TLC: August 2012

A few weeks ago we were so blessed to spend some time on the CT shore. My parents rent a cottage there and invite us down to join them every summer. I can't tell you how special it is to us to be able to share such fun times together. I must say, however, that it is no small feat to pack for a family of 6. By the end of the two days I spent packing, Amelia was pretty bored.

"Are you done packing yet?!"

It was so much fun to share the ocean experience with her for the first time. All of my kids love the ocean and always have, but Amelia was just crazy about it! She LOVED the water and the sand. There are few things cuter than a hot sticky, sandy baby on the beach...as long as she is happy.

Behind the cottage there is a little pond that fills up with the incoming tide. The boys love to go crabbing over there. They are just far enough away to have a great feeling of independence but close enough for us to see them from the deck. They spent hours there catching and releasing crabs. They probably caught 100 all together...or maybe it was just the same 10 over and over again...

We were so blessed this year to be able to take a family trip to the Aquarium thanks to a special gift from some of our friends. We had a great time.

Everyone loves petting the Rays in the touch pool.

The beluga whales are so cool.

Isaac getting "bit" by a piranha.

There is a new exhibit at the Aquarium about the Titanic. It was so cool and Bella was especially interested in it, having done her research paper on the Titanic earlier in the year. Here she is, admiring the replica of the communication room.

Everything in the exhibit is a replica because the person who discovered the Titanic doesn't want artifacts removed from the site of the sunken vessel. They did an amazing job of recreating things though. It was a very technologically interactive exhibit. We really enjoyed it and learned a lot.

The kids all got to go kayaking this year. The did a great job. Now they all want kayaks for the lake. I like Ian's kayak best, it looks like a banana.

One beautiful summer evening my Dad took us to a beach concert. We took his boat, the C-Lasher, over to a beach and had a blast dancing and playing. It was so much fun! These kids are going to steal the floor at my sister's wedding in a few weeks!

Amelia had fun attacking her dad and watching everyone dance.

She ended up dancing herself right to sleep...

But she was up bright an early to make us all breakfast at the cottage.

We had great weather for our vacation but it did rain for one day. My dad suggested that we go to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. It was really awesome. They do not allow camera's in any of the exhibits but we did get a great family photo near the entrance. The statues in the exhibits are so real. The closer you get to them and the longer you are looking at them the more real they look. They had an amazing exhibit of a Pequot Indian Village. We spent hours going through and learned so much.

One vacation highlight for the kids is always going to the toy store. They always save a little money for vacation and love to spend it at Mystical Toys. They don't get new toys very often so they really take their time picking them out. I love watching them make their choices, looking for a good deal but also something really awesome. Isabella bought herself a crocheting kit, Isaac got a police hat and handcuffs, Ian bought marbles and a small canon that shoots foam balls, and Madi got an adorable little set of bunnies to play with.

Then it was ice cream time!! We usually make a stop at Drawbridge Ice Cream in Mystic but decided to give the place across the street a try this year. I forgot the name of it. It was pretty good...but I think I'll go back to the Drawbridge next year.