Skellys in the Outer Banks, NC

The CA Skellys went on vacation to see the rest of the Skelly clan (or at least a big chunk of them). We spent a week in a beach house in Nags Head. And by we I mean 13 adults and 11 children ages ranging 9 months to 7 years. Some may think that's too many for one house but despite a squabble here and there over who's turn it is to blow the bubbles or use the pink pool ring, it was a fabulous week. We had beach access, which was fun, but the real fun was in our own private pool. Most of the cousins could spend the entire day there. We did manage to get them away for a moment here and there to visit tourist sites like Kitty Hawk's Wright Brother's Memorial, the Lost Colony, and Bodie Island's Lighthouse. I'm working on sorting through the over 500 pictures from our time together and I'll somehow organize them into a Shutterfly slideshow for anyone interested, but until I finish that here's one snapshot of the entire clan.

Our newest family members...

Yes, after talking about it for years, we adopted 2 tortoiseshell kittens from the shelter yesterday! We agreed to get a cat years ago. We even bought a litter box months ago and feeding bowls 2 years ago but we just haven't found the right cat. I've always had great cats and always come across them when I wasn't necessarily looking so even though I knew we wanted a cat, I wanted it to happen naturally rather than force it (OK, that may sound bizarre but a cat is a long commitment and I don't want to get stuck with a cat not meant for our family). Anyway, there was an article in our paper about too many animals at the Irvine shelter and a special deal they're offering (only $65 and buy one get one!) So we went to look. Now I've looked before and nothing ever felt right. And the first kitten they handed me, I thought no. Well then they brought us these two 4 month old sisters and I fell in love. And more importantly, they were calm and relaxed around our three young children. They let Beth carry them and Adam even squealed his ear piercing squeal with little reaction. One curled in a ball and fell asleep on my lap. Jason got to feel a cat's purr. We've found a perfect fit for our family. We pick them up after our trip to NC and hopefully by then we'll have names for them...any ideas? Andrew suggested Soap and Water so he could tell the kids to wash their hands with soap and water and then they could let the cats lick them clean, ha, ha...Stay tuned for names and oh so many pics of our kids welcoming them to our home.

PS And for an added bonus, we brought Stephanie and Stephen with us (this was supposed to be a casual look before we all went out to dinner) and they ended up with a kitten, too! They're picking Roxie up today...I'll be sure to get a pic of her, too :-)

Monkey boy walks...

Yes, he's finally walking. He still crawls some but Adam, at 15 1/2 months, can walk! And he's getting better and better at climbing, which we didn't know was possible. He wiggles out of highchairs and strollers way too easily (yes, he's escaping from his stroller in the picture). And he can go up and, more importantly, down stairs with relative ease. This is pretty impressive considering how rarely he is actually exposed to stairs. But this skill will come in quite handy next week as we travel to NC to stay at a beach house in the outer banks with many, many cousins. Stay tuned for pictures aplenty of that upcoming adventure!

OC Fair

We live in Costa Mesa, therefore we go to the OC County Fair every summer. You see we have to drive by the fairgrounds when we go just about anywhere (it's maybe a mile away). So before it even opens in mid-July, the kids can see them building the rides, especially the huge ferris wheel (a family favorite). So again this year we went...we went twice! But I'm glad we go and that we can't get out of going because it's always fun. We ride rides (on $1 ride day cuz otherwise it's too expensive!) We see all the farm animals (a cow taught Beth to moo when she was just 13 months old, he mooed and she mooed back!) And we visit random exhibits (I like the craft exhibits but there's never enough time to truly appreciate this). And then there's the food...we had funnel cake and cotton candy this year but did you know you can get deep fried oreos? You can't get this stuff any old place! It's all good family time. Some highlights this year were the pig races, Jason riding bigger rides and Beth petting every single animal she could get near (have I mentioned that she really needs a pet!) For lots more pictures, including some from the cattle drive through the city streets of Costa Mesa, check the shutterfly link in the column to the right.

Bedtime science...

After a very fun day with many cousins (check the picture for a glimpse of the gang) Jason did not want to go to sleep. He started crying and then, trying to collect himself, calmly stated that he wished the Earth could slow down a little so days would be longer. I'm thinking that would be handy to get more done but we'd probably just fill that extra time, too. Sorry Jason, for now God has given us 24 hours to enjoy each day. I'm just glad you were able to spend many of those hours today with family making memories you can cherish any day.

Our monkey boy

Adam is finally taking steps here and there but still not more than 4 or 5 at a time. However, we aren't worried about his physical abilities. He pushed a large toy truck from one side of the yard to the other. He basically walked that truck across the yard. And he can climb anything...slides, onto tables and chairs, and scariest of all: Jason's bunkbed ladder! Yes, we found him at the top of Jason's ladder just the other day. And it's not just what he can do but how fast he does it! He has made child proofing an entirely new experience for us.

You just never know...

We recently went to the beach to see a friend visiting from out of town. This friend, Kelsy, was collecting sand crabs. I said, cool, Jason will love that but I'm not sure we should even show Beth, she hates bugs, we're talking screams if a fly gets near her let alone a spider, which to me is the same as a crab. Truthfully, I hate sand crabs, which may have something to do with growing up with a sister that would chase after me carrying them...thank you, Casey... so I assumed Beth would hate them, too! Well, turns out Jason couldn't care less about the bucket of crabs but Beth was petting them, holding them and making them her new best friend...we really need to get this girl a pet when sand crabs become cute! Best part of the whole experience is when Kelsy returned them to their home. We told Beth they had to go back in the water and wow, she stood there with a look...well, look at the picture because that face says it all!