Tag: summer

OBX Summer Trip

· Leave a comment ·

In March, the middle school where I work took the 8th graders to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a field trip. Since my son is in 8th grade this year, I volunteered to be a chaperone. This was our first time to the outer banks and it was amazing, maybe I’ll write about it in another post.

On the last day of that field trip, Aiden told me he would love to return to OBX and spend more time exploring the island. I hopped onto AirBnb and searched for a reasonably priced spot for early in the summer. The only location within my price range was completely booked through November except the weekend after the last week of school. I immediately booked three days and two nights for just the two of us.

I was immensely looking forward to this trip. Not only were we kicking off summer but I felt like it might be the last time we can spend a weekend together before he becomes too cool for his mom.

After a 6-hour drive, we started our trip by making a stop at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that we were visiting during the 42nd Annual Rogallo Kite Festival.

Francis Rogallo, a NASA scientist, invented the flexible wing, which led to the creation of hang gliding. His designs have also influenced the development of stunt kites, power kites, and modern hang gliders. Source

Jockey’s Ridge is home to the tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic coast. Our mission was to have as much fun on the sand dunes and then check into our room for a shower before dinner.

When we arrived at Jockey’s Ridge, we rented a sandboard from Kitty Hawk Kites. The guy working the counter was great and offered to let us keep it as long as we wanted. The sand was HOT! I originally planned on wearing socks but at the last minute decided to stick with my Merrells. That wasn’t the wisest decision.

Aiden was super stoked about the sandboard and took it up to the closest hill. My job was to capture his fun on film but he could not figure it out. I tried to explain it was similar to a skateboard (not that he has any experience with those) and to put his weight on his back foot and use his front foot to maneuver the board. He was not getting it. He tried and tried and continued to get nowhere. After a little coaxing, he talked me into climbing the hill to give it a try. The hill was a beast and not very forgiving to short, stubby legs.

Enjoy the video he took of my one and only attempt on the sandboard. I love his excitement!

After a few more attempts, he called it a day never getting a swing of it. We walked around a little but the sand was so hot it was difficult to go far. We watched the kites and took some time for a few photo ops.

After checking into our room, we found a little seafood spot close by for dinner. It wasn’t actually anything to brag about. When we got back to our room, I was ready to call it a day. We looked through our host’s recommendations and noticed a page outlining a sunset bike route. Aiden thought it sounded fun and talked me into changing into bike-appropriate clothing. The host had bikes (among other things) for us to borrow and they were the perfect cruisers for our needs. We biked for six miles along the sound as the sun set and it was absolutely beautiful.

The next morning we woke before dawn to check something off my 40 things list. This trip actually allowed me to check a couple things off this list, even if I am super late in doing so. I also have a ton of catching up to do because I have checked off more things than I’ve shared. (More posts coming soon)

I mentioned in the original 40 things post that #30 (watch the sunrise) might happen in conjunction with #28 (yoga on the beach) and that’s exactly what I did. Aiden didn’t join in on my amateur yoga moves but he sat quietly on the beach watching the sunrise and a crab digging a hole in the sand at his feet. It was relaxing and a perfect start to our day.

After returning to our room to freshen up and rest a little, we packed the truck with more borrowed items and took off for a day at the beach. I have absolutely zero pictures because the rip currents were brutal and I was worried about Aiden the entire time. The National Weather Service has since warned swimmers to stay out of the water but this trip was about a week before they got to that level.

We spent about four hours on the beach, both getting a good deal of sun and enjoying the ocean to our hearts’ content. We grabbed dinner from a pizza spot close to the ocean and decided another bike trail was in order. This route was a little different and took us around the back side of The Wright Brothers National Memorial. We got a little lost on this trip and ended up biking close to 10 miles but it was worth it.

I love that there are bike trails everywhere on the island.

We finished our trip Monday morning with a trip to Duck Donuts!

This is a trip I will never forget and I hope Aiden feels the same way.

Juggling 

· Leave a comment ·

A little over a month ago I posted a similar photo of my oldest on my personal Instagram page. 


I commented on what a great summer we were having and mentioned our Tuesday lunches. I take him to therapy on Tuesdays and over the summer we would get lunch together and have a lazy afternoon reading or talking while his brother was at camp. 

But school started a month ago and those Tuesdays are a little rushed and hectic. 

Potter isn’t much into socializing, showing affection, or even comfortable being in a crowd. Most evenings he can be found sitting on his bed reading a book or playing on his tablet. While the younger two are outside riding bikes or running around, Potter is comfortable sitting on the porch scetching in a notebook or reading. I don’t force him to play outside because I’m happy he’s doing what he loves. 

But it does make it a little more difficult to bond with him when he’s constantly looking down at his book or tablet. 

So, since school started I have had to try a little harder to get just five minutes of time to spend with him alone. He’s a fifth grader this year and so far this year has been difficult for him but his teachers know we are working with a therapist and are trying to be patient (although I understand that can be difficult). 

With work, our side business, three kids, online classes starting for me, and trying to condition my relationship with The Beard it has been an interesting couple months. 

But just call me the juggler, I’ve got this. 🙂

Food Freaks and A Trophy Wife…

· Leave a comment ·

The Beard and I get two nights per month  completely to ourselves (if we’re lucky). The last couple months we’ve been hunting down food trucks and enjoying local breweries. Tonight was no exception. 


Unfortunately I forgot to snap a photo of our food but I’m not exaggerating when I say it was phenominal. Food Freaks serve amazing 1/4 and 1/2 pound burgers and handcut fries. I got their House Burger – bacon jam and cheddar cheese served with a BBQ aioli. 😋

The Beard got The Mel – bacon jam, fresh jalapeño and pimento cheese served with Sriracha chili mayo. 🌶😵🤤 He seemed to enjoy it. 

This food truck travels all over the Triad and tonight we found them at Juggheads Growlers and Pints where they have 32 craft beers on tap, all from North Carolina. It was our first trip and we were happy with the cozy atmosphere. It was mild enough to enjoy our drinks outside, under the covered “porch”. 


I had Trophy Wife and 3rd Rock Jetty Session IPA. I’m no beer critic but I enjoyed the 3rd Rock IPA more, I liked the friuit kick (if that makes sense). The Beard really liked what he tried, the Fiddlin Fish Camel City Session IPA, a new brewery in Winston Salem that opened this week. I see a trip there in our future. 🍻

We were home and relaxing in bed by 9. We are so adventurous!! 😂

But since he wakes up around 3:30 am, for work, on Saturdays it isn’t hard to understand why. 

If you guys enjoyed my little review of these places let me know. And if you recommend any food trucks or breweries in the triad or Charlotte area please let me know. 

Night guys, I hope your weekend is relaxing and fun. I’m loving this cooler weather. 

Childhood

· Leave a comment ·

I often hear or read that we are raising a “softer generation” and this comment always makes me smile because I don’t know about you, but I’m OK with that. What do you guys think about this?

When I was five, a kindergartner, I would ride the school bus home from school. The bus didn’t drop me off at my house, instead I would walk three houses up to my house, unlock the door and lock it behind me. I would stay in my home for two to three hours by myself until my parents got home from work. At 10, I did the same thing but with a five year old brother (Red) in tow. When I got my license at 16, I would drive from the high school to the middle school to pick up Red and then drive home. We were not allowed to answer the phone if it rang or the door if someone came to it, which they rarely did. If our friends were outside playing, we could not play with them until 5:30 or 6:00 when our parents got home. There were no after school activities because we were a package deal and we had no one to help us out.

Now that I’m a mother, I understand the struggles with being lower middle class and having children. I understand the struggles but do I want my kids to go through what we through, heck no!

I work in retail and recently dropped to part time for this very reason. My kids are going to be kids. I don’t expect them to take care of themselves, there is no reason for them to be alone and have to take care of each other. They should be allowed to play with their friends after school. They should be able to come to me if they need me. And if this means my kids are softer, fine, I’m OK with that.

This week, I was reminded of this. AJ (remember, he’s 7) went to summer camp with $3 for snacks for three days. Usually they put the money into an account but this was the last week and they did not want any money left in the accounts. I was unaware of this. My baby left his $2, after the first day, in his cubby. This is his cubby, he’s used it all summer. He has left water bottles, towels, glasses, sunscreen, you name it in this cubby. So, it didn’t occur to him his money would be any different. When he got home that evening and we were talking about their day it came to light that Potter still had his snack money. And when I dug deeper into the conversation I found out about the $2 left in AJ’s cubby. The first thing in my head is “His money is gone, there’s no way it’ll still be there.” But I kept this to myself and talked about their day. The next morning I sent AJ into camp with the instructions to see if his money was still in his cubby. Unfortunately it was not.

The look on his face made my stomach turn. He couldn’t understand where it went. Some things you must know about AJ:

  • He is just like me, he wears his heart on his sleeve.
  • He is honest, he has a hard time telling a lie even when it’s a joke. He has an easy to spot tale.
  • He expects the same from other people. He expects to be treated the way he treats others. (Imagine that!!)
  • He is loving, he loves everyone no matter their background, skin color, age, etc.

I gave him a dollar, a kiss, and told him we would talk after I got off work.

I thought about it all day. My stomach was in knots. His heart was broken. He got a glimpse at what this world is like. Someone stole from my baby, at a christian based camp!

So, we talked about it. I told him that kids don’t want to do bad things, but sometimes they do. We compared it to times when we are tempted and have a choice to make. I explained that sometimes people make a decision that isn’t always the best one. We talked about how just because it happens to you, doesn’t mean it’s OK to do it to other people. I pointed out that we all want to be good people, but good means different things to different people. We talked and we hugged. He’s very tender-hearted, he may have cried a little. He’s so easy to talk to.

I don’t want my kids to face the world without knowing what to expect but I also want to be the one to expose them to the world. As a parent, it is my job to prepare them and to show them how amazing this world can be. I think the world needs to soften up a little and love more but that’s for another post.

Birthdays

Today is The Beard’s birthday

🎂 🎉🎈🎉

To say he isn’t big on birthdays is an understatement.

He doesn’t like to celebrate, he doesn’t eat cake, he doesn’t want presents…

Who is this man? And why does he not want presents?

I’ve accepted this flaw trait, but that doesn’t stop me from going a little overboard.

Now, it needs to be noted that for my birthday he took me and the boys to the beach for the weekend and we enjoyed a bluegrass festival, food truck food, a boat ride to an island, swimming in the ocean, grilling out, and great seafood.

So, when my mom messaged me last week wanting to have a dinner for her husband’s birthday (August 1) on The Beard’s actual birthday (today), I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that. But ultimately, it turned into a double birthday celebration and it was a way to have a party that didn’t put The Beard in the spotlight (too much). And he was OK with it – A Bonus!

It turned out to be a great day, despite the fact that I’m suffering from a sprained neck (no idea how it happened but it freakin sucks). My aunt and uncle came out and  my brother (Red), his girlfriend, and her son were there too. And Red’s lady made this amazingly beautiful and equally delicious cake for our step-dad.


Isn’t she talented?!

This was probably the most moist and tastiest cake I’ve ever had.

The Beard has taken care of me all day but he did enjoy his gifts.


Our kids pitched in and picked out a bag full of snacks and candy, which he would much rather have than a stinking cake (his words not mine).

And I found him a hammock we can take camping and paddles for his kayak.

I’m looking forward this weekend, we’re going camping without the kids and taking the kayaks for a weekend in the water.

But for now, I’m off to rest this neck of mine. Goodnight friends.

Quote · · Leave a comment ·

My tribe

· Leave a comment ·

I wrote back in November that I deleted all dating apps and here is why:

Meet The Beard. We met in early November and after four dates he had completely swept me off my feet. He’s funny, hardworking, honest, and incredibly gorgeous. We started living together a few months ago and this blog will explore bringing our families together and the life lessons we face along the way.

The rest of our tribe:


My oldest, Potter or P for short, is strategic, passionate, and fun. He loves to read, anything mysterious, non-fiction, or fantasy; he loves to play chess, put together puzzles, and play cards; he also enjoys nerf guns and legos. We have been struggling with behavior issues and anxiety with him for a few years. Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, and ADHD have also been brought up and are being explored. It’s a huge learning process for all of us. I kick myself regularly thinking these things should have been discussed earlier in his life but that bridge has been crossed and all we can do now is figure out which path works best for us.


My youngest, AJ, is spirited, adventurous, mischievous, and extremely loving. He has a huge heart and is tender hearted. He recently started to wear glasses and lost them the second day he wore them to school. But we have since found them and we are figuring out how to keep up with them and getting used to wearing them. He is the typical youngest child (he has step siblings from his father and they are all older). He doesn’t know how to play alone and is very close to everyone.


Lastly, we have The Beard’s daughter, Cat. Her mother doesn’t want her photo online so her photos will always be distorted. She is a year younger than P and she has adjusted well to my boys. She is patient, fun, and a typical girl. She loves barbies, baby dolls, unicorns, anything emoji, and watching YouTube videos. She’s surprisingly quiet, unless all three of them are together.

We are enjoying our summer. Stay tuned for more about our lives and adventures.

My Uberly Exciting Weekend

· Leave a comment ·

This post is about a week late, its been a crazy week but lets focus on last weekend.

My weekend began with getting my boys up on Saturday and enjoying a meal together after running a few errands. I then dropped them off at my mom’s for some swimming and a sleepover.

While my boys were splashing in the pool, I took off to a bridal shower for one of my closest friends. I absolutely love celebrating with fun and amazing people, it’s so refreshing. The atmosphere was comfortable, the spread was beautiful and delicious, and the company was top notch.

Doesn’t this look beautiful?

I left the shower a little early to prepare for a date with Sparky, who is briefly introduced here.

I was looking forward to this night all week. I picked up a new dress just for the occasion, painted my toe nails a bright pink, and did the necessary grooming and primping.

Our plan was to have a few drinks at my house, call Uber for a ride to the movies, walk to a local pub and then call Uber for a ride home. Neither of us had used Uber before, this would be a new adventure for both of us and he took care of downloading the app and signing up before our date (a gentleman move).

He arrived right on time with a 12 pack of Corona and a couple limes. We sat on my couch, enjoyed our beer, listened to music, and just talked. It was nice and comfortable. After about three drinks I was feeling great. I may have definitely swayed my hips a little in the kitchen and sung along to the music I had playing.

The rest of the night continued on this same comfortable, laid back path. Our Uber ride to the movies was great, the driver was nice and very talkative. She mentioned her daughter’s school and since Sparky and I both have school age children there was no lull in conversation. The movie was not so great, or at least I didn’t care for it. I mention it in passing here. We finished the night at Hickory Tavern for more drinks and conversation. I will say, he was on his phone a little more than I would normally be comfortable with but I let him slide and he did apologize.

The Uber ride back to my house was probably one of the most exciting parts of the night. Not only was Sparky trying to get a little frisky with me in the back seat but the driver missed a turn and decided to take us a little sideways to get back on track and ended up in the same lane as an oncoming car. I’m pretty sure I squeezed his thigh a little harder than necessary.

Our date ended with me making breakfast Sunday morning. Everything in the middle was fantastic and THE most exciting part of the night. I hope to have a repeat of those events soon, very soon.

Sunday I drove up to Tanglewood with the boys and a friend. We did some hiking, visited the stables, and walked through the gardens.


We had a great time until the rain came. We will make another trip soon, maybe when it’s not so hot.