42 Inches (Maybe)

One of the pools in town is actually a water park. We usually go a couple of times each summer because the summer passes we get for the pool down the street include several free passes for the water park. The kids love it! When they were really small, it has a great “fish slide”. And they enjoy the lazy river. But last year tragedy struck:

 

Emry was 42 inches tall…and Ethan was not.

 

Actually, almost every slide in the park requires a height of 48 inches to ride…except one. For that one, you need be only 42 inches. Last year, Emry just made that height requirement. And Ethan had a breakdown because he wasn’t big enough. Tears, begging, screaming…everything a broken hearted three-year-old can possibly bring forth. It was heart wrenching.

 

Well, a year goes by…and we measure ourselves often because that’s what growing kids do. And every time I think, “He’s not there yet. He’s not going to make it. We’re going to have to simply not go to the water park this summer. I can’t handle it.”

 

But we have the passes and it’s a shame to waste them. The measuring tape shows maybe41 ½ inches. But with his hair spiked, maybe 42?

 

I don’t know. And I don’t know what the measuring boards at the park will show. So, I prep him. I tell him he might not be quite tall enough yet. He might not get to ride the slide. I honestly don’t think my words mean anything. The first measuring board near the parking lot shows me just short unless you count his hair. But when I ask the girl at the window as she sizes the kids up on the lines of tape on her window, she says they both fall within the 42 and 48 range. So, I take it. And we don’t get stopped going up the steps with our “water sleds”. Ethan is exuberant!!!!!

 

The story he now tells of his first time on the water slide is he almost got sick, but it was sooooo fun, and he rode it half a dozen times! And as far as I am concerned, he can tell the story anyway he likes. I am just beyond relieved…and have decided we will not be returning to the waterpark again unless they are both under 48 inches or both over48 inches. I am not having a sobbing eight year old on my hands!

 

Emry and Ethan at the bottom of the slide.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Me and Dad on a slide!

My First Brother

I’m not a psychologist, but I would have to say that one’s sibings have one of the greatest impacts on your life. That would certainly be the case with my brother Daniel. In a multitude of ways.

 

I certainly remember life before Daniel as I was about 6 ½ when he came around. The funny thing is, I don’t remember when he was born. He just suddenly was…and just as suddenly my life dramatically changed. Even more so, I would say, from when Katey was born or even when Christine was stillborn. Because he was a boy. The long desired son. And from my perspective, the epitome of all. 

 

Talk about feeling displaced, although I didn’t realize then that I was feeling that way. I just knew, as time went along and Daniel grew old enough to catch a ball, help pump gas, go to the hardware store on a Saturday, and go fishing that those things were no longer within my realm – not even as a third wheel. They simply ceased to be a part of things I did and became things my brother did. My young, un-thought-out response? Take it out on Daniel.

 

So we didn’t grow up best friends. More often than not, we were bickering. Well, I was bickering. He wasn’t always picking a fight, but I chose to feel like just about everything he did was very annoying. As he grew older, I didn’t feel quite so much that way. The arrival of Caleb balanced things out a bit, and I felt rather sorry for Daniel. There are considerable drawbacks to being the long desired son. Being just one of a whole handful of girls wasn’t always so bad.

 

Daniel and I now have a hit-and-miss relationship, but I do enjoy the rare times I get to see him. And my kids think “Unc” is awesome. They don’t see him but once every other year or so (which may be for the best…I am grateful I don’t live too close so my kids get lizards for Christmas like their cousins), but they always enjoy being around him. And since Daniel has good taste in motorcycles, Ed always enjoys seeing him too!

Today Daniel is 35 years old, and I am grateful for him. Everyone needs a brother!

Board Books

Our library is more-or-less back to normal (for now), and we are all very happy about that! So, instead of curbside pick-up (which I do like, so that is one good thing that has come out of Covid), we all went to the library the other day and I spent time searching shelves while the kids played on the computers. In my search of interesting picture books, I often forget the board book section. But I remembered, so I wandered over there to see if there might be anything interesting for Ellyson, who loves to sit and look at books. 

 

To be honest, there isn’t much you can’t find in a board book anymore. The series that came out when Emry was born on various realms of science (physics, Newton’s laws, etc.) are rather interesting. But the ones I saw this time? Biographies on Michelle Obama and Oprah. (The top two people on my list of women I DON’T want Ellyson to grow up to be like.) And various books on “feminism for babies”, including one entitled, “My First Book of Feminism (for Boys)”. A very confusing title in the 21^stCentury. I mean, are we sure the baby is a boy? What if he wants to be a girl? I mean, she wants to be a girl? Or what if the baby girl wants to be a boy? I mean, he wants to be a girl? I’m confused just writing that…

 

Honestly: what happened to a basic board book on colors, shapes, the alphabet, and numbers?!?!?!?!

 

But maybe those are also up for grabs. Perhaps the letter A wants to be the number 8. Or the color red wants to be a square. They can be anything they want, right?

 

No grown adult should stand in the board book section of a library with the look of an idiot on her face, but there I stood. Shocked, disturbed, dumfounded, and feeling very sorry for my children. 

 

But then I found it! The board book all babies should read: Pride and Prejudice: A Baby Lit Storybook.I was “quite astonished” to find such a book. After all, I had recently read an article that Pride and Prejudiceought not to be read any longer. Apparently it is full of white supremacy. Oh, well! I snatched it up and took it home to read to both my girls and boy. Much to the eye-rolling of Ed. But good board books are hard to find! And everyoneshould know who Mr. Darcy is. For despite all his flaws, he’s not remotely confused. Why? He knows exactly what he is: a single man in possession of a good fortune who is in want of a wife. 

There, that was simple wasn’t it?

Our Trip: My Favorite Part

If I could live anywhere on earth, it would be next door to Allyson. Of all our adventures in New Hampshire, being at Allyson’s house was my favorite. And so I saved it for last.

 

Standing in Allyson’s kitchen, making peanut butter sandwiches or something, it dawned on me that I have known Allyson for over half my life. And there are very fewthings I have had in my life or done for 21 years, and I am happy to say that Allyson Walker Wilkins is one of the few. And we have promised to be friends until all our hair is gray, we are grandmothers, and we can’t remember how old we are. After that, we will meet in Heaven for eternity.

 

Visiting Allyson’s house is like a breath of fresh air, albeit very busy air. I didn’t get to know Allyson really well until after her first two children were born, and she reminded me this trip of how I would come over and Caleb and Violet would chase me around the house with a blanket, screaming they were going to bake me in a pie. (We read a lot of Beatrix Potter together.) Today Caleb is 17 and entering his senior year of high school. He recited the entire chapter of 1 Timothy 1, and I nearly started crying over how much he’s grown. Violet is now 15, taller than I am, and yet still asked if I had my dollhouse. Plus there are now Seth (who was too little to be chasing me), Silas, Laurel, Marigold, Lemuel, Morninglory and Iris. I have memories of each one, although not as keenly as the ones of Caleb, Violet and Seth before I moved away. But they are each special to me. 

 

The first day we visited, there were 12 young bodies running about the house because it was too rainy to go out. Emry and Ethan didn’t mind. A house full of kids? Yes, please! Ellyson was a little overwhelmed. The second time we had opportunity to visit, there were 14 young bodies running around, but thankfully outside. It was great that my visit overlapped the visit of Allyson’s younger sister Danielle. I spent a lot of time at Danielle’s in Charleston several summers in a row after she moved down there to work as an attorney. But I hadn’t seen her in ten years, not since their sister Charity’s wedding. We both got very busy and then I got married and had kids. Although she hasn’t married, through a series of events in respite foster care, she adopted two girls last year. So, they were added into the mix, but what’s two more? Although Ellyson got a lot more attention. Danielle’s girls, McKinlynn and Kaytlynn love babies.

 

I wish I could have spent days more at Allyson’s. It wasn’t enough time to hardly catch up, or reminisce, or talk about life. I’d let my kids play with Allyson’s kids all day long! They had a great time. After being mostly surrounded by boys, Emry was in heaven with all the girls. And Ethan found a great friend in Silas. Plus, Allyson’s boys love Ed. 

 

Oh, to just move in next door!

The Wilkins have a great climbing tree!

 

Ethan and Silas.

 

Danielle had already bought her girls and Allyson’s girls prairie dresses, but she brought one for Emry, too! Emry was so delighted she wore it the rest of the day. 

From L to R: Morninglory, Laurel, Marigold, Iris, McKinlynn, Emry and Kaytlynn

 

The girls feeding Seth’s chickens – they had all kinds of Little House on the Prairie games going.

Our Trip: Hershey

Well, chocolate will cheer anyone up! Even crabby 4-year-olds who have meltdowns…I can’t remember why. But it doesn’t make for wonderful smiley pictures!

Emry, Ellyson and a frowning Ethan upon entering Hershey’s Chocolate World.

 

Hershey’s Chocolate World is a nice, short, sweet (hah, hah!) place to stop on a trip. I’ve been there several times, although for Ed and the kids it was their first time. In general, it’s a large store of all things Hershey. But it does have a really neat ride through the “chocolate factory” to show how chocolate is made. There are also other things like a show and a creativity “kitchen” that you can pay to do, but we stuck with the free ride and spending money on candy. Now if you go to the amusement park just next door, that would be an all day trip. One I’m not personally anxious to try, although the kids thought it looked great!

 

Ethan on the ride through the making of chocolate.

 

Enjoying our free chocolate afterwards!

 

Since my last visit to Hershey (which has been over a decade), they’ve added a plaza between the Chocolate World and amusement park. We didn’t venture too far into the shopping and eateries, but we stopped for some photo-ops!

Emry and her favorite: The Hershey Kiss.

 

Ethan and his favorite: The Reese Cup.

 

Emry, Ethan and Ellyson on the chocolate height wall: Emry is a Reese Cup, Ethan is a Kiss and Ellyson is a Hershey Miniature.

 

After Chocolate World, we drove around Hershey a bit just to see the town and make one more stop: Primanti Brothers. A Pittsburgh staple, there is a location in downtown Hershey. This was Ellyson’s opportunity to be indoctrinated. She did eat her weight in French fries!

 

Ellyson at Primanti’s.

 

And then we headed home. Although, we had two last little adventures. One was just outside Harrisburg where we noted a plane circling near the airport, coming in rather low. Ed said after we saw it banking for a second lap: “I really think that’s Air Force One.” 

 

“What?” I responded. “Coming to pay off Wolf for illegally handing him Pennsylvania in the election?” 

 

But when the plane banked right in front of us…sure enough, we saw Air Force One in all its glory. (Although minus the so-called President. Apparently Air Force One uses the Harrisburg airport for repairs and maneuvers.) It was pretty neat.

 

And, finally, we stopped at Cabela’s on the Pennsylvania/West Virginia border. Why? Ed said we needed gas at the station next door.

 

Emry and Ethan at Cabela’s.

Our Trip: The Camus Cousins

Well, Ethan is a Camus. It was pretty unanimous after some of Ed’s cousins met him. Which is rather scary. Because I now see motorcycles in his future.

 

As we were making plans for the trip, Ed asked for one thing. Thinking he was going to ask if we could stop in Pittsburgh on the way back, I braced myself and tried to figure out what argument I could make against it. But apparently the fiasco of the last trip has cured any homesickness for now and he didn’t even mention Pittsburgh. He wanted to know if we could stop and see his cousin and family in Bethlehem, PA.

 

I had nothing against seeing his cousins…nothing except I couldn’t predict how my kids would behave after being in a car all day. I wasn’t sure we were going to be the best of company and rather dreaded the impression we could potentially make, but those are things only mothers worry about. So, I didn’t bother to try to explain and just let Ed set it up.

 

By the first day on the road home, the kids had somewhat adjusted to traveling and were all quite tired. So, they did really well and took naps! It was a short trip (comparatively) as I was watching the directions as we got off the interstate to head to their house. The first road we were looking for was strange. It ran right at the first light we hit and left at the light ahead of that. We wanted to go left, but Ed somehow got confused because the road he was looking at didn’t run left. The left at that light turned into a roller skating rink, but he made a left anyway. As I tried to explain, he went around the parking lot and made a right back up the same light, this time turning right back into the skating rink parking light. At this point even Ethan and Emry were shouting from the back, “Papa, go left!” And then, clear as day in the midst of it all, Ellyson shouts, “Left!” 

 

And Ed finally turned left.

 

So, a brief Camus background: Ed’s father is the youngest of four boys. He didn’t marry until he was in his later twenties and didn’t have Ed until he was 35. So, all of Ed’s cousins are a great deal older than him. (In fact, some are so old theirkids went to school with Ed’s brother David.) This cousin, Sean, is from the eldest brother so I estimated from conversation he’s about five or six years older than Ed. But the bond among Camus men is motorcycles. All of them had ridden motorcycles together with their dads. And later on after Sean moved to Bethlehem, Ed would stay with them when he made business trips out there. And even though that was 20+ years ago, they’re still close.

 

Anyhow…I shouldn’t have been worried. Sean and his wife Laura were so wonderfully gracious! Sean’s older brother Patrick and his wife were there as well. And Sean and Laura’s younger son Jay (age 20) came by as well. It was a Camus reunion! And there was a moment when it all felt very surreal that every single one of has had the same last name. I couldn’t figure out why that was so strange until I realized I didn’t have any cousins with my last name. My dad was the only son. We were the only Sturms.

 

Laura had enough food to feed an army: fried chicken, ribs, baked beans, potatoes, slaw, jello salad, and an ice cream bar for dessert – with cake! Even eating our fill, I don’t think we made much of a dent in it. I also learned that Camus’s put potato sticks on their baked beans. (Yuck!) And afterwards the kids had the time of their life splashing around in the above ground pool. It wasn’t huge, but it was rather deep. Emry could stand on her toes, but Ethan couldn’t. They didn’t care! Laura was very impressed at how well they swam. I was impressed at how well they were getting along!

 

In fact, I momentarily thought I left my actual kids back in New Hampshire. They were all so well behaved! Even herding them to the car as they chased lightning bugs didn’t cause any fits or tears. All the adults complimented them to high heaven while I just wondered what had gotten into them. And if we were ever going to get out of there. Jay had just bought a new motorcycle (after having had a big enough accident on his ATV that he had gone to urgent care…his mother wasn’t real pleased!) and I thought those Camus cousins would never stop telling motorcycle stories…see what I have to look forward to?

The Camus men: Sean and Patrick (in the back) and Jay, Ethan and Ed.

 

The cousins: Sean, Ed and Patrick.

 

Most of us: Me and Ellyson, Emry, Ethan, Laura, Jay and Sean.

Our Trip: The Beach

Well, Ethan didn’t freeze to death at the beach. Since he would start to cry at swimming lessons before even entering the water because he feared the possibilityof getting cold, I was pretty sure he wouldn’t get any closer than one toe in the frigid New England Atlantic and hoped he would like the huge rocks to climb and sand to build. Boy, was I ever wrong! I mean, I was right about the water being frigid. But he didn’t care. I almost couldn’t get the kid out!

Ethan in the water.

 

“The waves, Mama! The waves!” he shouted in delight, anxious for his turn on the boogie board and venturing out as far as he could without getting knocked over. I don’t think he realized it was cold. He had died and gone to heaven.

 

Emry was a little more circumspect about the water, although she splashed around and did really well riding the waves. She just wanted to do everything: the water, collect shells, get buried in the sand. We checked everything off her list.

 

Emry buried in the sand.

 

And Ellyson? Well, I think lunch was her favorite part. She wasn’t overly impressed with the water, sand or rocks (although I got plenty of pictures of her first ocean visit). She was just happy left their juice boxes close enough for her to finish both of them.

 

Who needs one juice box when you can have two?

 

We also got pictures of whole gang…it’s easier to take a picture when you don’t expect them all to look at the camera.

 

Searching for shells.

 

Of all the pictures, this is my favorite. Whatever Ellyson is saying to Curtis, it is very important.

 

And after several hours of beach fun, we headed home. But wait! We had to stop at Goldenrod, our favorite ice cream spot in New Hampshire. Mmh, mmh!

 

Hooray for ice cream!

 

Ellyson loved Aunt Katey’s!

Our Trip: Uncle Scott's Boat

Well, Ethan did not fall out of the boat…which is probably the worse thing I feared. A major feat considering it feels like the kids spent every waking moment that wasn’t raining or at Allyson’s on that boat!

 

I don’t think I got on the boat until Saturday. For one, there was a couple of days of rain. And, too, with Ellyson needing a nap, I had a great excuse to postpone the inevitable. Let’s say what I witnessed was far beyond what I could have possibly imagined. It was like a whole community of people with boats and about a million friends. I feel like they practically live on their boats….every day….every hour….of every week. Honestly, I’m not sure what any of them do for a living. I mean, boats do cost money. But I guess that’s just beyond my little landlocked world.

 

The first time out was a little disconcerting. Thankfully the boating community is rather welcoming and it wasn’t hard to let Ethan and Emry wander off with the other kids since several moms were keeping eyes out. But having a one-year-old on a boat isn’t huge fun. She’s nowhere to really wander and being surrounded by strangers is not her thing. But she did really well, I’ll have to say, and ate her fill of watermelon and cheese!

 

Thanks to my brother-in-law being hardly shy, just about everything on the lake is for grabs. I think this is actually his:

How many kids can you pile up?

 

This is a friend’s, which both Emry and Ethan got to try:

 

Jet ski!!!! Something even I haven’t done.

 

And this was borrowed from complete strangers:

 

I’m not sure what you call a unicorn/Pegasus but the kids thought it was awesome!

 

On the Fourth there is a boat parade. Most of the boats are somewhat decked out (no pun intended) with flags or red, white and blue bunting. But one lady claims she is reigning champ of decorating her boat and she may be right (all out “mermaid” with hundreds of balloons and bling everywhere), but Katey gave her a run for her money. Sturms like to compete…and Katey likes to decorate…and I had a headache from blowing up balloons! But I would venture to say the “Dunkin’ Donuts Boatnuts” was the most popular boat on the lake and should have been paid for advertising:

 

….either that, or we are all nuts!

Jay was the “coolatta” on the boat, but Emry got her turn in the costume later.

 

And even Ellyson got in on it with munchkin’s and whatever drops of coffee were left.

 

So even though Emry informed me on the way home that we should get a boat, I assured her pretty readily that was never going to happen. We’ll leave boating adventures where they belong: back in New Hampshire.

 

Jay, Curtis and Emry.

Our Trip: Aunt Katey's

So, I don’t think there is a pair of shorts Ethan hasn’t gotten wet. Between the creek, the frog pond, and the rain…well, there are just far too many options and not one of them includes remaining dry.

 

Ethan at the creek.

 

From the moment we arrived at Aunt Katey’s Wednesday evening, the kids have been going nonstop. (Well, they do stop to sleep…more-or-less.) Aunt Katey has a large old house, a good size yard, a creek, a frog “pond”, a cherry tree overflowing with cherries, a room full of paint and other art supplies, a piano, two dogs, two cats, two cousins to play with…and Uncle Scott has a boat. So, yes, my kids think they have died and gone to heaven. 

 

Ellyson and the cherries.

 

Emry painting cookies.

 

Our plans changed a bit with the onslaught of rain and rather chilly weather. But the kids certainly have not minded Aunt Katey pulling out the paints and canvas. Nor all the toys appearing from the attic that haven’t been out a while. And they have all gotten along reallywell. In fact, there have been less fights or dueling male hormones over Emry’s attention than I anticipated. Yea!

 

The budding artists: Curtis (age 5), Emry, Ethan and Jay (age 8).

 

Ellyson has officially gotten her first job at Curtis’s McDonalds franchise. I’m pretty sure her adorable looks got her the job.

 

In between raindrops, we have played outside, had fun with “Unc” (my brother Daniel), gotten in the hot tub, and spent what feels like every waking (dry) moment on Scott’s boat. But more on that later…

The cousins riding the train!

 

Ellyson meets Unc for the first time.

 

Ellyson’s first piano lesson.

 

And because a picture on Katey’s side stoop is always a part of the trip. (And…there isn’t a picture without Ethan doing something goofy!)