SC Day #5 - Last Full Day

I forget where Nana and Pop took Shane this morning, but I know where Carrie and I went.

Carrie ordered a phone case for Nana online and accidentally shipped it to their old house in NOVA. Horrified, she set us out on a quest. We stopped at four different stores before all was said and done. The quest turn in was to give Nana a case for her new phone (I don't think I mentioned that yesterday. Carrie and Nana went out to get a new phone and run errands while Pop and I kept an eye on Shane and Cole).

I don't mind an adventure. I got my request Maple St. Biscuit filled, too. It's become a staple of every visit to SC. They had stuff up about Bible studies just like the coffee house.

When we got back from our quests, Carrie and I set out to figure out what was waking her up in the night. There's a banging sound in the walls. Carrie's a very soft sleeper and we were already on a bed that was a little too small for us (my feet hung off if I stretched out). We turned the AC on and off to see if that was the source of the noise.

We figured it out later when Nana and Pop came home. It was from the water pipes. The banging seemed to be related to whenever water was used elsewhere in the house. (The next morning I tested my theory. I asked Nana if she or Pop used the bathroom around 5 AM, and she said, "Well, that's embarrassing! Now we can't go to the bathroom at night!")

So far this vacation has been all about playgrounds, time with cousins, and VBS....and that's fantastic.

I was a lazy bum for much of the time. I was happy to hand my kid off and let him play.

I really enjoy having all the family around. Even if I don't always seek out the conversation, I like hearing the noise and knowing that they're around.

Nana and Shane tried to learn Mancala. I know the basic rules, but Ka came over and knew more.

Yesterday, the boys had attempted to build a fort in the garage with some pipework wannabes. They had trouble and left them. I was supervising and bored, so I started to connect everything I could. I envisioned making some weird shape the boys could try to make their way through without touching anything.

Shane said, "Your fort is terrible, Dad!"

Today it was a different story.

They loved the trap and trying to get through it.

I don't think we remembered to disassemble it before we left. Sorry, Pop! Hope you had fun tearing it apart.

There was a little drama afterward. I stepped outside the garage to change the view. I stepped back in and Cole had accidentally hit Shane in the eye. Cole was less than apologetic. Shane ran inside to find sympathy. Cole got in trouble for not apologizing, etc. Shane and I reflected on how Shane had accidentally hit B in the eye at the beach. The linked lessons: it's important to apologize and it's important to forgive.

VBS happened again and Carrie and I got another date night. We've spent more time on video games than I've spent in months. It's nice to be able to do an activity alone together. I wish we were staying longer, but we've got to head back tomorrow.