world. :(</div>
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mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12222608706060800549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833699942750875477.post-89443823413120054272012-07-16T00:33:00.002-07:002023-05-26T22:21:03.236-07:00Families & Fireworks<div style="text-align: center;">
July 4th (Independence Day to us crazy Americans) was okay this year. Gus and Mickey came over, and so did Aunt Kathy, Ray, and Bethany. We had barbecue and set off fireworks.</div>
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However, in the midst of all the sparkler action, Aunt Kathy and Ray got into an EPIC fight. I'm pretty sure it started over a bag of potato chips. Before long, they were screaming at each other and using some pretty nasty language! Mickey started howling and Emmy started crying and my dad finally had to go tell them to take it somewhere else. As in, <i>leave. </i></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gM-N2uWGEZY/UAPA7BI11WI/AAAAAAAACgI/g5ysltAMDtU/s1600/july11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gM-N2uWGEZY/UAPA7BI11WI/AAAAAAAACgI/g5ysltAMDtU/s400/july11.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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So they did. Ray drove off in their car and Aunt Kathy went inside and locked herself in the bathroom. Which I guess technically isn't leaving, but at least the fighting was over. Later, Aunt Kathy told my parents she was going to go check herself in to a spa for a few days. Then she left, too.</div>
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Bethany stayed the night with us. We had a slumber party in my room -- her, me, and Caitlin -- and after Caitlin fell asleep Bethany told me not to worry about what happened, because Ray and Kathy fight all the time. I feel so bad for Bethany. I think I'll ask my parents if she can stay with us more often this summer. She really has grown up into a cool person. I remember when she was a little kid and she came to stay with us and she was SO ANNOYING. </div>
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Well, she still can be, sometimes, but she's way better than she used to be.</div>
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Anyway, that was our holiday, and I'll keep you all posted on the continuing saga of terror that IS Kathy and Ray. (As if anybody cares!)</div>
mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12222608706060800549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833699942750875477.post-91402929218733032852012-07-16T00:18:00.004-07:002012-07-16T00:18:45.507-07:005 Years!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I have now known Gus for five years!! From being just neighbors... and me thinking he was kind of a dweeb... to, well... so much more! ;)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Here are some pix I took of him way back in 2007. Wasn't he cute? (Hey, Gus, I think you need to start wearing sweater vests again, those things are friggin' adorable!)</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hNtFzVfK5fQ/UAO_6ayOGVI/AAAAAAAACfY/DWSTTWUoaKs/s1600/oldgus2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hNtFzVfK5fQ/UAO_6ayOGVI/AAAAAAAACfY/DWSTTWUoaKs/s320/oldgus2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MYw14Rf2kFw/UAO_6nQNyzI/AAAAAAAACfg/uQS0j5_yZQ0/s1600/oldgus3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MYw14Rf2kFw/UAO_6nQNyzI/AAAAAAAACfg/uQS0j5_yZQ0/s320/oldgus3.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7tpa3knb9ZM/UAO_1cXf4QI/AAAAAAAACfQ/PWQHfwSAxi0/s1600/oldgus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7tpa3knb9ZM/UAO_1cXf4QI/AAAAAAAACfQ/PWQHfwSAxi0/s320/oldgus1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tf1LijcbpPc/UAO_7Ei5VMI/AAAAAAAACfw/HZRj20AsGIU/s1600/oldgus5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tf1LijcbpPc/UAO_7Ei5VMI/AAAAAAAACfw/HZRj20AsGIU/s320/oldgus5.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vOkhIt2WlBM/UAO_6y5gDNI/AAAAAAAACfo/8okQBGtaqGc/s1600/oldgus4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vOkhIt2WlBM/UAO_6y5gDNI/AAAAAAAACfo/8okQBGtaqGc/s320/oldgus4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12222608706060800549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833699942750875477.post-67126940388703695802012-07-03T17:44:00.002-07:002023-05-26T22:20:23.552-07:00Beach Trip<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">So my grandparents -- my dad’s parents -- decided they
were going to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary by inviting my
entire extended family to a oceanside resort for an entire week. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now, I
know I’m not married yet, and I don’t have kids, but if I ever have a
50th wedding anniversary -- or any anniversary, really -- I’m pretty sure
that my children will NOT be allowed to be present. That is SO not romantic! I can not
understand why my grandparents wanted us all there. And by us, I mean my
family (my parents, me, Caitlin, Oliver, and Emmie) and Uncle Bill and Aunt Sheila and <i>their </i>kids (Tennyson, Carmody, and Langston.)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15.199999809265137px;">Yeah, that's a heck of a lot of people. Here are some pix for reference:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15.199999809265137px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z4YMtHNIAiw/T_OK2F7xLeI/AAAAAAAACbQ/7JAOUureRJM/s1600/3grand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z4YMtHNIAiw/T_OK2F7xLeI/AAAAAAAACbQ/7JAOUureRJM/s1600/3grand.jpg" /></a></div>
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Grandma & Grandpa</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9LlewtiBn-o/T_OK21W4yDI/AAAAAAAACbg/ElmbO38fkgM/s1600/3marey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9LlewtiBn-o/T_OK21W4yDI/AAAAAAAACbg/ElmbO38fkgM/s1600/3marey.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aRaWJHYwud4/T_OK4hPfkII/AAAAAAAACcE/Az0awOjRZSU/s1600/3tom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aRaWJHYwud4/T_OK4hPfkII/AAAAAAAACcE/Az0awOjRZSU/s1600/3tom.jpg" /></a></div>
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My mom & dad</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X7odaOzlYDE/T_OKz1CrM5I/AAAAAAAACaw/F6KQCxZ1EmY/s1600/3bill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X7odaOzlYDE/T_OKz1CrM5I/AAAAAAAACaw/F6KQCxZ1EmY/s1600/3bill.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sXn4Mzhr0a4/T_OK3TS2HvI/AAAAAAAACbw/kAyxEWly-FI/s1600/3sheil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sXn4Mzhr0a4/T_OK3TS2HvI/AAAAAAAACbw/kAyxEWly-FI/s1600/3sheil.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Uncle Bill & Aunt Sheila</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uNDHE8wihko/T_OK1IxzQqI/AAAAAAAACbA/KZpdGDGqIFY/s1600/3ella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uNDHE8wihko/T_OK1IxzQqI/AAAAAAAACbA/KZpdGDGqIFY/s1600/3ella.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Me</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ozkWsGzCbNg/T_OKz0IBavI/AAAAAAAACao/JjK-CDf5dmU/s1600/2caitlin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ozkWsGzCbNg/T_OKz0IBavI/AAAAAAAACao/JjK-CDf5dmU/s1600/2caitlin.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AuS2rEuVlhI/T_OK3NllW3I/AAAAAAAACbo/PYH1Wt6DnCE/s1600/3oliver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AuS2rEuVlhI/T_OK3NllW3I/AAAAAAAACbo/PYH1Wt6DnCE/s1600/3oliver.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1qRraOPv9rQ/T_OK1gxuJBI/AAAAAAAACbI/tmNxHvYftYk/s1600/3emmy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1qRraOPv9rQ/T_OK1gxuJBI/AAAAAAAACbI/tmNxHvYftYk/s1600/3emmy.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Caitlin (5) </span><span style="background-color: white;">Oliver (5) </span><span style="background-color: white;">Emmy (1)</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KzitafP1a_M/T_OK3xcTbUI/AAAAAAAACb4/rVjuk6PjHR8/s1600/3tenny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KzitafP1a_M/T_OK3xcTbUI/AAAAAAAACb4/rVjuk6PjHR8/s1600/3tenny.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lUotNtHDxIE/T_OK0WvhHYI/AAAAAAAACa4/B7nlDh0YdNw/s1600/3carmody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lUotNtHDxIE/T_OK0WvhHYI/AAAAAAAACa4/B7nlDh0YdNw/s1600/3carmody.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ODVvKRmAlXQ/T_OK2l0P6nI/AAAAAAAACbY/B3u6uIl15ec/s1600/3langston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ODVvKRmAlXQ/T_OK2l0P6nI/AAAAAAAACbY/B3u6uIl15ec/s1600/3langston.jpg" /></a></div>
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Tennyson (13) <span style="background-color: white;">Carmody (12) </span><span style="background-color: white;">Langston (3.5)</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">The
resort my grandparents chose was called Blue Heart Canyon. I’m sure there was some kind of
touching story behind the name -- maybe it had something to do with blue
skies.... or a beloved, deceased wife’s great love for the outdoors. But I thought it sounded absolutely disgusting.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">My
grandparents rented what can only be a described as a cabin condo. It had five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a
kitchen, dining room, living area, and game room, plus a sprawling deck
with a barbecue pit and a swingset out back for the munchkins.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now,
five bedrooms may seem like a lot, but keep in mind who else was going.
Bedroom #1- for my grandparents. Bedroom #2-- for Bill and Sheila, and
bedroom #3-- for my parents and Emmy. That left two. One for boys,
one for girls. Tennyson, Oliver, and Langston would board together, and I
was doomed to bunk with Caitlin and, for the love of all things evil
and obnoxious, Miss Carmody Bradley.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">You
may remember Carmody from Thanksgiving, 2007, when she and Tennyson
destroyed my beloved doll house and then proceeded to try to cover up
the heinous crime. Well, they may have come up in age, but they
certainly haven’t sprouted angel wings. Carmody is now pressing
thirteen, and you know what THAT’S like. Everyone telling you to “be
yourself” and not give in to peer pressure, but in the next breath
telling you what to do and saying everything you do is wrong. It’s
enough to send anyone to the psych ward. And Tennyson. Well, he’s going on fourteen and a whole nother story....</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">On
the first day of our vacation, my parents stuffed us all into the
minivan, luggage and family members alike, and drove to the resort. My
grandparents were already there, but Uncle Bill’s family had yet to
arrive. Which gave us about an hour to settle in, in relative peace.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">And then.... THEY CAME....</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">I
could actually sense them coming before their van even appeared
along the resort’s winding driveway. There was a kind of a strange hum, a
sinister vibe that made my blood run cold. And then *HONK* *HONK*!
Screeeech. A door slid open and three little urchins tumbled out of the
van, yelling “We’re HERE!”... as if such a thing was not entirely
obvious.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Caitlin
and Oliver, not knowing any better, ran to meet their cousins with
excitement. This was a mistake, of course, and I should have tried to
stop them, but it was pure chaos, and I wasn’t at my personal best. And
so it happened that Tennyson swooped toward Oliver, picked him up, and
started spinning him around. At first Oliver was like “tee heeeee,” but then
Tennyson just kept spinning and Oliver was crying “AUGHHHH!” and before
any of us could get to him, Tennyson had friggin LET GO, and Oliver
went flying. It could have been epically awful, if he had hit the
pavement, but luckily (?) he landed in a bush. Unfortunately, it was a
kind of a prickly bush, and Oliver got scratched up pretty badly.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">After
that, none of the kids would go anywhere near Tennyson. The jerk didn’t
even get punished for tossing Oliver; he claimed it was “an accident.”
His parents were like, “Well, honey, no more spinning your cousins,
okay?” and Tennyson just smirked, like he was saying, “Okay, I won’t
SPIN them, but what OTHER THINGS can I do?”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">That
night, we all had dinner together in the resort’s big old dining room.
The waiters pushed three tables together. Surprisingly, all the kids
were pretty well-behaved, but this was probably because the adults were
wise enough to spread themselves out amongst all the children and not
let the kids all sit together. I’m sure Tennyson was sitting there just
WAITING for an opportunity to stab someone with a fork and claim he
thought that person’s hand was merely his filet mignon.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">After
dinner, we went back to our condo and broke out some board games. My
dad, Uncle Bill, Grandma, and I began playing a game of Ticket To Ride.
Oliver sat in my lap as my unofficial “partner.” Over at the text table,
Grandpa, Caitlin, Mom, Sheila, Langston, and Tennyson were working on a
puzzle. Carmody was sitting on an armchair, with Emmy in her lap,
reading her a couple of stories.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">At some point, Caitlin ran off to use the bathroom, and came back shrieking.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">“What’s wrong?” my mom cried, as Caitlin tore into the room.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">“There’s-- there’s-- there’s something wrong with the SINK!” came my sister’s breathless response.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Indeed
there was. SOMEBODY had stuffed a couple of lacy pink socks in the
sink’s drain and then left the water running. They’d even put a sock in
the emergency drain at the top of the sink. So guess what; water had
flowed out of the sink and had flooded the counter and had made the
floor nice and slippery.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">All accusatory eyes were on the kids.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">“I didn’t do it!” Tennyson insisted, his face the picture of innocence.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">“I didn’t either,” said Carmody. “I was with Emmy the whoooole time.”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">“I
think I know how we can tell who did it,” said Tennyson, as the
grown-ups began cleaning up the mess. “Whose socks are those?”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">“They look like Caitlin’s,” said Mom, wrinkling her nose at the now-soaking garments.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Aha,” said Tennyson, as if that solved everything. “I guess Caitlin did it, then.”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Why would I want to ruin my own socks?!” Caitlin cried.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Good point, I thought.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">In
the end, we never did figure out the culprit, but the parents laid down
the law and said that if there were any more pranks like this, EVERYONE
would be grounded from going to the beach for 24 hours.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">At
bedtime, Oliver threw a fit when he saw he was to bunk with Tennyson.
He didn’t mind sharing a room with little Langston -- those two actually
got on pretty well -- but I think he was afraid Tennyson would try to
smother him in his sleep or something. I didn’t blame him for thinking
so. In the end, it was decided that, at least for the first couple of
nights, Caitlin, Oliver, and I would share one room, and Tennyson,
Carmody, and Langston would share the other. (Like I mentioned before,
Emmy had crib in my parents’ room.)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">The
next morning, we were all awoken way too early (7am? On vacation???)
and went to the dining room for a breakfast buffet. After we ate, the
adults announced that several of them wanted to go “antiquing,” which is
where people go to little antique shops and buy, I don’t know, old
stuff. It was agreed that everyone who didn’t want to do that would go
down to the beach for a few hours.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dad
and Uncle Bill led the way down to the shore, followed by me, Caitlin,
Oliver, Tennyson, Carmody, and Langston. We got slathered with sun
lotion and began to play.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Who wants me to bury them in the sand?” Tennyson called loudly.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">“How ‘bout we bury YOU in the sand?” I asked sweetly.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">“THAT’S no fun,” he said.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Well, it sounded fun to me.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">All
the kids except Tennyson began building sandcastles. Tenny went out to
jump waves. “Don’t go out too far!” Uncle Bill called after him. There
was no lifeguard on duty at this beach; signs posted said “swim at your
own risk.”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">To
his credit, Uncle Bill really did seem like he was keeping an eye on
Tennyson. But with Langston constantly trying to eat sand -- not to
mention all the little kids fighting over the “best” sand shovels -- not
to mention Carmody getting bitten by a crab or something -- well, it’s
not surprising that, at one point, someone said, “Hey, where’s Tenny?”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">All
heads snapped toward the ocean. Bodies did a 360 as everyone scanned
the beach for him. “TENNY!” Uncle Bill shouted, leaping off his beach
towel and running toward the ocean.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">My
dad turned to me. “Ella, keep all the kids here on the towels. DON’T
let them come near the ocean. If you see me wave my arms like this” --
he demonstrated-- “I want you to call 9-1-1. Got it?”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">I
got it. Except it was easier said than done. All the kids wanted to
“watch” the supposed rescue, and they kept inching closer to the sea.
I’d drag one of them back just as another one would move forward.
“Carmody, help me out here!” I cried through clenched teeth.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">“But I wanna SEE!” she said. “And you’re not my boss.”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">“At
least hold onto your brother,” I said, and she obliged, taking
Langston’s hand. I held firmly to Caitlin and Oliver’s as we watched our
fathers paddle through the ocean, looking for poor, drowning Tennyson.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now,
there were some other people on the beach at this time, but none of
them were very useful. Like, there was one couple who were sunbathing,
their backs to the sky, and I doubt they even noticed anything going on
around them. There were some other people flying a kite, and another
family farther down the beach, looking for shells. But there was nobody
who looked like they could be all life-guardy and find Tenny in the
ocean.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">After
what seemed like only two or three minutes, my dad began to do the
arm-waving thing he’d showed me. I dragged my siblings back to the
towels, grabbed my phone and called 9-1-1.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">I
really don’t want to extend the dramatics here, because in the end, it
was a really stupid situation. We were all scared, 9-1-1 was called,
rescuers came, and -- well, suffice it to say, Tennyson Bradley was NOT
drowned, not dead... he had gone back up to the condo without telling
anyone.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yep.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">And
even though Tennyson maintained the whole, innocent, “I just had to go
to the bathroom! I didn’t think anyone would even notice!” thing, he got
in SUCH BIG TROUBLE, it was purely awesome. He got completely grounded
to his bedroom at the condo -- no pool, no beach, no game nights... and
for meals? He was allowed to eat with the family, but his parents
ordered his food for him, and he got a lot of vegetables over the
next few days. No dessert, of course.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">The
kid was miserable. It was great. Grandma and Grandpa Bradley felt sorry
for him, and tried to reason with Bill and Sheila. “If it was
an honest mistake, shouldn’t you go easy on him? This is a vacation!”
But Bill, especially, stood firm, and said that IF Tennyson behaved
himself, they would let him out of the condo on the very last day.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">With
Tennyson out of the way, the rest of us enjoyed our vacation quite a
lot! The day after the “beach incident,” Mom, Sheila, Grandpa and
Grandma took me, Carmody, Caitlin, Oliver, and Langston into town, where
we rented two “family bikes” which are like cars that you pedal. We
rode those around for an hour, then had ice cream, played mini golf, and
visited a candy shop, filling a sack with at least fifty different
flavors of saltwater taffy. That evening, the dads took the older kids
(minus Emmy and Langston, and Tennyson of course) to a movie that was
playing at a single-screen theater in town.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5B3IdmiO9EQ/T_ONtots8rI/AAAAAAAACcY/4KNw9uSdvLk/s1600/ellasisters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5B3IdmiO9EQ/T_ONtots8rI/AAAAAAAACcY/4KNw9uSdvLk/s200/ellasisters.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">My
grandparents celebrated their actual anniversary on the last evening we
were there. Tenny was allowed out of his room for cake and ice cream.
Everyone gave my grandparents presents. Aunt Sheila had made a slideshow
with pictures galore, starting with my grandparents as little kids,
continuing with pix of them from when they were dating, photos of their
wedding, and on and on. The adults loved it. It made them all cry. The
kids lasted about five minutes before the yawns began. Me? I was
somewhere in the middle. Mostly I enjoyed it. It’s my family’s history,
after all. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Before
I knew it, our vacation was over and we were back home, with sand in
our suitcases and a big pile of half-wet laundry for my parents to deal
with.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">We’ve
been back for a week, now. Oliver’s scratches have healed. Our sunburns have begun to peel nicely
(and by nicely, I mean grossly.) And I have two more months of summer to
look forward to, before heading back to my third (!) year of college.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">So that’s the story of our epic (?) family vacation, 2012.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Maybe next year we can go to Disney World!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9iq98plSMxU/T_OQOvMFqUI/AAAAAAAACcw/syPWuWmWaEU/s1600/bradleys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9iq98plSMxU/T_OQOvMFqUI/AAAAAAAACcw/syPWuWmWaEU/s1600/bradleys.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yeah, I won’t hold my breath.</span></div>
mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12222608706060800549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833699942750875477.post-88232778838414335272012-06-26T00:02:00.001-07:002023-05-26T22:16:12.661-07:00Emmie's StoryHey, it's me, Ella. I have a new baby sister. Only she’s not really new anymore... she’s walking and blabbering and getting into everything. She’s one. Her name is Emmeline; we call her Emmie. She has red hair, which hasn’t been seen in our family since my mother’s mother. And I absolutely love her.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Lhf99dvXzU/T-lhu178rhI/AAAAAAAACSE/2z3VGCOQLbQ/s1600/snapshot_b326a5ee_fcf3aebc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Lhf99dvXzU/T-lhu178rhI/AAAAAAAACSE/2z3VGCOQLbQ/s320/snapshot_b326a5ee_fcf3aebc.jpg" width="320" /></a>
</div>
<br />
This is the story of how she came about.<br />
<br />
WAIT.
WHOA. BACK THAT BUS RIGHT UP. I didn’t mean THAT. I didn’t mean I was going to go to the BEGINNING! Gross, that is between my parents and... my parents. EW. FORGET I SAID ANYTHING.
SO. THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW I FOUND OUT EMMIE WAS ON THE WAY. Okay. That sounds pretty innocent, right? WELL GOOD, BECAUSE IT IS. Why am I yelling?<br />
<br />
Okay, so here’s the story.
It was the summer after I graduated from high school. I was working at the Enchanted Kingdom, a small-time theme park about twenty miles outside of town. Every day I was wearing a hideous, hot, fuzzy cow costume, trying to make kids smile. Most of them just cried. When I wasn’t in the costume, I was working behind the scenes, sorting garbage and recycling and doing all other kinds of icky stuff, but I didn’t really mind, because at least I didn’t have to wear a cow costume while doing it. This is called “looking on the bright side.” (I try, I really do.)<br />
<br />
My dad was off for the summer (he’s a professor) and was working on an article. Actually, he’s always working on an article. He writes things for boring scholastic journals and stuff. They pay him, so that’s good, but honestly, it makes me cry to try to read them. They are SO. DULL. (Sorry, Dad.)<br />
<br />
My mom, on the other hand, is always doing something different. She’s dabbled in card making, jewelry making, knitting, computer programming, home daycare-ing... and that particular summer, it was pies. Pie-making. I don’t know what started her on it -- or who thinks SUMMER is a good time to BAKE -- but that’s what happened.
Caitlin and Oliver and I were all for it, though, because pies are most delicious, especially with ice cream on top, and my mom made good pies. Really good. She even entered one in the county fair, and won. So, you know... that’s cred, right there.<br />
<br />
Towards the end of that summer I’d noticed my mom was gaining a little weight, but I didn’t want to say anything. I mean, I’d gained some too. No big. I just thought it was a result of eating too much pie. I was about to start college, and I was determined to spend at least two hours a week in the gym, then, so... well... I’d be okay. But my mom? Yeah, she was doomed to just keep getting bigger, as I would soon find out.<br />
<br />
A few days before I left for college, my parents sat the three of us kids down and said the following: “Kids, we have something we want to tell you.”
It’s alarming when this phrase is uttered by parents, and even more alarming the statements that can follow it. Really, what can come after something like THAT? Parents never just say, “Kids, we have something we want to tell you... we are going to the grocery store in an hour. Need anything?” No, “Kids, we have something we want to tell you” is always followed by something SERIOUS. Like:<br />
<br />
A) We are separating, possibly getting a divorce.<br />
<br />
B) One or more of us has a terrible disease and we are going to die shortly.<br />
<br />
C) The bank has foreclosed on our house and we’re moving to the slums.<br />
<br />
D) Your mother has been demoted and we’re moving to Saudi Arabia.<br />
<br />
or
E) We are going to have a baby.<br />
<br />
Out of all those, which would YOU be the most grateful to hear come out of your parents’ mouths? Well, for me, I’m sorry, but it would have to be E. EVEN THOUGH I thought having twin siblings was enough. EVEN THOUGH I thought my parents (age 40) were too old to be considering such things. I knew that if they were going to spill some life-altering information, a baby was the lesser (lessest? least?) of all evils.<br />
<br />
And how did we take the news? Well, keep in mind that when my parents sat us down for this talk, the twins were just 3 1/2. Oliver just sat there looking confused. Caitlin got all excited, ran and got her doll’s baby bottle, and brought it to mom, as if to say, “Here, you’re gonna need this.” And I just sat there shaking my head. Because, REALLY, PARENTS? You needed MORE CHILDREN?<br />
<br />
Gus was the first person I told. He was actually pleased by the information, saying that now his nephew, Levi (then just an infant) would soon have a playmate. Levi and his parents, Gus’s brother and sister-in-law, live with Gus and his dad. It’s a small house and things are a little strained. But trust Gus to look on the positive side of everything. I thought it was kinda sweet.<br />
<br />
Then college began. Gus and I went off together. Life became a whirlwind of papers, classes, books, parties, paintings (what? I’m an Art Major), late nights and tired mornings. I came home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, each time observing that my mother’s midsection had grown.
The twins turned four in February, and not too many days after that, my mom went into labor and I got a phone call with the news -- Emmeline Rose; 8 lbs, 1 ounce, 21 inches long, yada yada. Through the power of the Internet, I got to see photos and video. She was adorable! I was so excited to get to finally meet her a few weeks later.<br />
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So that’s it. The story of Emmeline. And here's a video I put together of some footage we shot the other day!<br />
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mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12222608706060800549noreply@blogger.com0