Surf, Sand, Swings and Slides

This title pretty much covers the highlights of this vacation. We had so much fun! Each day was full of swimming, playing on the beach or on a playground. We swam in the Gulf of Mexico, the hotel pool and in the pool at Grandma and Granddad’s house. We made our first sandcastles on St. Pete Beach and look forward to a sandbox at home next summer. And, we discovered a total of four new playgrounds; one at St. Pete, one in Haines City, one at Lake Hamilton and one in Tennessee. The last one we found on our last day when we stopped for lunch. It was no surprise that the slide was painted University of Tennessee Volunteers’ orange.

Sharing a Game and a Slice

We left Grandma and Granddad Roe’s Haines City home on Saturday morning and headed our minivan north towards home. After driving all morning we stopped for lunch in Gainesville, which happens to be the home of the number one ranked University of Florida. We dined at a barbeque restaurant and then stretched our legs at a nearby mall. Only a blind man could miss that it was game day. Just about everyone was wearing Gator Gear. This week’s victim was our own University of Kentucky. We continued traveling north all afternoon and stopped for the night in near Atlanta. It was raining hard when we checked into the hotel, so we ordered a pizza rather than visiting a restaurant. It arrived just after kickoff and wasn’t cold before UK was two touchdowns behind. It was the first time we had pizza and a game with the boys, but won’t be the last.

Movie Night is a Hi-light

Grandma Karen is always thinking about her grandbabies. She wanted to provide them with some toddler-sized entertainment during our visit to her house. On one evening she brought out a small DVD player and a big bag of Disney movies. They selected the animated film “cars” and sit down pillows to watch their heroes Lightning McQueen, Tow-Mater and Doc Hudson’s adventures in Radiator Springs. While the boy’s attention spans couldn’t quite match the length of the movie, they enjoyed a good bit of the film on this visit and will likely want to watch it again on our next. A friend of ours says his nephew requests they watch “Cars” every time he visits, and the family has watched the flick in its entirety more than a dozen times. I suspect we’ll all have this movie memorized before the boys outgrow it.

Playing Around at the Club

Grandma and Granddad Roe treated us to Neptune Night, a seafood buffet dinner at their country club on Lake Hamilton. It was fun dressing up and going out with them for the night. After dinner the boys began getting squirrelly in the dining room, so Daddy and Granddaddy took them outside and discovered a brand new playground. Members of the club had recently raised money for new playground equipment. It was the perfect outlet for all of Benji and Trey Davey’s excess energy. Benji preferred to climb the tower ladder then glide down the slide repeatedly, while Davey and Granddad got into the swing of things.

Lap Dogging

The boys’ August swimming in the Lake of the Ozarks consisted mostly of floating, splashing and treading water. The Gulf of Mexico waters were too shallow for even floating, but were great for frolicking. They experienced their first opportunity to swim earlier this week in our St. Pete hotel swimming pool. At that time they didn’t make the connection between kicking their legs and forward motion, but when we got to Grandma and Granddad Roe’s pool they made the propulsion break through. Benji especially took to dog paddling and fearlessly ventured out and back to Mommy, repeatedly delighted in his own success.

High Diving

Fear is learned I’m told. If this is true, then no one told Trey Davey and Benji to be scared of the water. At this stage in their life this is good. When they are around water we are always around them. We have them dressed in life jackets and water wings buoyant enough to float a house. Most children are scared of the water and terrified of submersion. After our boys go under, they pop back up blinking and smiling. After being lifted to shoulder height and dropped, they bobbed up giggling with delight. Dropping them from a little higher prompted an even larger laugh and no apprehension, so I lifted them as high as possible before controlling their big splashed fall. Their squealing approval and raised arms for repeated dives left Daddy’s muscles very sore.

Life Could Be A Swing

After spending all morning swimming, beach combing and building sand castles, the boys and their daddy took a long afternoon nap. We rose too late for another swim and too early for dinner, so we decided to explore the little park Grandma Karen found. It was a fantastic facility tucked away behind a water tower a few blocks from our motel. The boys immediately headed for the swings, and seeing the fun, the Grands decided to try their turn on the chains as well. Both admitted that they were out of practice, but each appeared to enjoy the activity immensely. The park was well supplied with activity centers and slides of all varieties that the boys tested to their satisfaction. The Grands passed on the slides on this visit, but don’t count them out next time.

Boundless Curiosity

About a year and a half ago when Cousin Levi was the size the boys are now, I asked Uncle Steve how he kept up with his energetic toddler. He replied, “I use a zone defense. By containing him in a zone, he can never get too far away from me.” We have enbraced that philosophy of containment using babygates inside and a backyard picket fence outside. Having spent their entire life within finite boarders, we thought it might be interesting to allow them to wander the big, seemingly infinate beach and see where they go. Of course we followed them wherever they went; we just didn’t direct them. Both boys at various times strolled off confidently on explorations but never ventured into the water or beyond visual contact with their mother or grandmother.

Kick Up Your Feet

We know the boys love fresh water. Benji and Trey Davey dance with joy at every opportunity to take their daily bath and took to swimming in the Lake of the Ozarks effortlessly. The Atlantic Ocean however, is an entirely different matter. Would they be resistant to the huge size of the Gulf, the waves rolling in or the taste of the salt water? We needn’t have worried. The boys walked directly from the hotel, across the beach and into the water without hesitation. Fortunately, the air and water temperatures were perfectly comfortable. The water depth was quite shallow allowing us plenty of room to play in under knee-deep seas. Minuscule waves removed our concerns about undertow. These perfect conditions allowed us to kick up our feet and relax.

The Palm Crest is best

When Sandy was a girl, her Kansas City based family would annually visit her maternal grandparents in Florida. Part of the week would be enjoyed at the Grands’ inland home and the balance would be spent at the beach. So when we planned to visit Sandy’s parents, who now reside in Florida, she suggested we meet them at the beach for a few days. For our little guys the Gulf coast offered gentler waves and less crowded beaches. Grandma and Granddad Roe took a day to visit several St. Pete Beach motels, and their choice was excellent. The Palm Crest Motel was perfectly designed for our needs offering large adjoining rooms with efficiency kitchens, a large swimming pool, close parking, and best of all, a location right on the beach. With its English Tudor design, the Palm Crest Motel even looked like home.

The Beach Boys Arrive

Dude, this beach is totally awesome! After two days of driving I couldn’t wait to ditch the folk’s woodie and cut loose on this shore. And September is the primo time to visit Florida. The students are back in school and the snow birds haven’t returned yet. These St. Petersburg rollers are just ankle busters and perfect for our size and purpose. No big surf here, these gulf waters are glassy. We’re dressed in our baggies and pendletons, but clearly our surfer personas are bogus. Any fool can tell we’re posers, fer sure. Let’s go banzai on the beach, but be careful bra, we don’t want a sand facial, nor do we want to sip a Neptune cocktail by falling in the water. This place is so rad it makes me want to scream kowabunga!

Seasoned Travelers

Our Lake of the Ozarks trip in July served as our driving vacation shakedown cruise. We tested our packing list, van’s reliability and toddler passengers’ tolerances. Two popular additions to our rear-seating area were a small Elmo and Cookie Monster. One was supposed to be for each boy, but Benji claimed them both. Trey Davey didn’t mind, as long as he had his blanket. Having practiced one driving vacation, the family was now ready to go all the way to Florida. Mommy and Daddy knew the schedule had to be reasonable. No more all night 800 mile marathons would do. Instead, this trip needed to be a series of small adventures spread over two days. Regular stops were required so accumulated baby steam could be released. And when the boys were sleeping, the folks needed to make the most of the opportunity by pushing on, even when bathroom stops were desired.

Learning the Basics

In 1986, Robert Fulghum’s book, All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten became a best seller. This idea gives weight to the basic principles we’re teaching the boys daily. Fulghum wrote “These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours. Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we. And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.”

Cattin’ Around the Neighborhood

Three years ago a thin black cat showed up at our back door and adopted us. We didn’t let her inside because of my cat allergy, but Sandy began regularly feeding her. The cat stayed around and began gaining weight. While visiting our next door neighbors some time later we discovered our cat on their porch eating from “her” bowl. The cat had also adopted the Roberts, who had named her “socks” because of her white feet. Several weeks later our neighbors on the other side asked us to feed their cat “Sylvester” while they were out of town. This is when we learned that our cat had adopted another family and was actually a male. This fat cat by any name is nobody’s fool. If you triple your owners then you triple your dinners. However, now these families have several babies to run from and he has to work for his keep.

Uh-Ohhhhhhh

Both boys new favorite word is uh-oh. We hear it often. When anything in their world goes askew they say uh-oh. Drop their bottle, uh-oh. Tear a page out of a book, uh-oh. A toy rolls under the couch, uh-oh. So today when we heard uh-oh we wondered what it could be now. What we found was a large black square’s appearance on the TV’s screen. Uh-oh is right. Change the channel and the picture appears for 3 seconds and then the black square reappears, uh-oh. Adjust the volume and the picture appears, then the black square reappears 3 seconds later, uh-oh. We made every modification we could, but nothing removed the black square. Thankfully, our local TV repairman knew the problem and solution. He said the closed captioning had been activated, uh-oh. He explained how to reverse the setting and suggested we hide the remote from the boys.

The Parent Trap

Trey Davey wakes happily every morning at 6:00 am sharp, ready for breakfast and a bright new day. He’ll increase the volume of his chatter until I get up and fix him breakfast. My goal is to keep the noise down to give Mommy the opportunity to sleep until 7:00 if she wishes. Usually when I enter the room with warm milk Benji will roll over and acknowledge me enough to receive his bottle also. On this morning, both were wide awake at 5:00 am and yelling for nourishment. In an effort to calm things down, we all piled into the chair with bottles to watch a little early morning Disney Channel. Half an hour later, both were fast asleep, and I was trapped underneath. Ninety minutes later Mommy found us and helped me to freedom, much to my nagging bladder’s relief.

A Car Guy

Cars are simply a mode of transportation for some people. Anything that gets them from point A to point B is fine. For this group, automobiles are simply people moving tools. On the other side of the spectrum are car guys. There are some girls too, but it’s mostly guys. For these people, cars are an obsession to be studied and glorified. Car guys can identify the make, model and year of most automobiles at a glance. They love the designs, the performance and even the quirks of individual cars. Most show loyalty to their favorite auto manufacturer and show distain for that company’s top competition. Car guys are emotionally invested in their cars, and they judge others by the cars they drive. Based on his early enthusiasm and attachment to toy cars, Benji has the making to be a car guy.

The Gate Keeper

The first discussion topic we had after deciding to fence in the backyard was how to secure the gates. We assumed our little engineers would master the gate’s locking mechanism within minutes of their first access, and they did. The whole reason we erected the fence was to keep the boys in, and their ability to exit through the gates kind of defeats that containment goal. However, what we didn’t bargain for was their desire to be safely contained in their backyard. Rather than opening the gate and escaping, Trey Davey is very insistent about closing the gate and staying inside. A few times, Benji released the lock and opened the gate preparing to exit only to be pulled back by Davey, who then closed and locked the gate. He’s a good little gate keeper and we hope it is some time before Benji learns the password.

Shiver Me Toddlers

It’s hard to say what attracts little boys to pirates, but most find them fascinating. Already, Trey Davey and Benji respond to them. I too was one of those buccaneer loving tikes. After visiting a pirate themed Florida restaurant when I was about six years old, pirates were all I could talk about for a while. Taking my lead, Grandmother Ondra began decorating my room in a pirate theme. It took her awhile, but she found children’s pirate wallpaper, curtains, bedspread and accessories. Even when I outgrew the pirate phase, we had too much invested in the room to change it. I lived with those happy pirates until I left for college. I suppose other boys my age may have never outgrown their pirate fascination. I know one Owensboro boy my age who still loves them. I wonder if Johnny Depp started with a pirate ship this size.

First Sandwich

As the boys have transitioned to adult food, there have been issues. Trey Davey has become exceedingly finicky. He loves milk, fruit and bread and pushes away almost everything else. Even dishes he once ate enthusiastically, like spaghetti, are now refused. Seeking to once again broaden his diet, we hit on the obvious idea of sandwiches. We hoped that through his love of bread he would accept sandwiches, and through this format we could eventually slip in meats and vegetables. For their first sandwich Mommy selected just cheese, a milk product that Davey likes. She warmed the cheese slightly and added a slight bit of mayo. Davey watched as Benji tore into his sandwich, pulling it apart and devouring each piece. For his part, Davey ate his fruit and picked at his sandwich a little. The eating challenge continues. Maybe if Mommy cuts them in smaller triangles…

Flash Photography

Ok Davey, you can stop pretending to play contentedly with your puzzles. Daddy’s gone down the hall, and it’s time to put our plan into action. Quickly, he’ll be back in a moment. Help me climb up on the recliner and stretch to get the camera off the shelf. It’s heavy so help me catch it. Great, now take off the lens cap just like Daddy does. Here’s the power switch. Positioning the camera in my lap, I think I can take a picture if I push this button. It made a sound; I think we did it. Let’s take some more. I got you drooling that time. This is fun! I love taking pictures. Just wait till Daddy downloads the camera files and finds 30 photos he didn’t take. I hope we’re already asleep when he sees them. Maybe he’ll forget about it before we wake up.

Another Special Day with the Boys

Today, September 9, 2009 (09-09-09), father, son and grandsons shared another special day. They proclaim special days when the day, month and year are the same digit. The first special day with the twins was last year on 08-08-08. The special day tradition started many years ago when the Edds owned a hardware store with an early computerized cash register. Each morning they would have to set the date on the machine, and the date July 7, 1977 (7-7-77) struck the father and son as a “special day” because it was all 7’s. They noted at the time that they’d have to wait 11 years, 1 month and 1 day for the next all-digit date. The two celebrated “special days” together on August 8, 1988 (8-8-88) and September 9, 1999 (9-9-99). Less than 16 months later they celebrated another “special day” on January 1, 2001 (1-1-1). In this decade these “special days” occur more frequently, every year and a month and a day.

For Real Four-Wheeler Ride

Zack’s Granddaddy Joe brought a four-wheeler with him to Zack’s birthday party. They watched Anna-Kay ride around the backyard with her granddaddy, and when invited each indicated they wanted to ride too. This machine was much different than riding in the minivan or the carnival rides. For one thing, they weren’t strapped down and the freedom was unsettling. Both boys clung tightly to Joe as he slowly circled the Roberts’ small backyard. Nether boy cried or squirmed unhappily; they just sat still and rode cautiously. Trey Davey went first and after a few passes, Joe stopped, and Davey climbed off thankful for the experience and ready for the next adventure. Joe repeated the activity with Benji, who responded in the same reserved manner. But when Joe stopped after a few passes, Benji made no move to dismount. Joe then rewarded his contented rider with another few passes around the backyard.

Labor Day Spray

The forecast called for rain the entire Labor Day weekend, and it did rain quite a bit. We stayed inside most of the weekend and by Monday; we were itching to get outside. Mommy took the twins out to the backyard to play but quickly abandoned her plan when mosquitoes unmercifully attacked our boys. Daddy suggested we visit the Legion Park Spray Park instead. We arrived about 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon when it was a very humid 85 degrees. Immediately Trey Davey attacked the cold sprays with glee. He fearlessly chased the shooting water jets all over the patio with screams of joy. Benji, however, was hesitant. He needed time to adjust to the water temperature and strange environment. In time he too relaxed and joined in the fun.

Happy Birthday Zack

Because our next door neighbor’s birthday fell on Friday, the same night as his brother’s high school football game, Zack’s birthday party was postponed a day to Saturday night. We were invited to join the Roberts family for the occasion along with Zack’s grandparents. Hamburgers, hotdogs and chicken were grilled by his daddy, Wes and the sides were prepared by his mom, Karen. Trey Davey and Benji stand every day at their window and look out at the activity in the Robert’s backyard. This was the first time they’d had the opportunity to play along side the other children in that backyard, and they were in heaven. For Zack’s twelfth birthday he received a cell phone.

Birthday Benchmark Photo – 21 months

What are parents to say on the occasion of their twin sons turning 21? Our babies are growing up, and we’re so proud of them. While we miss the infants they once were we are delighted with the young men they are becoming. Bright, quick and inquisitive, their first-rate intellect shines with superior problem solving skills. They’ve learned an extraordinary amount already before even having benefited from many life experiences. We hope each will choose to make scholarship a life-long pursuit. Tall, lean and muscular, they have shed much of their earlier baby fat and adopted a strong athletic form. Best of all, their hearts are pure and love for others above self abounds. While each is busy in his own pursuits, they each make time to care for others. We pray their minds, bodies and spirits are just as strong after 21 years as they are now at 21 months.

First Football Game

We didn’t have to travel far to take the boys to their first football game, as it was literally in our backyard. Our property adjoins the Owensboro High School campus, so not only was the commute short, but the parking was a breeze. The boys had previously attended a high school baseball game and a college basketball game, but this was their first football game, and it was a good one. OHS hosted rival Owensboro Catholic, and the game was a sellout. Daddy is an OHS football alumnus and enjoyed showing off his boys to many of his old friends. Our next door neighbor Jacob Roberts is OHS’ backup quarterback, and we hoped to see him play. Benji and Trey Davey enjoyed the festive atmosphere and activity, but not so much the confinement. After a fine first half, we headed home as bedtime approached. OHS won 48 to 20.

One Is Not Enough

All Summer Mommy has been keeping an eye out for Little Tikes Cozy Coupes. Finally she found one at the OMOMs rummage sale for just $8, and it was an immediate hit with both boys, especially Benji. At first they both tried to get into the car thinking it was a two-seater like the Kroger shopping cart cars. This led to pushing, shoving and fussing. Sharing isn’t going to work for this toy; clearly they each need their own car. Until we find another, Daddy suggested the boys play together. When the twins surprisingly obliged, we quickly took a photo before the rare moment passed.

Measure Change by the Yard

After marrying Daddy, Mommy made plans for the old backyard. She dreamed of a nice, neat and safe area for her children to play. That goal was going to take some work. The space originally was overgrown with trees, shrubs and vines allowing some privacy from the neighbors. The old garage was shabby, but solid. The first few years she manicured the vegetation, but the rest was on the back burner until this spring. Property damage from the hurricane and ice storms along with the school removing the trees and replacing the chain link fence forced us to address our backyard. The garage remodeling involved lengthening it by four feet, adding a new English Tudor facade with two overhead doors, replacing the roof and painting it inside and out. The overhead utility lines where relocated underground and a new picket fence was added. We are all proud of the backyard now.

Happy Anniversary Granny and Grand Pa

Ondra Lee Embry and Hugh David Edds have been married for quite a while now, but they are still in a state of adjustment to all the family changes over the last few years. For so many years, the family consisted of just the two of them and their two sons. The boys grew to men but didn’t marry for many years, so the routine of holidays and birthday remained largely unchanged. Then suddenly six years ago, both old bachelors married within three months of one another. Two new daughter in-laws suddenly increased the family count by fifty percent. In the last three years, three grandsons were added increasing the family to count to nine. Now there always seems to be an occasion to celebrate, and it all started with Ondra and David’s wedding all those years ago.