Summer Vacation 2013: Best Maritime Museum ever!

You really must go to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.  It's amazing.

The kids were ready to become lighthousekeepers and never leave.

"Doing our homework."

 Shaving practice

 NOM!

Oh, captains, my captains.

There are exhibits from ship repair to the oyster industry to crabbing to all sorts of boating and sailing.

We had lunch at another seafood restaurant, where the twins were desperate to crack their own crab. (I'll spare you all the video.)

I had the veggie plate and tried to be supportive.

Then, we had a ferry nice ride home.  What a day!

Summer Vacation 2013: Life's a Beach

We spent a few days in Maryland with Grammie and Dado, who suggested we go to the beach.  We were not expecting there to be jellyfish.  Especially those of us that really, really don't like jellyfish.

 All these people wouldn't be frolicking and swimming if there were jellyfish, right?

Beckie overcame her fear of the squishy creatures, and Lil' Guy never had any fear. Here is his flying fish impression.

Lil' Gal was all set to go swimming until we saw some of the aforementioned squishy creatures and that was about it for her.  She did some wading, but spent the rest of the time working on her sandcastle skills.

Also important are ship captaining skills.

All this fun in the sun made us quite hungry, so we went to a fine waterfront establishment, where we learned that Lil' Guy is a big seafood fan!

 Thanks to Grammie and Dado for sharing their home and their seafood!

Twins on the rocks...  Least relaxing drink ever.

 Everybody loves a sunset.  Ahhhhh.

(Grammie's photo!  Thank you!)

Summer Vacation 2013: Bugs and more bugs!

On this trip, we met our first fireflies!

 And we found a dead cicada.  It was huge!  (Yes, we still have it.  Shudder.)

We also met a number of caterpillars.  Here is one.

Summer Vacation 2013: Fun with the Very Still (and more bugs!)

We drove by this cemetery on our last trip, and Lil' Gal remembered that she wanted to go.  Begged us to go.  "Can we, please?  Please?  I've never been to a cemetery."  (True.  Darn that sea-level logistical thing.) So we went.  It was a lovely place.

OK, now stand together and smile...  Oh.

We have to go up here!

 Let's try this again.  Please stand here and...  Oh.

 Who is lecturing who here?

 Anyone home?

 OK, that is a great smile.  Now, if we could just get your sister to...  Oh.

 Um.  I am not appropriate.

 Where is Lil' Gal?

 Peek a boo!

Later, we met a lovely beetle.

And some very lovely slugs.  Or so they tell me.  Shudder...

...who left some not-so-lovely slime on the kids' hands that wouldn't wash off.  Not with soap, not with scrubbing.  Thank goodness for Google and lots of table salt.