Oh, Save Me From These Pale Green Pants With Nobody Inside!

We are fresh in from a trip to see Nina and Pa where the main attraction was, once again, Nina's washing machine. The kind with an agitator, in case you'd forgotten. I am so baffled by this fascination, but it kept an otherwise very energetic boy totally still and fixated for, and I'm not exaggerating here, 3 or 4 hours during our visit. He stood on a stool watched at least 4 cycles from start to finish. If he had to go to the bathroom, we had to stop the machine until he got back, lest he miss something important, like a rinse or spin. At one point I lured him away because my mom had a present to give him. He excitedly played with his gift (Moon Sand ... very cool stuff) and then realized he'd left his post. When he saw that the load was done, he was devastated and cried (seriously, tears and poked out lip and all) until Nina agreed to wash some towels. I mean, wow. If I didn't remember, quite vividly in fact, this child coming forth from my very person, I'd be pretty sure we weren't related as I can't begin to tell you how disinterested I am in the washing machine (just ask Phil, who moments ago informed me that he's out of clean underpants).

I am, on the other hand, quite interested in Cheez Ballz (something I do have in common with my boy ... and my girl). We took a trip to Myrtle Beach on Wednesday and stopped at a drug store to pick up a few beach essentials, which naturally included a giant vat of Cheez Ballz (not to be confused with your old run-of-the-mill cheese balls). We purchased these because the bucket they came in had a little plastic shovel attached, and we were concerned we might be one little plastic shovel short in our stash. And the bucket was a nice shape for castle-making ... bonus! Thus, we (I) felt the need to eat each and every salty, cheesy delectable ball before we got to the shore. Nina wasn't much help at all, and Andrew hung with me for at least the first two-thirds of the bin. Elsbeth and Kat Von D were the last ones standing ... but they did it. Look at those cheesy babies. You can tell Els took her job very seriously.

The beach was so glorious and the kids loved it! The sand, the surf, all of it! Yea!!!

Gone are the days of standing sadly by a water slide.

This girl was not at all intimidated by the ocean and wanted to follow big brother as far out as he'd go.

And as the grand finale to a grand trip ... My Precious decided to turn 4.