Brightside: Visiting my sister

We decided to make a trip to see my sister. It was kind of last minute, and it was supposed to include my other sister, but she could not work it out. So, I went with the boys and my mom in my mom's minivan. We finally got on the road last Saturday around 1 pm. We got all the way to Breezewood, PA on the first day. You have to understand, that's really good time for us. There are all sorts of extra challenges when you are driving with three little ones :) Gotta bring diapers and food for Willie.

There were a lot of toll roads on the way. I think we paid over $50. Had I known it was going to be so much, I would have kept track of it just because. I guess it all makes it even when you get gas for $3.34 per gallon. One toll was $12.75... that was the highest. That was from one end of Pennsylvania to the other. The next highest was crossing the Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnel. That was $12. A very interesting drive...you are on a bridge, then you go under the water in a tunnel, then bridge, then tunnel, then the last section of bridge. It is considered to be one of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World. When you are under the water in the tunnel, that's where the giant barges cross. Shore to shore, the CBBT is 17.6 miles long!!

It was a surf and sun vacation... we spent a lot of time at Ocean Breeze waterpark, a really wonderful place with all sorts of things to do, and things for every age and comfort level. A wave pool, an entire section for kids with a pirate ship, slides, and a lazy river, and then some junior slides, moderate slides, and crazy slides. Willie wants to live there, I think. It was nice because there were no lines! I don't know if it was just a good time of year or because they have so much to do there.

Aiden on a daring slide... (Willie went down this one several times as well!)

Willie on a kid slide... although I would have loved to video him on the big slide... that was really his favorite.

Bobert in the kids' lazy river :)

And of course, we went to the beach!! I loved it. I was really nervous when we got there... there were so many people, and so many 'dangers' for Willie! But, I was with my sister, her bf, and my mom, so they talked me into staying. Aiden was very confident, exploring the water and the sand. He didn't want to take off his life jacket. Melissa and her bf made fun of me for the kids wearing jackets, but I don't care. Safety first! Bobert took his off once he made it clear he wasn't going to go in past his knees. He was content to play in the sand and occasionally go get some shells or water. Willie had a surprise! He just ran right into the water, and he got knocked down. I know he swallowed some water. He got a look on his face that let me know. So, he came back towards shore a bit, then ran in again, got knocked down again, and swallowed more water. After that, he played a lot of 'tag' with the waves. He would run to about thigh deep water, until the wave got really close, then he would turn around and run back to shore. Over and over and over. LOL. Willie and Aiden let me take them out a bit deeper. I wanted them to experience real swimming in the ocean. Yes, with life jackets! :)~

The weather there was wonderful. Between 80 and 90 degrees and sunny every day.