SAND!

Today was the first 100% sunny and 100% warm day!  It was funny because the forecast called for rain, followed by thunderstorms.  Thank goodness they were wrong.  We walked around Glen Arbor all morning - each picking up a little souvenir, and then went to a little dive for lunch. 

Loved the hat.

Wm's souvenir: a "doubloon" necklace, as he calls it.

After shopping, we hit up the beach again.  Steve did some body surfing - and we FINALLY got Wm into the water!  For about 3 minutes.  He wasn't a fan. But...he did LOVE burying his dad in the sand - and getting buried himself!

Steve said it was very relaxing.

A lot less sand was needed to bury Wm

Wm's brief journey into the water

Drive-in

The rain has finally stopped and it's ALMOST warm enough to enjoy a swim (that hasn't stopped us from taking some very cold dips!) Wm doesn't like the water (surprise), but has been having the time of his life building sand castles.  Steve and I went out and had a fire on the beach the other night.  We saw SO MANY stars it was crazy!!!!!  And we headed out to a 50's style drive-in theater and saw Turbo last night.  It ended at after 11PM, so we skipped the double feature (The Wolverine) and headed home.  Wm was out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow!

Steve by firelight!

Right after sunset at the beach

We went to a little country restaurant before the drive-in.  It was super cute!

Wm getting ready for the show! (It didn't start for another 2 hours.)

We found ways to entertain ourselves before the show

Yeahhhhhhh...

Wm got the most giantest popsicle of all time

Show time!!!

Sun!!!!

We woke up this morning and it was cold again!  And still kind of gray.  ARG!!  So, we decided to hike up to the bluff overlooking the lake.  It. Was. Gorgeous!!!!!!

View from the bluff

Matyai at the bluff

Just us again...

Me and Willie at the overlook

Afterwards, Steve and I walked to the candy store (helloooooo, chocolate!) and into downtown where we were accosted by extremely enthusiastic farmer's market people who really wanted us to try their corn.  By the time we got back to the house, the SUN was out and it was warm enough to hit up the BEACH!  FINALLY!!!!!!! I didn't want to take my phone to the beach, so all I got a picture of was beach preparedness:

Wm had the time of his life making a sandcastle with a very intense moat.  Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warm so we are PUMPED to return to the beach!!

Day 2

The weather was better today!  In the 60's and sunny for most of the day.  Still too cool to swim, but we are on the upward swing!  Tomorrow, near 70 and the rest of the time here should be near 80.  We spent a lot of the day at the beach just playing in the sand and wading.  Wm LOVES the beach!!  We also took a drive over to Crystal Lake - was was, indeed, crystal clear!  We decided Lake Michigan is still prettier!

The water looks even bluer without the rain!

Steve modeling in his rolled up waders.  He's sexy and he knows it.

Wm had a grand time building a moat.  

Candid action shot

Crystal Lake!

Super clear as far out as we could see!

More sand shenanigans 

Vaca: Weather Disaster

After a very long day in the car, we pulled into Empire, MI yesterday - and into pouring rain and temps in the 50's.  The house we are renting is super, super cute.  Lake Michigan is AMAZING (the most gorgeous beaches I have ever seen, besides Bermuda). The town is darling and touristy in a cute way.  But...we literally could not have worse weather in late July.  It never got above 55 degrees today and rained ALL DAY.  It's supposed to be the same tomorrow.  We did all sorts of fun stuff today despite the weather!  We plan to do the same tomorrow.  But, I gotta say, I think we're all bummed not to be slugging around on the beach and swimming.  It's supposed to warm up and clear up Tuesday.  Fingers crossed!!! Today we went hiking in the dunes, walked along the beach, shopped and walked around the little downtown, went to Cherry Republic and got all sorts of cherry stuff, and Wm has had a perm-game of Monopoly going.

Checking out the visitor's center - and bear hat/mittens combo

Steve was wading...no matter what!

Captain NoTooth, beachfront

The dunes just drop off into the water/mist  - so cool!

Awesome beach

Hiking in the dunes in the rain

That dune is SO MUCH BIGGER than it looks

Wm and Steve ran to the top

View from the top of the dune

Finally starting to clear up!

Cute/cold beachcombers...

Toothless and The Fair

Wm had quite the exciting front tooth experience in the last 24 hours.  First, I went to pick him up from camp and found out his one front tooth came out in his lunch.  And he looked like this:

Then, he came in and woke us up this morning looking like this:

His one remaining front tooth went wonky in the night and then got stuck that way.  

However, it didn't stay that way for long.  As he was eating breakfast, that one fell out!

Now Wm says "it will only take one thecond!"

We took Wm and his friend to the Ohio State Fair today. They had a blast!!  

Climbing the big tractor!

Archery!

Fishing!

Steve ate 3 deep fried buckeyes and is now down for the count.

Speaking of Steve, Wm and I went to see his championship soccer game last night.  It was tied and came down to penalty kicks.  Steve's turn came and he....missed by a mile.  He was so sad about it he couldn't even sleep last night!  Poor Steve.  Wm  had a BLAST though.  He only watched about 3 seconds of soccer and then used the bleacher like a jungle gym.  Can't say that I blame him.

Talking

Suzanne came over for dinner last night and Steve took Wm upstairs to get him ready for bed.  When they came downstairs, Wm announced: "me and Daddy both have headaches from your guys' constant talking."

Wm had his last Saturday baseball game today!  I think he is actually a bit relieved.  They have 2 games a week - and they are fairly long.  He's plumb tuckered out!

And, the Big News - the final vacation countdown is here!!  We are taking off work a day early to pack and go to the Ohio State Fair.  Then, very soon, it's off to Sleeping Bear Dunes!!! SO PUMPED! We got a giant life vest for Wm, so we are hoping he will actually get into the water and enjoy himself.  Plus, we are looking forward to dune sledding, eating a ton of cherries, watching the sunset over the lake, hiking, golfing, canoeing...and, most especially, laying on the beach like slugs.

Oh, the Humanity!

Me: I read on the internet that shaving under your arms causes irritation.  Maybe I'll just stop shaving...
Steve: Gross.  No way.
Me: Yeah, I'll just go au naturale.
Wm: NO!
Me: Wow, buddy.  Why do you care?
Wm: You are a girl.  Girls have to shave their armpits.
Me: Um...says who?
Wm: HUMANITY.

Worst. Swimmer. Ever.

We took Wm to the pool this weekend where he demonstrated all the time/money spent on swim lessons was a big waste.  He clung to the side and refused to have any fun.  We left after barely an hour. I swear, I am about to toss his butt into the deep and end and scream, "SINK OR SWIM, BUDDY!"

However, I am in a much better mood after realizing (despite the fact it SEEMS like it was only yesterday), my wedding pictures are nearly 15 years old.  In another 15 years, I'll be 50 years old.  I do not anticipate looking the same at 50 as I do today - in fact, that may be sort of creepy.  So, why would I expect to look the same at 35 as I did at 21?  Reeeee-diculous.  I blame the patriarchal society we live in for Wm's attitudes.  I will have to start reading feminist literature to him before bed.

I just listened to a hilarious comedy bit on camping.  It cracks me up because Steve loves himself some camping and he has gone 0 times in the last 17 years since I won't go.  His big hopes of having a camping buddy/son were also foiled when I birthed Mini-Cory who also refuses to go.  But, this pretty much sums up why camping is THE WORST:

Old and Fat

We were moving our memory chest and before we moved it, we had to take everything out.  Wm found our wedding album and started looking through it.  He said that Steve looks "exactly the same," but I look "totally different."  I made the mistake of asking, "how do I look different?" His response...

"You were A LOT skinnier.  And your face looked A LOT younger.  And your boobs were A LOT smaller."

Steve, of course, immediately and vehemently began saying that I didn't look different and Wm is crazy.  However - I am pretty sure that Steve actually cares about my feeling and Wm doesn't...so, of the two of them, Wm is much more apt to be honest.  So, I'm feeling old, fat...and stacked.

Farter

We were playing Quiddler, a Scrabble-like card game, when Wm made a word he was very proud of:

Wm told me he played "a game called 'poker'" at summer camp.  I told him it wasn't nice to poke people and he goes, "No...like cards...POKER.  We play Texas Hold 'Em." Soooo...I guess Wm is gambling now.

Pie-Makin' Steve

Steve made an apple pie tonight!  Very fancy!

While he made it, Captain ADHD ran around the house with my feather duster screaming things about javelins.  He refused to play Uno with me and insisted on his weird javelin game. Finally, I coerced him into his room for quiet reading time.  10 minutes later I hear a tiny voice that's all, "can I be done nooooow?"  And it was back to javelin.  Next, it was on to Wm's favorite thing to do: say "Mommy" every 30 seconds and the follow up with some inane observation/question.  

For example,

Wm: Mommy?

Me: Yes?

Wm: These aren't real feathers.

Me: I know.

Wm: Mommy?

Me: What?

Wm: Will you watch me play Skylanders?

Me: Fine.

Wm: Mommy?

Me: Yeah?

Wm: Are you watching?

Me: YES.

Wm: Mommy?

Me: WHAT?

Wm: That guy shoots lightening bolts.

Me: I see that.

Wm: Mommy?

Me: [deep breath] Yes, Wm?

Wm: That guy has a fin.

Me: I see the fin, Wm.

Wm: Mommy?

Me: Whhhhhaaaaat?

Wm: Watch this - I am going to jump.

Me: I AM WATCHING.

Wm: Mommy?

Me: [silence]

Wm: Mommy?

Me: [silence]

Wm: MOMMY?

Me: What, dude?

Wm: Are you watching?

Clippers

After Steve got home yesterday, we went to see our first Clippers game!  (Well, my first in the fancy stadium, and Steve & Wm's first ever.) We went with Wm's BFF and fam, so I think Wm actually watched about 3 seconds of actual baseball.  Since nothing could be more boring than watching baseball (I'd even rather watch soccer, I think...nah, never mind - soccer is worse), I only watched about 3 minutes myself.  I probably annoyed the heck out of our friends by talking their ear off the entire game.  But I did enjoy all the nice restaurants they have inside the stadium now and walking around and checking things out.  There is a City BBQ in there, so we got to have a yummy dinner! Wm got a cow bell, so he was happy.  He could never figure out exactly when was the right time to ring it, so he was always randomly ringing the thing. Clearly, we did not think through that purchase.

Fireworks

We went to see fireworks in the rain last night with Mimi!  Wm was a great walker (we had to park pretty far away and trek in) and he really liked the fireworks - he said they were "even" with Tecumseh.  Another late night for Willie!  I took today off, so he got to sleep in. I tired to take some pictures of Wm enjoying fireworks, but they didn't come out well.

Not a great pic...

This just cracked me up: We always get wheat bread.  And the same brand of wheat bread.  I am weird about my bread and once I find a kind I like, that's all I'll eat.  So, Steve ran to the store and discovered that my brand was out of wheat bread, but had a white bread.  Steve, knowing my bread weirdness, decided not to go off the rails and get a different brand, so he just bought white bread.  I made a sandwich for Wm with it the next day, and this may be the first time he had white sandwich bread.  His reaction was hilarious.  He took a bite and his eyes got huge.  He goes, "WHAT IS THIS BREAD?"  I go, "it's just white bread."  Wm says, "I WANT TO EAT THIS EVERY DAY. FOR EVERY MEAL.  WHY HAVE WE NEVER GOTTEN THIS BEFORE?" I said, "Well, wheat bread is better for you."  Wm goes, "I DO NOT CARE." I think he will be very disappointed when he discovered the wheat bread has returned next week! He asks for bread constantly now.  Wm loves him some bread!!