All Together

Corinne thought it was so much fun to be with her cousins on vacation. And I must say, it was really fun to observe them together. What a gift!

Beach Vacation, round 2

We just returned from Hilton Head, SC for a week's worth of beach & pool time, gameplaying, cousin time, a birthday celebration and lots more that I can't begin to list. Brett and I were married in 2005 overlooking the beach on Hilton Head Island, so it is a place filled with memories of our picture perfect wedding. Since then we have gone back for vacation ('07, '09 and now '11) with the entire Schatz side of Brett's family: his parents, his two brothers & their families. We now total 17 but it hasn't stopped us from having a good time together...all in one rented house right off the beach. Here are a few pictures of our girls, who loved the ocean and sand even more than they did earlier in the summer!

Plan B

(Ellen in blue; Sophie in orange)

It was my plan to go to our local library for storytime today--the first one ever for Ellen & Sophie--and I was super excited to see what they thought of it. After checking the schedule online just to be sure, C and I put the stroller in the car, moved the car to the top of the drive, and waited patiently for the girls' nap to end. Everything worked like clockwork and we got to the library with enough time to spare to even check for "Thumbelina" on the shelves (one of Corinne's favorite books). We found it, but that's about where our luck ended. The library was full of kids and moms by this time, plus our double stroller and one other double (with twins, too, of course)! A nice librarian realized that we were probably all there for storytime, but explained that it wasn't a storytime day. Hmm. The schedule online was wrong, she said. Big bummer! My immediate thought was something like, "You mean I planned my whole morning, and executed it with precision, for nothing?! There's no way I'm putting all the kids back in the car and wasting a trip outside the house!" But it was also obvious that we weren't going to stay at the library with our double stroller and people everywhere. Quickly I came up with a plan B and that was to walk down the street to the square with the kids. We walked around the square, checked out the fire station, and hung out at the fountain area in the middle. So I got a nice family to take our picture of our plan B moment together. Not as good as the original plan, but some days are like that.

Frozen Treats

Have you tried this place? It is terrific! On Thursdays we spend time with my mom and try to get out of the house for some fun outings--to a new park, a new lunch venue...and in this case a new self-serve frozen yogurt spot. What a hit! And after reading more about it I found out that one is opening in our neighborhood very soon. Even better! The best part: all the frozen yogurt is low fat or non-fat. Perfect for Mimi who has had to significantly cut back on her one vice: ice cream. And she is doing fantastic, by the way. So thankful!

July Fourth

On the fourth of July Corinne took part in a neighborhood parade with her cousin Rachel who just moved back to Cincinnati over the weekend. The girls loved their first parade experience and had a fun time doing it side by side! The parade was in Brett's parents neighborhood and consisted of kids riding bikes, wagons, scooters and parents' shoulders behind a fire truck, police horses, and police cars. Ellen and Soph took a nap in lieu of participating...smart girls. Our family was utterly exhausted by the end of the holiday weekend, but we sure did have fun. I think it was the busiest weekend we've had since before the twins were born, truly. We hosted friends, went to a pool party, participated in a parade, and played hard. all. weekend. long. That's what summer is all about!

Having a Blast

I ran in this 4 mile race recently which took place in our neighborhood and served as the kick off for a giant block party on the square. The race was in the morning but we returned later in the day to watch some of the bike races...and of course we had to get some ice cream while we watched. These kind of days are why I love living where we do.

Grand Finale

And what vacation is complete without a "kazoo parade"?! Come on, it's the grand finale to all beach vacations. Try it! (A huge thanks to Lynn for all the fun games, balls, kazoos, and countless other surprises you brought for the week--you think of everything and it was so great to spend the week with you!) This is our kazoo parade on our last evening all together! And then one last picture the morning we left the island. Gosh, why does it already feel like so long ago?

Doted On

Nothing to say...just that the kids were doted on the entire week. And with lots of extra hands on vacation, all the kids got some extra special attention. Fond memories for all of us.

Sand Castles with Pop Pop

Pop Pop built Corinne a "sand castle" and then we realized we had one of C's matchbox cars, so we had to make some roads. It was a big hit! Corinne played for quite awhile and then tried making her own.

Extra Motivation

I got up and ran on the beach a few mornings during our vacation and Brett and C were waiting for me. Corinne cheered excitedly for me once she could see me, and there's still nothing like it. Her cheers are the best!