Back in Raleigh but still traveling and staying busy

There is an amazing park near our home that among other very nice age-sized facilities and things to crawl on and climb over is a six foot high basketball goal which we about wore out. It was bombs away. Good thing we had a bag full of balls. (Child peace hint here - at least one for each seems to satisfy most of the time).

And a makable six foot goal is a real re-enforcement device.

And at the downtown Marbles Museum there are even shorter goals. From the dunkable for Luke which he did once or twice and the more challenging which he gravitated toward for his jump shot.

Isaac liked the jam shot dunk. Only once though as I think a little rim to the wrist action is an unpleasant part of a slam dunk. The uninitiated need to develop a work around. Probably not something Isaac needs to spend a lot of time on though. I did not either when I discovered that wrist hurt thing associated with my slam dunk on a short goal.

Also at Marbles Museum is just about every single other nice toy do-hicky device a kid could want.  The kids had been there three years ago and remembered it very well and wanted to go back to certain "rooms".

There were also various game boards and a big water play area that Luke just about bathed in.

Not that he or any of the other kids would need a bath after eating pudding or anything else. We wash tablecloths daily, enjoy pistachio pudding, molasses and butter mixed with leftover biscuits as desserts and continue card games and Nop-ly.

some last beach photos

As is the story of late, shoulda woulda —da da —nevertheless, To keep the record somewhat straight,  as part of beach week we enjoyed the USS North Carolina despite the inoperable antiaircraft gun.

the steps were plentiful 

portholes and gun turrets great for crawling into and out of - and lots of 'em too.

Meal prep time was not always this full of helpers, but on occasion Patt could assemble an army.

 and they did work well and do real stuff too.  Patt just stays cool and calm, and lets them go.  The little two need some calming down - understatement - on occasion but the big three can get stuff done.

and the nine of us can eat some groceries.

the Wheel House, looks like the Wheel House

Windy day

all of us

the game really was organized, just looks like it was not.

Luke was excited with his teammate - me!  There is no joy in Mudville like the joy of a lucky streak in Noply for Luke and we were on one for a while.

Things we learned you can do at Oak Island

Just a few of the things we did and learned we could do at the beach.  One of the things we did not learn was that John Paul is gregarious and made friends with the group next to us where two of the men "happened" to be fishing.  Well it was not long until one of the men had outfitted the talkative one with a fishing pole and 

well he caught a fish.  

The fisherman was such a nice guy (must have found his hat) and had the other kids sharing a chance to fish as well.  Isaac and Luke caught fish.

We learned how to sit in chairs at the beach at low tide.

We thought this was a good idea.

The kids and Matt built huge sand structures.  Complex engineering structures, well-built structures.

and played on them.

This being the beach and sand being sand, and a new day being, well, new.

 And new plans meant a different structure was built.

And tides doing what tides do made, this one a lot of fun too.

Sand bars are great places for tossing a football.

And as the tide rolls in for sitting and talking

or sitting and answering questions.

Beach shopping is an important part of going to the beach.

 And "keep away" is such a great game.

At Oak Island with 5 of Our Grandkids (and Matt and Laura too)

Patt and I are here with Matt, Laura, Julianna, Lydia, Isaac, John Paul and Luke.  AWESOME!

Oak Island Fourth of July week has not changed as much as I thought it would. Check out the crowd.  Uuuuge, just huuuuge.  Not.  This is a 10:30, 11:00ish photo and well we are not to fenced in by people.  (the PM is a little different).  

The tent is a new addition and well we shoulda had it long long ago.

Luke and John Paul saw two young teenage boys down the beach fishing for bait fish and it was not long before they had helpers.  The guys were amazingly patient with the two talking machines and helpers who were quick to pick up the fish that WERE caught. Yes they caught about a dozen. Great excitement and events to retell.

Waves to ride

Sevens (and rummy) to play, here the kids are playing among themselves!!!

Granddaddy taught them Monopoly and Luke and John Paul and all of them love it. Look at John Paul and Luke discussing rent to be collected on a property as Lydia is completing a transaction. Seriously they were - and with delight.

Note John Paul's reaction over a missed opportunity for rent- or conversely Luke rolling the number he needed to collect rent. Patt did an excellent job on this photo. Check out Lydia's, Isaac's, Julianna's and my attention too, to the roll of Luke's dice.

We have enjoyed all sorts of surf play.

And basically enjoyed being at the beach.

The kids are here ! ! !

Well it took a while for the luggage to get here but it did and we knew it as soon as they came into view too. Loading a few pieces onto carts for the walk to the short term.  

Loading the luggage was a piece of cake - Matt did it.  I watched, herded cats, and enjoyed the fun.  Another family whom we know who work with Matt and Laura and live near them, also with children, traveled on home leave on the same flight. It was fun.

Grandmama does not prepare pancakes for me for breakfast. (She does have blueberries and strawberries in the fridge though.)  Perhaps I need to smile better? Like John Paul?

And surrond her like the grandkids showing her how to play a new card game? That might be too much. She likes it from the Isaac, Luke, John Paul and Lydia here, but if I crowd her trying to teach a new game — another story. Anyway back to the kids. Excitement and fun is in the house.

We have thrown balls on the garage roof. Uncle Eric started that game. And speaking of Uncle E., he and Aunt Barbara flew to North Dakota to get the Kvernens minivan, drove to NC and came for lunch.

Continuing a busy social schedule, we went to our Missional Community picnic at a local park, to church, to swim at Laura's college roommate's house, hosted dinner for Buck and Mallory's family and wow, no time for jet lag.

 And guess who did a little Tom "Sawyering" and got some lawn mower help? Did not even have to start mowing. All I had to do was suggest the need for mowing and had to allocate "shares-to be fair".

See what I mean about "shares-to-be-fair" —— note back right of photo below. They are almost counting steps.

By the time we got to the back yard— it was getting a little more difficult and we weren't standing in line quite so much.

The basement continues as a great playground.  Here cheering on Luke and Isaac in a ball game.

and of course we still read — a LOT.  They just like being read to and we like to read to them.

At Oak Island now, I should be posting more soon.