B is for… #atozchallenge

is for bowling. We went bowling before supper yesterday evening. Last year when we went it was Cosmic. The regular lights were off and the black lights were on. The kids were amazed, of course. And had a blast.

This year, since we went before supper instead of after, it wasn’t cosmic. But it was still just as exciting.

The thing is, especially if you’re reading this in the States, the pins here are wickedly different. Everyone knows what a typical bowling pin looks like – fat bottom, skinny neck and head on top. Here in Canada it’s called candle pin bowling. The pins resemble, you guessed it, candles. Tall. Skinny. And the ball is about the size of a softball. Yes, you still launch it by rolling it underhand. But you get 3 rolls here and you don’t clear the knocked down pins between rolls! You get to use the pins you knock down to knock down other pins. That didn’t matter, though. It didn’t help me any.

Crash still won.

Bang had a blast for one game then was done. DW and I were going to let Crash and Bang bowl a game by themselves, but Bang bowed out. He’d met his bowling quota. So DW and I took turns taking Bang’s turn and play again Crash.

Crash still won.

is also for Bang. He is our 4 year old heathen. He frustrates us to no end with his stubbornness. He also provides plenty of comedic relief. Today we climbed “Jacob’s Ladder” – an incredibly long set of stairs along a hiking trail. At the top he looks over the edge and hollers, “Look at this view! Jesus we’re up high!”. While in the pool, he swam over to DW and says, “Mom! Feel my shorts. They’re drenched!” She responds with, “Yeah. That’s what happens when you’re in the pool.” He’s our buddy, our bud with a beautiful soul with a bad streak. He might be bothersome, but he’s still the best baby brother.

Jacob’s Ladder

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Traveling (Days 7,8, and 9)

Monday, July

Monday morning we were up and at ’em. The morning had been planned for myself, my dad and my brother. We were going to “Go Ape“. It’s a zip line and obstacle course in Lums Pond State Park in Delaware. My dad and brother had gone last summer, but I was new to this. I couldn’t wait to get there. Once Crash found out where I was going and that he couldn’t he was quite disappointed. But a) you had to be at least 10 years old and b) I don’t think he would have done well with the heights.

I don’t have any pictures. I left my phone, my glasses and my hat at home. My brother brought along his Go Pro so he has some good footage. I’ve got to get that from him. I’d love to share my dad’s not so graceful landing. He had us laughing! It was A LOT of fun. There were 5 zip lines (the longest 2 being close to 700 feet long) and 42 obstacles (rope ladders, various tricky bridges, Tarzan swings, cargo nets, etc..). We were always tethered, so there was no risk of falling. Considering the two injuries we already had, this was a good thing. We had a great time and made it though fairly quickly. The staff offered to let us do part of again and we were all over that. Except we would have been behind a family of four and we would have been greatly delayed. So we headed for home, picking up white icing and lunch on the way.

Afterwards, DW and I took Crash and Bang to a farm. It was the farm another of my best friends lived on growing up. We would be seeing him later in this trip. Anyway, Crash and Bang loved the tractors and boom sprayer.

 That boom sprayer could have driven over our RAV4 without touching it (it’s that tall so it can drive over corn without damaging it while spraying insecticide/herbicides). Its booms unfold to reach 60 feet in either direction. 

We got to meet Elmer, a baby cow. He must of loved the texture of Bang’s shirt and shorts because he kept trying to chew on them! Of course, Bang thought it was the funnies thing ever to have a cow eat his shorts.

They also had some pigs. While rather smelly, there are kinda cute, if I do say so myself.

Then there is the obligatory handstand in front of the corn field. My friend who grew up on this farm enjoys getting others to take photos of him doing a handstand in front of famous monuments. So I did a handstand in front of his parents corn. Not exactly a “famous monument”, but still…. 

Then Crash discovered the 3 day old kittens. Someone had secretly dropped off their unwanted pregnant cat on the farm. Of course, Crash wanted one. Sorry buddy, but we’re not taking an animal your mom is allergic to on a 20 hour car ride back Canada.

While Crash and Bang were swooning over the kittens who hadn’t even opened their eyes yet, DW was swooning over the bird houses and butterfly garden.

Shortly after we returned from the farm and got showered and cleaned up, my aunt (mom’s sister) and uncle arrived from Florida. I had seen them when I had come home for my grandmother’s funeral service back in May, but this was the first time they had met Crash and Bang and it had been a long time since they had seen DW. That night was crab cakes and corn on the cob for supper. Mmmm. Delicious.

Tuesday, July 28th

Right after breakfast DW, Crash, Bang, myself and my dad went to visit my aunt in the hospital. She was still in pain but had found out that there were no floating bone fragments so surgery wouldn’t be needed. All they had to do was get the pain under control and she could be up and moving again. It was good to see her again before we left to continue our travels.

From there we headed back to my parents where the kids played in the sprinkler which progressed to a water balloon fight. Not much else happened that day other than hanging out and getting caught up on the times with family.

Wednesday, July 29th

This would be our last full day in Maryland. I had washed all our clothes yesterday so today’s task would be to gather the clothes we’d need for the remainder of the trip and pack them into one suitcase while the rest of the clothes went into the other two. This way would only need to haul in one suitcase to the hotels we’d be staying in. Smart DW 🙂

Crash

and Bang

Anyway, after breakfast we headed to the bowling alley. Crash and Bang had been bowling in Canada with small balls the size of a softball and tall skinny pins (candlepin bowling) but this would prove to be a new experience. Big balls and tall fat pins and two rolls instead of three. Naturally, one of them (or perhaps both) rolled the ball without realizing the pin sweeper would be coming down and the ball bumped into the pin blocker. After the first game Bang go bored with it so he played with his Gator 4×4 toy while the rest of us bowled. It was fun, though I could have scored much higher had I been allowed to use the bumper lanes with the kids.

Once bowling was finished we hit up The Green Turtle for lunch. All 12 of us. There, my aunt bought Crash and Bang each a Green Turtle t-shirt. They’ll be the only kids in school with one of those!

Find out tomorrow what happens when our trip continues to Virginia. Hint: Lego store, Crash’s first BFF, and a bit of rain.

I is for…

Insufficient ideas. Don’t delete this. I’ll write more this evening. I’m sure the kids (or DW) will provide me with something.

Impressed We spent more time swimming. What impressed me? Crash is getting better at swimming to the bottom. Granted, the pool was only 3.5 feet deep. But prior to today he couldn’t get his bubble butt under. Today he was laying on the bottom. He’s getting stronger at swimming on to the surface, but he either gets tired or lazy and resorts to putting on his life jacket. Bang swam on his back, let me dunk him, and let me throw him (don’t worry, I was gentle, I promise). None of which ever happened before today.

After DW’s conference ended we went and explored the mall. The first store we came to was a sports store where DW found cool (though not “flashy”) running shoes. Crash got a ool new hair cut and a new-to-him DS game. Bang got a new tractor trailer. I got a new Nalgene water bottle. At supper we were considering coming back to the hotel for a swim before bed when DW overheard someone mention bowling. Thanks to Google map and GPS we found the alley with no problem and a friend met us there. This what made the trip. It was cosmic bowling and Crash and Bang were beside themselves with excitement. Who needs Disney World when there’s cosmic bowling?

Tomorrow, we check out and make our way home. It’s been a fun trip and 3 boys have a few new memories. Thanks for bringing us along, DW! ❤