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Road trip–Family, Cousins, and Water Country

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We took a somewhat last-minute trip to Williamsburg, VA, to see family—and we also decided to go to Water Country USA since we were able to get free tickets for being military.

Saturday night we met with Stef & Al (my third cousins, I think—I’m bad at figuring out those type of family relations) and their kids for dinner and then swimming back at our hotel pool. It was nice visiting with them—I can’t even remember the last time we saw them!

Sunday it was off to Water Country to meet up with Lisa & Timmy and their kids for a day of fun in the water! They were visiting Williamsburg for a week’s vacation so we were more than happy to come up and see them!

I didn’t take my phone and didn’t have a waterproof camera, so we didn’t get a ton of pictures…but we did get a few. Owen took a little bit to get comfortable playing in the water, but once he did, he had a blast! It was enjoyable for me as well since I didn’t have to worry about running around to all the rides…sometimes being eight months pregnant has its advantages!

Also, major thanks to Timmy for splurging on a cabana…that really IS the way to go for a whole day at the park!

Taking a break for ice cream!

COUSINS! Of course, Owen is the beast of the group…he’s almost 3.5 while the others (from left to right) are almost 6, almost 8, and almost 4. 😮

Mama, I’m floating!

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We have tried repeatedly to let Owen float in our arms, but he’s not a big fan (he ESPECIALLY HATES being put on his back, even when we have a secure hold on him). So I was a bit surprised when on his own, as he was holding on to the side of the pool (which we usually discourage, since it’s not meant for that), he let his legs float up behind him. And he was loving it! And of course he was splashing and hanging over so far the water was spilling out!

Owen being Owen in the pool:

And more Owen being Owen, this time going through phrases from three different books (see if you can hear lines from Hit the Ball Duck, My Daddy And Me, and Elmo’s Potty Book).

Pool tiger!

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He didn’t love this tiger when we first got it…he’s really too big for it (in our shallow pool) for him to actually sit with his legs through it (they touch bottom) so it just floated around the pool for a week or so. We did sit him in it like an inner tube and that was okay for a few minutes…but today he WANTED to play with it. And it was SOOOO cute—he just kinda put his head down on it and moved/floated around the pool for quite some time.

Closer and closer…

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So we had storms last night so today was pretty cool. At the warmest part of the day (when the sun was actually out) Owen didn’t want to use the pool…but then of course wanted to use it after dinner when it was too chilly. But, he agreed to play in his water table on the deck with his new water toy. Which lasted for about 10 minutes.

Then he started shooting the water towards the pool. And going a few steps closer to shoot at the pool. And then closer. Then he was getting water out of the pool (to use in his toy).

Pretty soon, he was in up to his elbows. :>>

I stopped him before he toppled over the edge. 🙂

Owen got a pool!

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Well, I guess technically we all got a pool… 😉

After some thought, I decided I’d rather spend the money on a smallish above-ground pool (even if it only lasts for a season) instead of $400 for the three-month Country Club pool pass. (If you remember, the community pool is close, but the hours and dates stunk, the kiddie pool wasn’t very good, and it’s quite expensive.)

This way, I don’t have to convince Owen he wants to go during the limited hours they’re open (and be upset that we’re wasting money when he refuses to go), I don’t have to haul everything down there (toys, diapers, snacks, sunscreen, water, towels, etc.), we can easily work around his nap schedule, and when Katie arrives we can be outside when she’s napping and I don’t have to drag her along. Oh, and Tom and I can use it when Owen is napping or after bedtime.

So, we did a tiny bit of research (I asked for recommendations on Facebook and read Amazon reviews) and we ended up at Walmart picking up a 12′ x 30″ pool. It sat in the house for a day, during which time Owen was very excited and kept asking daddy to build his pool. 🙂

It took Tom quite a bit of work to get it set up (it has to be on very flat ground, and nothing in our yard is flat) but once it was up and filled and tested, we were good to go. Except then Owen refused to go in. |-| And once Tom physically grabbed him and lifted him in, Owen clung to him like a spider monkey.

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It took a good five minutes before Tom got Owen’s feet in the water, then deeper, then setting his feet on the bottom…and then Owen LOVED it.

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Then daddy had to get out to start grilling dinner, so it was mama’s turn with Owen.

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I think if we wouldn’t have had to eat dinner, he would have stayed in all night. 🙂

BEACH!

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Going to the beach doesn’t have quite the same meaning as it used to (laying out in the sun) but the new definition (watching Owen play) is just a different kind of fun!

C’mon, gramma! (He outgrew his 4T swim outfits so we jumped to a 6T.)

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He still doesn’t like the sand, even with more closed-toed shoes. He immediately started requesting “Shoes off!”

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To the beach!

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Someone is READY for the beach!

Before heading down to the shore…

NOT liking the sand (even though we took off his shoes)…

Running away from the surf (photo, iPhone video, and Canon camera video):

Finally liking the waves crashing on the shore (he’s mid-clap).

For some unknown reason, he just took off up the sand and went to sit on the towel. He stayed for a minute or so, then got off and came back down to the water.

We ran into a mom and little boy so they sat with us while the boys played. I had no idea until I saw this picture than I caught Owen jumping with both feet in the air!

Proof I was there! 🙂

Probably the best picture of the day (out of 275).

Smiley boy!

Numbers and puddles!

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So it was really nice out and we were out playing when Owen told me he wanted to go for a walk…so off we went towards the golf course (carrying two motorcycles the whole way!). Once there, he wasn’t content to play on the green like we normally do, but rather he wanted to walk down the golf cart trail, which was fine with me. Then we happened upon these numbers (which we’d never seen before since we never walked that far).

Me: /on a lark/ Owen, what’s that number?
Owen: One hundred.
Me: /floored/

After we finished that walk, he discovered the mud puddles from the overnight rain. He had a blast jumping in them…

And then it was “mama splash…mama puddle” and how can you refuse that cute little voice?

Then he started splashing with his hands…

And he ended up looking like this…

A new play area…

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Before hitting the golf course down at the end of our dead-end street…he had to get his feet wet! I think it’s physically impossible for a little boy to skip a mud puddle. 🙂

Just chattering away…

Running running running running running…

He loved (LOVED!) the flag.

And then back to the splashing…

And then home to play in his own water. This is him dragging his sprinkler to the edge of the driveway so it makes a waterfall. 🙂

One last community pool visit…

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It still grinds me that the pool closes after Labor Day weekend—it’s the south, it stays warm a little later than that. :## So anyway, this was probably one of our last visits…and he had a blast!! (I just wish he’d remember that every day when I ask him if he wants to go and he has a meltdown because he doesn’t want to go.)

Playing outside–finally!

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He wanted to go outside for bubbles, and since it was fairly nice out (considering), I cleaned out his water table, put the slide together, and let him play. Of course, pretty much as soon as I had the slide up, he was on it!

As soon as I was done filling his table with water, he pointed to the hose, said “Hose. Water” and then made the sign for more.

And this was him hiding when I was trying to spray him with the hose!