Life's a beach (and kid comments on fine dining)

Life has been a beach this summer that's for sure. For Eli and Orly it's been Memorial Day at the mountains, nights at the pool, a month at camp, a week on a trip to national parks out west with grandma and pop, a week at LBI and then a week at Virginia Beach. For Bram, it's been time alone with his mom (at home and on the road) in addition to a few weeks at Paideia camp back in Atlanta. For me, it's been a chance to relish in time with the kids, relaxed time with little agendas and deadlines. It's been a phenomenal road trip to see old friends and family. And it's been a chance to fall in love with the beach again especially the late afternoon sun and playing in the water for extending time. For Ross, it's been all about holding down the fort (at work and home) and preparing the new fort, that is the chicken coop.

For our final week of vacation and beach time, May Lynn found some great camps. Orly went to Cape Henry for theater camp where they learned three songs from Annie and performed them on the last day. Eli became a surfer dude at the Wave Riding Vehicles camp down on 5th street where he went each day from 8 am to noon and learned to ride a surfboard. How cool is that! With his body glove shirt, short haircut and summer tan, he looked the part and he did great as well. Bram went off each morning to Summer Solutions, a more general camp that suited him just fine.

Our time in Virginia Beach coincided with May Lynn's birthday which we celebrated not once but twice. Bram is still trying to figure out how she pulled that off. On her actual birthday we went to a great middle eastern restaurant for a casual dinner and then back to the house to meet up with the Steins for birthday cake. The next day Ross came in town and we went to Terrapin, a very nice restaurant. This would probably qualify as the nicest restaurant that we've ever taken the kids to. So much so that Eli wanted to order number 29. Turns out number 29 was beef tenderloin and the 29 was the price. It was not an order by number type of restaurant. He couldn't believe it. Between that and the shirley temple with real cherries, the kids were pretty happy. So were we.