JWalking: The Blog

I didn't know Robert Wood, Jr., until I met him this past Sunday. I don't even remember how I heard the news about him, though I'm guessing it was somebody's Facebook post. What I do remember is "8 years old with autism," lost in Hanover County park. That resonated pretty hard. As I looked at the picture of this boy, which was very quickly everywhere in my sights, I couldn't help but identify. North Anna Battlefield Park, where Robbie got lost, was a place we had visited with the girls. A family hike. I remember the picnic tables near the parking lot and the hilly terrain on the trail. There was whining about going too far, and when could we turn around and go home. Lots of trees and not many obvious markers, clearings or obvious rest stops. Years after our walk, we had to drive up to the park to rescue R, who had popped a bicycle tire on a ride in Doswell. He sat by the tree at the head of the park's driveway. I thought about this child being in ...

W e're wrapping up our week at home in which we had no company, no camps, no summer school, no R--no-thing! We ran some short errands, to keep RJ2 venturing out into new places and to take care of things that needed to be taken care of--like back-to-school supply shopping and spending CJ's birthday gift cards. Oh, and Sweet Frog (frozen yogurt)! There was one more thing on my list--take the girls bowling. RJ2 had such a wonderfully successful moment when she went bowling with the day camp group. CJ and I had a nice morning outing bowling, too. (Except for the Josh Grobin that they were playing that day--a whole album! Really... bowling to Josh Grobin?!) Could we all go bowling together and could this be something we could do as a family? And with cousins on our upcoming "Cousin Tour" road trip? We are fortunate to have AMF based here in Mechanicsville, and our bowling lanes are top-notch. The company has done a lot of work to make the bowling experience fa...

I t was a mixed-weather Sunday. We did have sprinkles, even though Weather.com had the timing all wrong. We did have thunder. Lots of thunder. More thunder than rain, perhaps, though it did manage to pour a little bit. Every little bit helps! What are the JGirls to do to cap off the weekend--with no summer school or any obligations on Monday?.... Camp-out in the Family Room! No, that's not a television evangelist on the screen. That's Bobby Flay from Food Network. One of CJ's favorite shows is "Food Network Star," and Sunday night's show was the "Final 4" episode, leading up to the finale next weekend. Camping, Food Network AND staying up late to watch the whole show?! She could hardly wait. Even though she spent her earliest days in front of "Emeril Live," RJ2 is not a big fan of Food Network, nor of most television in general. She prefers to watch kid programs on her computer, "rewinding...

S o, when I left my last post--after the Water Country USA experience--I thought for sure the girls were on their way to bed. "Ha-ha-no-no-no," I thought, in my best Tim Taylor head voice. No. About the time I was wrapping up my last words, CJ decided it would be a great time to launch her own hair salon. She's tough to say "no" to when she comes with all her products. But, it was all about RJ2 agreeing to have her hair played with, and that's not something that comes easily all the time. Most days, you have 15 seconds to get through tangles! Her sister has the right touch, apparently, and RJ2 received a full treatment. Hair clip bonanza AND glitter nails?! Too bad this was all right before bedtime. No sooner had I snapped these shots than we were taking the clips out of her hair and brushing teeth. The creative play rolled right into the next day--when Mom and Dad were definitely not up for doing anything. CJ has had a thing for blanket tents...

W ater Country USA, that is.... Back in June, CJ celebrated her birthday and received a very special gift--passes to Water Country USA, a dedicated water park (owned by SeaWorld) in Williamsburg. CJ and R went last year and discovered a sweet deal for residents of Virginia who return to the park after a visit: Free entry! (minus parking and any extras). So, they had a second visit, and CJ has talked semi-nonstop about the place ever since. Especially, just before her birthday this year. ( Hint! Hint! ) She counted down the days 'til the opening of the 2011 season, even writing the numbers on our kitchen blackboard and "Opening Day!" when that rolled around. Needless to say, receiving a pass to her favorite summer attraction made her birthday. But it wasn't just a pass for her. It was a pass for all four of us! Wow.... We were all going to the water park this summer. Yeah! Uh-huh. Oh....gee.... Water Country has spectacular features. If you like going down steep hills ...

Artwork by CJ L ast week was so incredibly busy! The whole family was split up!! Even though R traveled more miles by flying, I felt like my east side-west side-all around the town pick-ups and drop-offs surely must have come close. Wow.... Things didn't really come to a pace of relaxation until after Sunday's bell-playing concluded. Enjoyed a very "regular" day today. Whew!.... Amidst the bustle of our busiest week this summer, there was a lot of cooking done last week. The gluten-free pantry was a bit bare. Even though I complained about having so much bread in the fridge, I copped the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude and made some gluten-free bread! Helped to finish off some cold cuts and condiments. (HA!) The best part about this was deciding to try the King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Bread mix--the best gluten-free bread I have had so far. Loved every single slice--especially toasted, but, not necessarily. That's how good it...

O ne of the small nuggets of excitement in this town in the past few years has been the return of minor league baseball to Richmond. The Richmond Flying Squirrels have provided great evenings of fun since making their...um...nest here in central VA. Recall last summer's awesome Fourth of July fireworks night in which we received Chick-fil-A coupons for sandwiches when a Squirrel hit a ball into the "fowl" pole. Sweet! Last Friday night, R and CJ had tickets for the game. They were hopeful to see Bryce Harper, a young phenom who has been playing for the Harrisburg Senators--a farm club of the Washington Nationals, our root-root-root for the home team. The Senators were to play the Squirrels, and Friday night was the start of the home stand. Except for this.... Even though the P.A. announcers were optimistic that baseball would be played, the radar map suggested something quite different. No, there would be no baseball. In fact, many hours later, R would discover that Bryce...

I t was the best of days. It was the worst of days. Dickens knew something of the range of human emotion. But, what did he know about playing cards? At the beach, I was "forced" into a hand of Texas Hold 'em--a kind of straight poker, but the dealer deals the cards to all to consider, not just to you. "Forced" in that someone in the family who was playing had to attend to another matter, and I was a body who walked into the wrong place at the right time. I'm not a good card player. And, those games that I have tried to learn recently have rules that completely conflict with straight poker, which I haven't played since, probably high school. Anyhoo.... In poker, there are very few rounds in which to make decisions. You are dealt a certain hand and have to decide how many rounds you will stay in to make the best hand possible when it's time for the big reveal. As Kenny Rogers sang, "You've got to know when to hold 'em. Know when to fol...

A s much as I try to prepare for going away--lists and multiple errands and such, there are always things I have in mind to do that don't get done. Like, washing the windows or cutting the girls' hair. Really, the haircuts should have been moved up closer to the top of the list, given how much hair you see on the floor! (And that's only RJ2's hair!) By the end of our time at the beach, her hair was almost completely covering her eyes. Yeah, you mean there are eyes under there? Not a fan of the haircut, RJ2 did get to pick which room in the house she wanted her hair cut, and picked the empty dining room. (CJ, on the other hand, always picks a room in which she has access to the TV. "Chopped" during her, um, chop, I guess.) RJ2 definitely does not have my hair, in that hers is super thick. It takes a long time to do it well (that being a subjective term). After I brushed her off, she quickly ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror. Then, in her way of styling,...

S ettling back into routine after another amazing family vacation week at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Ah.... Mounds of dirty laundry folded and put away now affords me a few minutes to sit down and recall yesterday. RJ2 has started summer school, which, after two days--and two alarm clocks that have gone unanswered in the morning--is going as well as can be expected. She starts Parks and Recreation camp next week in addition to school, so she's got lots of fun and busy days in store. CJ and I went to church yesterday to help with the "Mix as Usual" program. "Mix" is a neat thing. Older women in the church mentor younger women in crafty endeavors, like sewing, knitting and card-making. They also enjoy food and fellowship time. During this past year, I was one of their childcare helpers, freeing up the moms to fully participate unencumbered by leg-huggers. The summer "Mix" offering is open to moms and their kids. CJ and I each facilitated a craft ...

Q uick update, since there's not much time left in today.... Fridays are always great. The schedule gets lax, though, as we spend an extra long time with everything--beach time, pool time, meals, family pictures, and the dreaded packing up to go home. So, I have to keep it short and get ready to pack up some food and stuff! RJ2 enjoyed another splendid day at the beach--sitting in a bed of shells (which she really, really likes!) and throwing wet sand into the ocean. CJ was on the board and really didn't want to get off it! That's her with my Dad in the video. (As for me, I have video of my boogie board run on my Facebook page, thanks to a link from my sister.) Like I said, keepin' it simple. I'm beat!! Slow trip home tomorrow.....

W armest water at the beach so far this week. Too bad I was too tired to fight the waves today. But, as you can see, there was much fun to be had hanging out in the sand. If you remember from yesterday, we're still working on "48-hour Family Restaurant Challenge." You could feel it was boys day today, as Grandpa sent the guys to the beach in the morning, so they would be ready to cook in the afternoon. The attack forts and safety moats went up quickly! RJ2, meantime, was enjoying a sand bath! R and I got to go on a lunch date. The "Tailgate" dinner the boys prepared was a lot of fun and crazy delicious! (Even gluten-free breaded chicken! My family is spoiling me with gluten-free entrees and specials this week.) Kids finished out the night drawing chalk pictures on the driveway. CJ went out shopping with the girls this morning; brought home a sweet bracelet (and some kind of tattoo!) RJ2 lost a tooth! She was so proud to celebrate. "Everyone, give a hand!...

I f you have read my beach posts before, you know my family is pretty creative when it comes to having fun at the beach. (I know. As if the beach isn't fun in and of itself!) We are playing "48-hour Family Restaurant Challenge." A bunch of Food Network fanatics we are! This isn't a competition, but the exhibition is just as exciting. Grandma took the girls and Grandpa took the guys. Each team of kids is to create their own restaurant--complete with decor, staffing and, of course, menu items for dinner. They have to cook and serve! The girls were on tonight. We all enjoyed dinner at "The Salty Dog Cafe," and the service was terrific! (CJ opted to write a review of the dining experience; perhaps we can post that later.) Otherwise today, one crew went off crabbing while the rest of us went back to the beach for an afternoon of excellent boogie-boarding. (I took one wave all the way into shore, baby--yeah!) Kids got ice cream off the truck. A morning shower was...

M y brother-in-law started the day with homemade French toast and bacon (not that I could have the French toast, but it looked great). He and my sister finished with these amazing kabobs! The family food has been marvelous. The weather is crazy warm, but the breeze kicks in every now and again. Tuesday will go down in my memory as the day I rode the boogie board for the first time! It wasn't the old raft that we used to take to the Jersey shore in my pre-teen days. But, the technique is all the same, and it really did all come back like riding a bike. I had the best time!! As I was bringing the board back in, R asked, "Had enough?" I said, "Well, actually, it's kind of addictive." I'm hoping to venture back out into the waves tomorrow. Freeing and fun!

The water continues to be warm and the surf continues to be vigorous for excellent boogie-boarding! Discovered that we can watch the family's surfers in the ocean while eating lunch at the counter in the home kitchen. Excellent! Hot-tubbing and a storm today. More warm water on the way!

G olly, is it beautiful here! Water temperature is perfect, which is good since every kid seems to be further and further out to sea! Growing up and playing hard!! It's fun to watch. Lots of swimming, too, and another fantastic sunset. Looking forward to more of the same for Monday....

M y anklet is securely fastened. Trip down went great. Beautiful house with a marvelous view of the ocean. Kids went night swimming--all 9 of them! Can't wait to feel the sand and surf in the AM!

B est blueberry picking ever! 20 pounds in about 45 minutes. Really superb crop (at Swift Creek Berry Farm) and good-enough conditions (as in, not sweltering!). My niece has just finished up baking two blueberry pies as I'm writing this. Gluten-free blueberry coffee cake (a la Chatty Kelly) tomorrow morning. The cousins did a great job. We had a water break at the car before heading off for something really cool.... No waiting at the Short Pump Sweet Frog. Everyone enjoyed some yummy treats. And, we found out that frozen yogurt places seem to be sweeping the country, with everyone mentioning the name of a different place! Bring it on--more places to visit, in more places! Today was the very, very last day of Wild and Wacky Waterworks. CJ was invited to come back to help next summer as a junior counselor. She'll have this lovely photo to remember her experience..... Note the special jump rope they gave her. Not sure how I'm getting today's spitted dirt out of h...