Being You Is Not A Gratifying Experience At The Atomic Level

I finally did it. I drove to visit my parents 6 hours away with both kiddos all by me onesie. Well, to be totally honest, I only drove it one way all by me onesie - Nina and Pa met me halfway on the way down. But the kids did so great, and other than an unfortunate experience in the McDonalds restroom on the way back (and, naturally, some bad Atlanta traffic) it couldn't have gone more smoothly. (Why, oh do tell me why, would the McDonalds people design the changing station to block one of their two stalls? And why WHY would they decide to put the one tiny, nastified trash can way the heck on the other side of the bathroom? And why, heaven help me, did Elsbeth feel the need to have a complete colon cleanse in this poorly designed and terrifically unsanitary location? Three of the great mysteries of the universe found right off I-20.)

The week was full of glorious adventures including a trip to Myrtle Beach where I was delighted to discover that both my wee ones love the beach this year! Or at least, in this particular moment of April, 2010. Whatever the case, it was a lovely day.

"Thank you for letting me borrow your sun hat, Emmy!"

I don't know if it was just Andrew's mood or perhaps his willingness to wear sunglasses this year, but he laughed and ran and jumped and splashed and was very sad to leave. Zero minutes were spent standing at the top of a water slide. Fabulous.

Our fun did not end with the beach. We played croquet, went to new parks, walked trails, ran on suspended bridges, baked Easter cookies, dyed Easter eggs, got Easter baskets, and had an Easter egg hunt.


But most exciting of all was .... Nina's washing machine!


Andrew spent hour after hour utterly engrossed with my mother's washing machine. Why? Personally, I'm convinced it has everything to do with the whopping dose of Mobley freak genes that have been bestowed him. According to him it's because hers is a top-loader and thus has an agitator (unlike our front-loader). I mean, come on! What was I thinking? An AGITATOR! All 3-year-olds love a good agitator! His obsession knew no bounds. We had to talk him into abandoning his vigil (to go to the playground!) by stopping the machine and promising the spin cycle would not begin until his return. I mean, wow.

And Elsbeth had the culinary experience of a lifetime. She's finally started eating some things with texture. Just before our visit, I discovered she could handle a teething biscuit without gagging and scaring me to death. But at Nina's we found that Elsbeth also loves ...

Ritz crackers,

Grass,

Dandelions,

Mint chocolate chip ice cream,

And lots of sand. (This may be partially responsible for the McDonald's colon cleanse.)


Andrew decided against the sand and grass this time, but did enjoy a nice breakfast of cinnamon roll and black coffee.


Thank you Nina and Pa! Let's do it again soon.