It's Gobbles Time!: Wacky Weekend, the beach, and multiple fat lips...

I'm falling behind again, with events piled up and down and I have nowhere to start but right in the middle. A month ago was our neighborhood's 9th or 10th annual "wacky weekend". This was the Gobblesfamily's second time attending this event, which entails about 25 families camping out overnight in connected backyards, eating, drinking, and playing, followed by an afternoon-into evening pool party at a different neighbor's house. But, as usual, I am getting way ahead of myself. Our wacky weekend began earlier in the week with the kids and I crashing my mom's annual "relief from school stress" vacation down the shore.

After work on Wednesday I picked up the kids and we began our drive, having prepacked the car on Tuesday night. Each year the load for the shore gets easier and easier, with just an umbrella stroller for the boardwalk and this probably being the last trip for the pack and play. It will be really hard going back to lugging baby stuff around should that day ever come. Anyway, I was a little weary of my boy picking him up from school because I'd gotten a call earlier that day Gobbles had to go to the bathroom really bad so he was running and he slipped and banged his mouth on the toilet. He's screaming and crying, his gums are black and blue, but the bleeding has almost stopped and his teeth aren't wiggly. I don't know what kind of parent this makes me, but my first reaction was Ugh, he always waits to long for the bathroom! We just had a conversation about this yesterday! Maybe this will be the scare he needs to stop doing that! My second reaction was "ew", and my final reaction was to say if he doesn't need stitches, then I'm not coming to get him (at some point I also mentioned how glad I was that it wasn't his glasses / eyes) . I told them to call me back if he doesn't calm down and eat his lunch. I didn't get a call so I assumed all was good, but I was wondering what state his face would be in upon pickup. Turned out he was ok until I'd ask about it, then all of the sudden he'd be in so much pain.

Anyway, we stopped at the Wawa just over the bridge for dinner, Gobbles choosing mac 'n cheese while the Lobster selected meatballs. I set them up with their meals in their carseats, turned on Frozen and before we knew it, we were in Sea Isle. My parents were eagerly waiting when we pulled up. Even though it was almost 8:00, I let the kids stroll down the boardwalk with them for a while so I could unload the car, make the beds, and have a beer. They enjoyed playing at the arcade but Gobbles turned down ice cream so they knew it was time for bed. The first night was a bit rough with the three of us sleeping in the same room - the Lobster just wanted to party and kept waking us up, but Gobbles was a sound enough sleeper that I was the only one annoyed.

The next morning I went for a beach run while the kids ate breakfast and then we all headed to the beach. The kids built sandcastles, jumped the waves, made sandy soup, and ate crackers to their heart's content. They even took turns coming out into the deep water with me where Gobbles showed off his floating skills. When the sky clouded over we packed up and went back for lunch and a nap. In the meantime, my sister arrived and we all made plans to head out to miniature golf at Pirate Island Golf.

Our golf group was a sight to be seen - my father, ever the serious golfer, Gobbles, also being quite serious, the Lobster and her second cousin, both of whom had more fun picking up the ball and chucking it into the hole, and a rotating adult golfer, either my, my mom and her clone my aunt, or one of two third trimester pregnant chicks. It started off a lot of fun. The kids did well taking turns and letting groups play through. Then came the 10th hole. It was pretty neat, in a "cave" with water traps on each side. The kids were dancing around singing for their echos when suddenly Gobbles realized there were life-like looking pirates staring at him from the far side of the hole. He quickly turned to run and smacked his previously fattened lip right into his second cousin. Blood started pouring out of his mouth, I tried to stop it with tissues but he was inconsolable. My aunt only lives a block over so I grabbed her keys and carried my boy back to her house.

He seemed extra heavy as I carried him into the shore house, entering for the first time since my uncle passed. The house was eerily quiet for the first time to me in 20 years, and as I tended to Gobbles I couldn't help but get choked up realizing that my uncle wouldn't be walking up the stairs telling us to change the channel. I know these sentences are completely out of place for a fun weekend recap, but it's exactly how the feeling hit me, out of nowhere, all while keeping a forced smile plastered on my face.

While Gobbles was calming down with some ice I saw the whole crew walking back over - turns out the girls were pretty tired anyway. The golf people even gave us all a rain check for leaving mid-way through- not too bad. We all had some freeze pops and Gobbles' bleeding stopped, just a few more millimeters of projection on his top lip, no big deal. We stopped at the arcade on the way back, failing to win some grab machine prizes but coming away with two bouncy balls, two tattoos, and two marbles from our ski-ball tickets. The lady behind the counter was so kind to give us the 2nd marble free because we didn't have the 3 tickets to get it and she saw an impending storm between the kids if there was only one. It's the little things.

The next day was a beautiful day for the beach, and we took full advantage by getting there early. When a gust of wind came and blew our umbrella away, a sweet old man came with a garden trowel to help us put it in right. I swear everyone was so friendly this weekend for some reason. The kids played and played and ate crackers. Gobbles taught the Lobster how to pee in the ocean (could I be any prouder?), and finally just before it was time to go, the fudgy wudgy man arrived! After an ice cream lunch and a bath, we were back on the road and home within 48 hours of leaving. But, the weekend was just beginning.

Don't forget to pack me, Please.

This is only the beginning...

Sweet peace for a few minutes while the grandparents do their thing with the kids...

Hanging with Gmom and Gpop on the Prominade

On the coin carousel

A friend from my morning run

We're making sand soup Mommy!

C'mon Gobbles, let's go!

I'm walking on air!

I love my selfies with my mommy!

and I'm like Daddy too...

Our annual shot with the CHAOS sticker from 1996

The golf club, minus me and dad

More beach time!

I'll race you back from the water, Lobster!

See, you just sit and pee. Then let a wave wash you off...

We love chipwiches and ice cream sammies and popsicles!

Saturday we had a busy schedule - it was Gobbles' final soccer game of the season followed by a joint birthday party for sisters that are each friends with one of the kids. The party was at the usual spot - a local moonbounce place, but it was different this time too - the Lobster was here for the first time. (Well technically second, she was 10 months old when Gobbles had his 3rd birthday party there, but still). I loved getting an extended chance to watch her interact with her friends, all second siblings. She is anything but timid, having no problems keeping up with the big guys or getting pushed around. And this party reiterated the fact that Gobbles is the best big brother in the world. Both he and his friends were all "Lobster over here" and "C'mon lobster", including her and being sweet to her at the same time.

Bounce with us, Lobster!

Lemme help you out!

Alright, D, let's get down this slide!

Hey Gobbles' friend, wait for me!

I can't even stop for a pic- time to go again!

The Lobster and Gobbles comforting a friend who's pouting.
Let's not talk about how dirty that floor is...

There goes one flying off the mountain

And there goes the other!

I even love my brothers SILLY faces!

The mirror siblings to Gobbles and the Lobster roll, same personailities,
same quirks, practically the same birthdays.

Well K, I find this pizza very much enjoyable!

After the party ended, we headed home for and forced the kids to nap because we knew it'd be a looong night. By this point hubs had set up the tent for camping and I began baking cookies for the next day's pool party. Pretty soon we were adorned in matching t-shirts and marching over the cul-de-sac and through the woods to get to the campout. This year was so much more fun than last for multiple reasons- first, I knew the neighbors by name so I was much more comfortable. Second, the Lobster wasn't attached to my leg, in fact, she basically ditched me when we got there to go get her face painted by the older girls then hang out on the swingset. She and Gobbles came back to hang out while they ate, but I think it's because we had their juice boxes in our cooler.

Soon it was time for the the father-kid kickball game. I took my place with a beer on some blankets with the moms while we cheered for the kids and made fun of the dads. The Lobster was the youngest participant this year, seeming to make up a position called shadow runner. Basically she followed Gobbles' every move. He kicked the ball and ran to first, and off she was on his tail. They made their way around the bases like that, and I'm not sure if they counted as two runs or one, but they crossed home plate one after the other. After "their" turn, the Lobster and Gobbles seemed to grow bored of the game and headed back to the swing set. Five minutes later one of the older girls was carrying a screaming Lobster over to me. Her lip was bleeding, as she got hit in the face by a swinging friend. With just a little bit of ice the third fat lip of the weekend was quickly resolved.

We roasted marshmallows and ate some more grub, and soon the kids settled on a blanket for an outdoor movie and the adults had beers by the fire. Gobbles finally declared exhaustion around 11, and hubs fell asleep while he was helping them to bed. I went home to let the dogs out and came back to hang out with the neighbors, hear some crazy stories, and finally turn in when I couldn't keep my eyes open. The four of us slept pretty soundly in the tent and woke up to the sound of birds (plus some kids squawking like birds) the next morning.

The Lobster requested fresh face paint as soon as she saw the girls that morning, and they happily obliged. Gobbles ate breakfast with some of the older kids, telling them all about his life (or so I assume). I relaxed with the moms and ate some breakfast while hubs packed up the tent. We went home for another mandatory nap, and this time the whole family slept.

Somehow we all woke up mid-afternoon in time to head to another neighbor's house for a pool party - the followup to the campout. We told ourselves since we were exhausted and had work / school the next day we wouldn't stay long. Gobbles hopped right in the pool to show off his skills, but we put water wings on him just in case. The Lobster has a puddle jumper but still insisted that hubs swim with her. That was, until her girlfriends came along and took over, then she was all Ok, Daddy, you can leave now. She had them push her around the pool on the raft declaring I'm a princess! to all within earshot. We got the kids out to eat something and warm up a bit. After eating, one of the girls so kindly took the Lobster with her to the trampoline, where all the big girls were doing tricks. There I watched my daughter, my baby girl, sit in a circle with a bunch of tweens, talking and laughing, taking turns doing somersaults and clapping for the others when they flipped. She was in her glory being a part of the girls' club, and I know I'm in trouble. Meanwhile, her brother had made his way into the hot tub and was holding court with the older kids, carrying on little adult conversations and being the awesome little man he always is. Finally 6 hours after we had arrived, we realized it was way late and time to go, a fabulous wacky weekend on the books.