We've moved!

We finally did it. It's all about timing! We are out of Montgomery County and have moved an hour away, across the Bay Bridge to Kent Island, MD. We love it. Now, we are renting, so this isn't "home". This is

"transition" but we are eating up these views until our dream home presents itself. I snapped this pic yesterday after a quick rain. This is the view from our back deck.

NYC

I went with a friend (from the Moms Group) to NYC for a night. It was nice to hang out in the Big Apple but it POURED buckets the next day for the Dave Matthews concert at Rockerfeller Center. So, we just shopped. And shopped. And shopped.

Great Wolf Lodge

We took the kids to Great Wolfe Lodge (Indoor/Outdoor Waterpark) in Williamsburg, VA. We split the room with another family to save some loot, but we stayed 3 days and the kids were in hog heaven. Our Suite was fantastic and even the Adults enjoyed themselves!

Neat little place.

Smile, or else!

If anyone has wondered where I've been, well I've been a little busy raising the seed of satan.

Vincent Graduation

Vincent Graduated PreK yesterday. He requested TGI Friday's for lunch afterwards! Now onto Kindergarten in Sept. We still can't decide to continue on with Private $$$ or go Public=Free. Decisions, decisions.

Myrtle Beach

The kids and I were on a Beach High from going to OC, MD. We did laundry and repacked the car and headed to Myrtle Beach for a few days. We got a Beachfront condo with phenomenal views of the pools and ocean and spent quite some time frolicking in the water. Weather was great, we got to see my Mom who lives there and a great time was had. The drive back was looonger than the drive there which took us 9 hours. Next time, we'll probably fly the blue skies.

Kite Fesitval

We had a good run of beautiful weather and I figured we needed to get away. I packed up the kiddies and we headed east for the 3 hour drive to Ocean City, MD. Unfortunately, this trip took me much longer for some reason but we arrived just before sundown Friday night. The kids were on beachCRACK and obviously were born with the LOVE of the beach, that runs in both sides of our family.

We got hooked up with a Ocean front 1st floor room at the Hotel my Father In Law works at and got super lucky as there was a GINORMOUS weekend Kite Festival on the beach right in front of our Hotel. I heard the weather was HOT on land, but by the ocean it was PERFECT. We met up with cousins and family and the kids swam indoors and out, dug in the sand and played their little hearts out. There was also a live band next door and with the music, weather and happy occupied kids, it was paradise!

Stranger Danger

We had an incident happen last week. It really threw me for a loop and I haven't felt much like blogging lately.

I had 4 kids all under the age of 5 playing in my fenced backyard. I was on the deck watering my plants, supervising, directing them to play nice, take turns blah, blah blah....

I was waiting to hear from the other two kids' mom, a friend of mine who went into pre term labor. Ray was home this day and yelled out to me that my cell phone was ringing. I ran inside to grab it, spoke with her for a little over a minute (she did not have the baby at that point) and returned out back onto the deck. I immed. see a car parked behind our fence and a man crouching and peeking behind our fence. Just so happens, Marina's back is against the fence on the inside, about 1 foot from where the man is standing on the other side. I FREAKED and yelled to Marina to get away from the fence! The man retreated and got back into his car and drive off.  She was so close to getting snatched over that fence, it was insane. I ran inside to Ray and told him to come quick. He ran onto the deck and watched the car pull off. I told him what happened and he jumped into our car and headed after him. 

He followed him for some time, observing him slowing down to look at young girls, making uncessary U turns, with basically no real driving pattern or destination. The man pulled into a strip mall and tried the doors to a Dance/Ballet studio but they were locked. He drove around for a bit more and then pulled into a plant nursery. Ray parked next to him and looked over into his car and saw stuffed animals and a suitcase in the backseat. 

He confronted the man and asked him what he was doing behind our fence. The man stated his was "taking a piss" however there is a port-a-potty 30 yards from my fence for the ballfields, that he had to pass on the way in and on the way out.

We ended up calling our local police (Pedophile Unit) and gave them our story, along with the guys tag number. The Detective said that lots of times, predators often give that same excuse in case they are ever caught "redhanded" if you will. DISTURBING! We learned he was not a registered sex offender and he does not live in this area. I feel good that at least we started a paper trail on him. 

We have been laying very low this past week and have been watching the kids like HAWKS. My friend had her baby yesterday and we are so happy for her.

Easter

Easter was great. We went to my cousins house for an egg hunt and a special Easter dinner. Sadly, Ray had to work all day and night, so he missed all of the affairs.

Easter Eggs

I am buying a crapload of dye when it goes on sale after easter, strictly for entertainment purposes. This kept them busy all afternoon! After the eggs dried they would hide them and find them and rehide them indoors and outdoors. These were much more exciting than the plastic ones.

Farwell Party

There are lots of Military moms in our Mom's Group, so we attended a Easter Egg Hunt/Farwell party cookout for one of those families. They were given 10 days notice to move from DC to San Francisco. All the kids got to decorate plastic buckets, hunt for eggs, do an bunny craft and run around all over the place. The host had a nice yard and the food was yummy!They were so nice and will be missed.

Cruiser

Ray got transfered from his Narcotics squad to another special unit. No more bringing Winter to work. No more take home undercover car. No more great schedule. No more plain clothes. No more Free Vet care or dog food. 

In fact, since he hasn't been on the street in a number of years, he had to buy all new uniforms. We now have to get a second car because he can't take the cruiser out of that county. But on the plus side, PART TIME $$$ galore, he doesn't have to answer routine calls or write reports and he has a great new Sarge. He is overall much happier. The biggest hurdle is that we ALL have to adjust to the MAJOR schedule change. The kids love the new car and now think he is the "real police".

Tea Party

Ray's sister Tiff gave Marina a real porcelain Tea Party set. It's her favorite thing on God's green earth right now. She made us serve her dinner in her room, on her tea plates last night. We played along because we know every last dish will be broke by next week.

Marina short hair

I took Vincent to the Barber shop today for a haircut. I ended up throwing Marina in the chair and telling them to take it all off! Basically I'm living vicariously through her, because this is something I've wanted to do but I am to chickensh*t! 

I think it looks cute and now you can see her adorable face but I think I want to go shorter!! I will keep some on top to sweep it up in a clip but I will have them taper it over the ears more I think. 

She loves it. She really isn't the type of kid to sit and let me braid it or brush it. I was determined to win this battle one way or the other.

Roller skating/scootering

Ray took the kids to a roller skating rink on a special day that they let kids bring in scooters and ride ons and zoom around on the smooth surface. He even strapped skates on them and let them try roller skating for the first time. They had a hard time with that and promptly went back too scootering. Of course Marina spent most of her time at the candy machines. When they got home she fell asleep in Daddy's arms.

Worms

Marina discovered worms yesterday and likes them. Gross.

Vincent loses a tooth!

Vincent pulled out his loose tooth today without warning. Looks like the Tooth Fairy will pay us a visit tonight!

Balt, Aquarium

We found out from my friend Jen that prices for the (Baltimore) Aquarium drop to $8 after 5pm on Fridays and under 3 is FREE. That is a tremendous price reduction considering it's usually $29.95 per person to get in! We headed up there last night and even caught a Dolphin show while there. The kids had a great time but were VERY dissapointed that we sat in the "splash zone" and we did not get splashed. 

Thank God. 

Snow days

I'd say we got about 5-6 inches of snow. Enough that the kids had a ball sledding and had more hot chocolate than you can shake a stick at.

It has pretty much faded all away now. Just the shaded spots of grass are still covered. It was nice today, almost 60 degrees. They are calling for 70's this weekend. 

Motocross

Ray took Vincent to a Motocross show at the Verizon Center last night. He had the BEST time. Before they left, Marina cried a river. She wanted to go SO BAD. Vincent promised to bring her back some cotton candy. At 4am, she woke me up and said, "Do you think Vincent and Daddy are back with my cotton candy?" I got her back to sleep but then I did let her have a pinch at breakfast time!