June 30 - Fore!

This morning we left the 5 kids in the capable hands of Megan and Kaitlin and went to Warkworth for a friendly round of golf.  After a slow start, we all got into the swing of things and finished up with respectable scores.  It was a fun and relaxing day out.

June 29 - North Beach

Ahh, the beach!  I misspent my youth riding my bike to this beach and sneaking in the back way.  When I drove through the front gates today, I didn't even recognize the actual legit entrance because I don't think I have ever used it before.  I have great memories of splashing at this beach for hours as a kid and it's really fantastic to see that as much fun can be had by the digital generation.  I said it before and I'll say it again - kids + water = FUN!

We cleaned up quick and went to Tomassos for dinner (formerly Jim's Pizzeria).  Although the decor has changed  to the point it is unrecognizable, the Jim's Special was as tasty as ever.  

June 28 - The Big Apple & Rainbow Ball

The Big Apple is a destination just off the highway, close to where I grew up.  I've passed it a million times and even ventured in on occasion to pick up an apple pie and stretch the legs.  It changed hands recently and seems to have turned into a classic tourist trap.   Mini Golf - yes; kitchy train for the kids to ride - yes; petting zoo - yes;  Bocce, Shuffle Board, ping pong - yes, yes, yes!  But ... it's all free. Hmmm, suspicious.  What's the catch?  Heinously overpriced gift shop with candy at eye level to entice the road-weary little ones to turn on the nag?  NO!  I just don't understand it.  The Big Apple is a classic tourist trap ... but without the trap!

We took the kids and cousins there in the morning to kick around while Gramma and Auntie Alison prepared to host Laura, Jay and family in the afternoon.  It turned out to be a fun outing for the kids.  Not everyone made it through all 18 holes of mini-golf but everyone rode the train and petted the animals and picked out a souvenir.  I even scored a jar of apple butter - a jam-like confection I made as a teenager at one of my 15 jobs in the county!   Ahhh, the county.  Life is just slower here and I like that just fine!

In the evening we enjoyed Greg and Liam and their antics.  Thank you Laura and Jay for making the trip out to the county to see us!

June 27 - Cousins!!!

June 26 - happy birthday daddy

This morning jack woke up another day older and he didn't get breakfast in bed or anything!! I am a bad, bad wife. I don't tend to make much of birthdays anyway but this was low-key even by my standards!

We took the girls to the beach in the afternoon to enjoy the warm, calm beaches of Presqu'Ile. We got hosed off just in time to enjoy a lively evening with Pat and Cam!

PS - Charlotte has a wiggly tooth ...

Does the tooth fairy up here bring Canadian or US currency (Jacqui wants to know)?

June 25 - gone fishin'

Can't come to visit grandma and grandad without goin' fishin'! It's a tradition that we've started and the kids love it. We grab grandad's ancient tackle box and a fresh dozen worms and head out for the boat launch at the end of Ontario street. I love these fish - it's like I stopped in ahead of time and slip them a 20! They are right at the end of the dock, waiting for us. Drop the hook in the water and they put up just the right amount of fight! They don't hop on the hook right away but they also don't test the patience. We caught at least 20 fish ( although there could have been some duplicates in there) which made for an exciting morning for the girls.

The afternoon was leisurely and the even featured a trip to Swiss chalet - my fav Canadian restaurant! Yummy rotisserie chicken! We played hangman while waiting for our food to come. Very analog!

June 24 - Pack your bags kids, time for a trip down memory lane!

We started the day at the scene of my former triumph - the Wellington Mushroom Plant.  Yes, one of the 15 jobs that I held before leaving for college was harvesting mushrooms at this, one of the county's most voracious employers.  Even entering the parking lot and smelling the distinct, pungent odor of the growing medium, also known as chicken poop, sent me instantly back to 1987 -- rolling in late to work with Brad and Greg in the Gran Torino.  So little had changed in the ensuing 27 years -- the whole experience was amazing!

Then we stopped for a quick peek at Jiffy Mart (another one of the 15 jobs) and my elementary school where we ran into a current teacher who also was a student at the same time I was.  We enjoyed a leisurely lunch where we happened to sit next to Mrs. Harris - my teacher from grade 2!  What are the chances?

Next stop was Consecon to see how the town has changed since I left in 1990.  Certainly, everything has shrunk compared to my memories but it has also drooped a little; it's a town with a slump in its shoulders.  The development that has come to the rest of Prince Edward County in the last 20 years has passed Consecon by.  No luxury waterfront developments or award-winning wineries here.    It was still so good to revisit the stomping grounds of my youth and share stories with the girls.  How different this is from the town that they will call 'the town I grew up in'.  For me, I wouldn't change a thing!

After dinner we slathered on the bug repellant and drove over to Presqu'ile Park to collect shells and skip stones on the shore of Lake Ontario.  Charlotte, our little magpie, just wanted to root for fossils and pretty rocks.  Natalie was bent on getting as wet as possible but Jacqui was genuinely interested in learning how to skip a stone.  Grandad was an able and patient teacher and, before long, success!  What a perfect day!

Natalie's addiction to electronics proves a little harder to break than the rest of us!

for the record, complete list of jobs I had before I left for college:
1, 2, 3 & 4 - Hamlet Grocery (fly killer, restocker, cashier, pizza maker)
5, 6, 7 & 8 - Sword (Dishwasher, sous chef, busser, waitress)
9 Maples Restaurant (Waitress)
10 Greasy spoon restaurant on the way to Picton who's name I've forgotten
11 Chip Truck
12 Hot Stove Bakery
13 Mushroom Farm
14 Jiffy Mart
15 Babysitter (very short lived - should have been a red flag )

June 23 - Splash park

Seriously, can you two keep your hands off each other long enough to take a darned picture?!?

June 22 -Happy forty-mrrrth Birthday, Penny!

Jack started his day with a 10 mile run from Lisa and Steve's house to the church where, 10 years ago,  we were forever joined in marital bliss.  The Church of the Redeemer in Yorkville.  Upon his return, with coffee, the kids had fallen into an easy familiarity and were playing happily (actually, I was still in bed so I'm totally making that up - I have no idea what was going on).  We enjoyed an easy Sunday morning catching up over coffee while the kids thundered through the kitchen - alternating between all the fun toys upstairs and the trampoline in the back yard.  All that thundering needed to be taken to another location so we packed up some water and sunscreen sent the dads to the park with the kids.  Heaven!  Upon their return, we celebrated Penny's birthday and filled all those small people, 7 in all, with lots of chocolate cake.  Ahhh, that trampoline is paying for itself now, baby!

Our visit, as always, was far too short but we finally tore ourselves away and started the last leg of the journey to Brighton to see my parents.  Get in the car, kids --- it's time to bust out the camp songs again!

June 21 - Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' (Part 2)

Today was the loooong road trip from Cincy to Toronto.  Now this crew knows long road trips.  Once a year we load up the family wagon and drive the 7+ hours from Marin to Disneyland.  Now that's a road trip.  Well, today, google maps says we have a 7 hour and 32 minute drive not taking account heavy traffic or delays at the border.  Jack and I clutched the iPads like security blankets - I think the Analog Summer is in jeopardy.  How can you survive an 8+ hour drive through huge expanses of nothingness without letting the kids plug in and zone out.   Our parents did it all the time, right?!?  They didn't have iPads or any of that fancy stuff.  They had The Bee Gee's Greatest Hits on 8-Track and a cooler full of bologna sandwiches.  So how did they do it?  Easy, they put all the luggage on the roof and threw a little shag carpet down in the way back.  Little nap, little comic book reading, little sibling annoying - then back to napping.  Voila, 8 hours magically melted away!

So, we discussed our strategy ... Jacqui's easy - just hand her 2 back issues of The New Yorker magazine and a dog-eared Calvin and Hobbes and you won't hear a peep from her for the rest of the day.  Charlotte will sing her little songs and doodle in her little journal and snack on her little snacks.  She may need some redirection every now and then but generally, she'll roll.  It's 'Cruella DeVil' in the back that we're worried about.   She possesses some dark force, some Jedi mind power that forces the rest of us to bow to her every whim.  I've analyzed this at length and I think that it might be the screaming.  It's not the volume alone, nor the duration - though they are both impressive.  It's the perfect will-crumbling pitch.  We are outmatched and we know it.  So we set a goal of making it to Canada before we bust out the electronics.  Our road trip would be half analog / half digital - I can live with that!

So we waved a tearful goodbye to Sitty and Djudu and pulled out onto I75 headed North.  Beautiful blue sky, light saturday traffic, fresh iced latte - all systems go.  Over eager, I suggested a road-trip game.  "Let's see how many license plates from different states and provinces we can spot on our trip."
"Nah ... you guys can play.  Let us know what you find"

 ... hmmm ...

"Hey, Let's play eye spy"
" Nah, it's no fair ... I can't see anything over this suitcase"

... Jack and I looked at each other ... mayday mayday ... we are screwed!

So we stopped trying so hard and let the kids settle into their own rhythm.  They finally did get restless so we busted out the camp songs.  Big hit!  HUGE!   Down by the Bay! And the Green Grass Grew All Around!  On top of Spaghetti!  Classics!  Then we practiced the National Anthems --  we've got some work to do on Oh Canada before July 1st!    Singing.  Good, wholesome family fun. Who knew?

That got us to the lunch stop and then we cruised through Detroit (in all it's post-apocalyptic splendor) and then we could see it ... the Ambassador Bridge ... the border!  No traffic, no waiting, we sailed over the bridge and happily handed out those electronics at the first sight of a Tim Hortons!  Success!  We did it!  It's indicative of our standards when we spend a couple of hours interacting with our children and expect a parade or trophy or something.  Whatever.  You gotta enjoy the little victories in life and I'm taking this one.

The rest of the drive was unremarkable in every way and we arrived at my friends Lisa and Steve's house 9 hours after we set off.  Penny and Chris joined shortly there after.  What a reunion!  I haven't seen my grrrls in 3 years and boy did we have some catching up to do!  After we tucked the kids into bed and enjoyed a yummy Indian dinner, Donna joined too and the gals stayed up until the wee hours, catching up.  I miss you, grrrrrls!

June 20 - Goodbye Cincy

Sitty blew the dust off the old photo albums and took the kids on a trip down memory lane this morning -- Jack as a baby, Jack in the Smokies, Jack in the box (best Halloween costume ever).  I’m not sure who enjoyed it more – Jack or the girls.  After that we met up with the cousins one last time.
First stop was Tom and Chee’s  for their famous grilled cheese donut.  Yes, they take a glazed donut, cut it in half, put in a slice of cheddar cheese and grill it.  Sounds like heartburn waiting to happen but it was surprisingly tasty.  Sweet, salty, analog goodness.

Then the crew headed off to the Newport Aquarium.  It was long faces all around when we had to
part ways until we meet again. 

For dinner, we stopped in at the Pompilio’s restaurant, made famous when featured in the movie
Rain Man, and checked off the last must-visit Cincinnati eatery on our list.  Tomorrow, we pack up for Canada!  Thank you Sitty, Djudu, Tiff, Mike and all the cousins for making us feel so welcome and our visit so, so lovely.

June 19 - Sierra's Birthday and Butterflies

Happy first birthday to our littlest niece!  Sierra, you made it to 1.  It's only gets better from here, my friend!

This morning we headed off to another Cincy favorite - Krohn's Conservatory.  They have a special butterfly exhibit right now.  What a delight for young and old when a butterfly lands on your shoulder!  After that it was off to Rookwood Pottery for Sierra's birthday lunch.

Since we knew the thunderstorms were on their way, we decided to high-tail it home so we could watch them from the safety of Sitty's living room.  And mother nature did not disappoint.  We almost never get thunderstorms in California so this was quite a show for the kids!

Tomorrow is our last day in Cincinnati - the time is really flying.

June 18 - Heat stroke ... sometimes it's worth it!

After Jack came home from running the equivalent of a 1/2 marathon (yes, on a whim, he ran 13 hilly miles ... you can start hating him now) we packed up the posse and headed out to Coney Island (of Ohio) - featuring the world's largest recirculating swimming pool!  It's well worn, vintage feel adds to the ambiance of our Analog Summer and the fact that Jack came here as a kid, all the more so!  He remembers it being 'so much bigger'.  Shocking!

We slathered on the sun screen and splashed to our heart's content.  We even braved 'The Twister' -- water slide adventure like no other!

Coney Island (of Ohio) also features the Holy Trinity of Cincinnati food options - Montgomery Inn Ribs, Skyline Chili and LaRoses Pizza.  Jack was in heaven.  'One of each, please!!'   Good thing he ran 13 miles this morning - judging by the size and shape of our fellow bathers, Cincinnatians are not into the health food so much!  Sometimes, it's nice to get out of the NorCal vortex of organic, hand-selected, pampered produce and heavily-petted, nipple-fed meats and just get some good old fashioned Food.  Food that was not procured that morning by some bearded, bespectacled hipster and put on a biodegradable plate with tweezers,  Food that was pulled out of the freezer in the back and deep fried by a pimply teenager and served in a styrofoam clam shell.  Yummy Analog Food.

(pass the tums)