Team Focker Watch: Lucky Number 13!

[TEminnie]

: I'd put the pain of my tattoo roughly a step lower that childbirth and several steps up from a root canal. NEVER again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

:

I was going to print this tattoo off and give it to Ab---but I remembered she's never experienced childbirth OR a root canal! (but she think she really needs a tatoo when she turns 18! )

...she runs from the flu shot nurse.

She will make the perfect wife or well husband



Fantastic, my luck is rubbing off on you And sorry about your sweetie

Well that just sounds lovely

See I actually enjoyed giving birth to Ellie, no drugs and it only really lasted an hour but no way would I get a tattoo

Errr yep that definitely sounds wonderful


Jess played her first medal today (thats where every shot counts) and she did really well. She played 2 under her handicap with a few very high scores, I'm so proud We'll see tomorrow what her handicap gets cut too and then she has another competition tomorrow

WTG Jess! When do they go back to school? Mine started Wed.

Afternoon everyone.

I have read and caught up with all of the posts but I have been having internet issues so no posting. The signal keeps going out which is a pain.

Not much happening here. I went to the zoo monday and toured downtown Philadelphia tuesday. I haven't done that in a while and actually had a good time all by myself. There is a pass that allowed me unlimited access to public transportation which really worked out well. Yesterday I went down the shore again and came right back home. They had torrential rain down there. My poor daughter went down for a few days to that. The puddles on the street were actually a foot deep in spots. I called her today and the sun was coming out so they were taking the kids to the beach. Thankfully they will get two decent days with the kids.

I tried to enjoy my alone time but Jim was home with the flu. He also had a "blister" on his toe. He has diabetes and his blister was an ulcer. Thankfully he did see the dr. and it is being treated now, and is back to work today.

Not much happening here. I'm enjoying the peace and quiet and looking for a class to take this semester. Have a great afternoon.

Whew--I saw Diabetic blister and was about to say GET TO THE DOCTOR!

They can get ugly really fast. Keep an eye on it for him.

Oh sure, I go on vacation and you all get chatty. I have read, but I don't think I really comprehended anything. Sooooo tired.

We left Williamsburg about 9am and arrived home about 2:45. Unpacked (most of it anyway), ordered pizza for dinner and then left at 6:30 to drop Jimmy off at his friends house for a play dae and Jim and I headed to the Cub Scout PLnanning meaning. I promise I will re-read tomorrow and actually understand what I am reading. I may even be awake enough to quote

Can't wait to tell you about the trip. Lots of Fun and lots of pictures...over 500 in 4 days

Chat with you all tomorrow

I was waiting for the TR!

_____________________

Enjoying my first day off this week---still in PJs! Busy week with the kids getting back in school---8th and 12th...sigh. They are both queen bees.

Ab came home with Senior expenses already:
graduation supplies--$209
Senior trip to Disney--$649 +
Model General Assembly trip-- $350

And of course Senior pictures this weekend.....

Is this suppose to prepare parents for college bills?

 

[jcc0621]

Have I mentioned that I'm back to school in a few weeks? Yeah, I've got 6 classes left to finish this damn degree, and I need to be done before 2012 or start over. So, now that I've managed to pay off all non-mortgage and non-car debt, I'll be in debt yet again for tuition. Ugh! One more year and I'm done, one more year and I'm done...

Good for you V. You can do it and you know you have us all here for moral support!

Enjoying my first day off this week---still in PJs! Busy week with the kids getting back in school---8th and 12th...sigh. They are both queen bees.

Wow, I can't get over how may kids start so early. Jimmy doesn't go back until September 7th!

Ab came home with Senior expenses already:
graduation supplies--$209
Senior trip to Disney--$649 +
Model General Assembly trip-- $350

And of course Senior pictures this weekend.....

Is this suppose to prepare parents for college bills?

++++++++++++

Good morning all. We all slept in this morning I am going to upload the pics into phot bucket and I promise to start a mini TR soon. We had a great time. BG was great, but I couldn't see spending a week there. One day was enough for us to do pretty much every ride. Although we didn't do any of the big coasters...the kids didn't make any of the height requirements, so that probably allowed us to get much more done. PLus it rained off and on all day and it pretty much cleared the park out Wimps

We have some errands to run today. DDrop jimmy's paperwork off for Before/After school car, a trip to the scout shop, and then off to the mall to finish the school shopping. Jimmy needs shoes, sneakers, underwear and socks. Will probably have dinner out and then come home and relax.

Not much planned for the weekend, just laundry and getting ready to go back to work and Jimmygoes back to camp on Monday.

Hope you all have a great day

 

[cmp1111]

Mine was pre-Leo, too, at age 19. It's just above my ankle. He wouldn't do it on the ankle bone, where I wanted it, because it would "hurt too much."

Yeah, the worst part of mine was when it was actually on the spine.

Have I mentioned that I'm back to school in a few weeks? Yeah, I've got 6 classes left to finish this damn degree, and I need to be done before 2012 or start over. So, now that I've managed to pay off all non-mortgage and non-car debt, I'll be in debt yet again for tuition. Ugh! One more year and I'm done, one more year and I'm done...

Good for you, though!

...she runs from the flu shot nurse.

Is this suppose to prepare parents for college bills?

Yikes.

Wow, I can't get over how may kids start so early. Jimmy doesn't go back until September 7th!

All my Illinois friends' kids started this week. I can't decide if I'm jealous or not. We go the 2nd, have two days and then have the 3 day weekend, so...

Hope you all have a great day

You, too!

*********************************************************
We are being just ridiculously lazy. D & I slept in some, then kept looking at each other saying, "What should we do today?" "I don't know," until it was 11:15 and we didn't have many options left. It's really, really windy up at the lake, so the boat was out. We were planning on going up to stay with Deb at her lake house tomorrow - being on their boat all day Saturday and staying overnight, then playing Sunday by ear. But, her DH was texting D this morning asking if we wanted to come up tonight, so I think we've finally decided we'll do that. Go up, have dinner, then be there really all day for the boat tomorrow. I am unclear whether we're staying tomorrow night then, or not.

So, for now, he's tweaking some stuff in the bathroom, but I think we're doing good there, finally. I have a working sink and a toilet that just needs some minor tank stuff to make it fill properly. I don't know when he'll do the shower surround tiling, but that's not nearly as important to me as the toilet!

Anyway... I need to do some stuff to get ready. Hope you have a wonderful day and a fantastic weekend!

 

[TEminnie]

Sunday, June 20....

Today is the day we head to Germany!! But first, we need a car.....

I had reserved a Ford Minivan for the trip---at a good rate---using lots of coupons! So I gave Daran all the paperwork and sent him out to walk to the nearest Hertz location......BTW---the "walking" directions on Google maps are definitely still in the BETA phase.......but he finally made the 20 minute walk in an hour.


The girls and I go down to the parking garage to meet our new minivan and see Daran standing beside a brand new black Mercedes.

He did some fast talking....something about an "upgrade" but in the end, he just wanted to drive a cool car on the AutoBahn. (and I was somewhat pacified, cause they DID take my coupon!)


Only problem is that we have 4 people and 8 pieces of luggage (which is WHY I ordered a minivan!) So we stuffed/ rearranged and sat on luggage and off we go!

We set the NAV to Germany (chuckling at the British accent but at least it's in English!). We rode along the Seine...saw some artists painting , and got on the interstate (which is NOT really called an interstate cause they don't have states but I couldn't read the signs anyway).

The French countryside is beautiful...city turns quickly into country without the suburban sprawl surrounding most US cities.

Determined to stay awake, I grab a few moving pics.....the girls are drifting to sleep---we found that anytime we got in something that moved, we fell asleep!

Then....I notice an AWFUL smell.........

ME: What's that AWFUL smell???
Daran: Oh---I picked up some cheese and bagettes at a little shop in Paris ...
ME: What kind of cheese?
Daran: I don't know---the names were in French so I just pointed to 2 kinds.

Then the girls wake up...
"OMG--what's that smell??"

So we decide it's time for a pit stop anyway........we pull into a BP station....go inside to grab some drinks and go to the bathroom.....


and THIS IS WHAT I SAW IN THE BATHROOM:

I run back out of the stall.....and check the door....yep--the little picture has a skirt....so this MUST be the ladies room. But there's no toilet seat... And I really gotta go now........
I was thanking God that I did not have preschool girls at this point....


Back to the car---Daran has unwrapped the stinky cheese along with some bread ...there were two kinds of cheese---one maybe a muenster, and the other just stinky.


On the road again! We enter Luxembourg---this is an actual country that's smaller than Rhode Island---I'm serious. I have no idea why the French or Germans didn't just conquer it long ago. Apparently they have a lot of money there.
See how little it is??

5 minutes later....we cross a bridge into Germany!

We drive straight to our new home for 3 days:
LandHaus Biehl in Philipsheim Germany Landhaus Biehl

 

[jcc0621]

Williamsburg, VA
Sunday 8/15/10​

We wanted to leave the house at 5:00amish, we pulled onto 476 (The Blue Route) at 6:28am. Jim and I got up and got ourselves ready. Jim walked the dog (who was being dog sitted by the neighbor) and I got Jimmy out of bed and onto the couch. Jim loaded up the car with our stuff and we were off..

Yes, Jimmy stayed in his pajams until we hit the Maryland Rest Stop
He had his stuffed animal, his Phillies blanket, his Diary of a Wimpy Kid book and a Butterscotch Krimpet Tastykake for breakfast (Don't judge me) He was ready to roll......

We pulled out of the driveway and our first stop was the Maryland House in, um Maryland. We use rest stop often when we drive I-95. It is clean and it is huge, so there is never a wait for the rest rooms. Jim took Jimmy to the mens rooms to get changed. After that we grabbed some breakfast sandwiches from Roy Rogers and headed back to the car. We drove for a bit more passing through Baltimore and DC. Saw Oriole Stadium and the Washington Monument. No pics because they were so far away.

We cross over the Virginia border. I tried calling TE to get directions to her house at this point, but I think she blocked my calls so we stopped at the Virginia Welcome Center/Rest stop. This worked out well, becasue I was able to get some coupons for different things and got a 20% off coupon for the combonation ticket to Yorktown and Jamestown Here is a picture of Jimmy at the rest stop. As you can tell it was raining.

We get back into the car and drove the rest of the way to Williamsburg. We arrived at the hotel

about 11:30ish . We could check in, but they could not give us our room keys until 4pm. Anyway, at this point we had a few hours to kill so we headed to the Yorktown Victory Center

The Official description says this:
On October 19, 1781, the decisive military campaign of the American Revolution culminated with the British surrender to combined American and French forces under the command of George Washington. The Siege of Yorktown effectively ended the six-year struggle of the Revolutionary War and set the stage for a new government and nation.

Today the Yorktown Victory Center, a museum of the American Revolution, chronicles America’s evolution from colonial status to nationhood through a unique blend of timeline, film, thematic exhibits and outdoor living history.

An open-air exhibit walkway details events that led to American colonies to declare independence from Britain.

Indoor exhibition galleries portray the Declaration of Independence as a revolutionary document that attracted international attention, recount the war’s impact on 10 ordinary men and women who left a record of their experiences, highlight the roles of different nationalities at the Siege of Yorktown, and explore the story of the Betsy and other British ships lost in the York River during the siege. Exhibits also describe how people from many different cultures shaped a new society and the development of a new government with the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Outdoors, visitors can explore a re-created Continental Army encampment, where historical interpreters describe and depict daily life of American soldiers at the end of the war. A re-created 1780s farm, complete with a house, kitchen, tobacco barn, crop fields, and herb and vegetable garden, shows how many Americans lived during the Revolutionary era.

Let me just say that Jimmy is his dad's son...he LOVEs history and really enjoyed our time here.

We started with the indoor exhibit. We took a few pictures, before they told us we weren't allowed to. (Side Note: Don't you think it would have been better to tell us that when we went in)

We then moved onto the outside part of the exhibit which is where Jimmy had a ball. They have a Continetal Encampment set up and you can go in and out and actually touch things. Not like a regular Museum where you are always telling the kids don't touch.

They also did a cannon demonstration, whihc most of you did not go over well with Jimmy so we had to watch from the inside becasue it was too loud for him.

We spent a total of about 2 hours here. From the Victory Center we headed to the Yorktown Visitors Center and purchased a CD and did a car tour of the Yorktown battlefield. Here are some of the pictures from that.

The whole tour took about an hour and a half. It could take as long as or as short as you want. It all depends on if you get out at every stop and how much time you spend at each stop.

After the tour, it was after 4pm so we decided to head back to the hotel and get our keys and unload the car. The Governors Inn is the "value" resort of Colonial Williamsburg, but it is clean and cheap....always 2 good attributes of any place we stay

It was small, but for 4 days it was fine.

We unloaded all of our stuff and got back into the car to try and scrounge up some dinner. We wanted to go back to a place we had gone to back in 1999 but unfortunately it was closed. We wound up at a place called the Bourbon Street Grill. It was okay. nothing exciting and a Very limited menu. At this point we were tired and hngry so we sucked it up.

We had dinner, went back to the room with intentions of doing some swimming, but at that point we were all tired and decided to just watch some TV and head to bed.

Tomorrow we are going to Jamestown.

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

She will make the perfect wife or well husband

She obviously takes after you, Jo.

See I actually enjoyed giving birth to Ellie, no drugs and it only really lasted an hour but no way would I get a tattoo

Me, too! Well, I mean birthing Evan, not Ellie. The 2nd baby birth was sooo much easier as you know what to expect, feel more in control, etc.

Congrats to Jess!

That is so sweet of them, T. Mitch and the others will definitely appreciate it, and I will too. Wal Mart, Target or Big Lots has cheap DVD's that I've sent. Propel is good too. Magazines, but no porn or horror comics when mailing to an APO address according to the USPS website. Not that you would send that, but I have no idea what horror comics are.

Great! I promise, no porn.

No kidding! What do you want to get?

I'll find a pic and post it. I also want something representing my family unit, but I'm not sure exactly what that is yet. Birth dates, or initials or symbols... I just can't decide.

I have also decided I'd like to get waxed which I have never done. )

What!??! Ok, I draw the line at hot wax near my naughty bits!

Ooh, ooh, me too! When can we all go together? I want something to do with the boys, but don't know exactly what (nor where, as the tramp stamp area is already marked , and I do want to be able to hide it when necessary...)

I'm thinking below my hairline, but just above my spine. Right where the roundish bone is.

No Tattoos for me !!!I don't believe in any pain by choice !!!:

:[/QUOTE]
Don't you have children? Have fun at your Luau!

Have I mentioned that I'm back to school in a few weeks? Yeah, I've got 6 classes left to finish this damn degree, and I need to be done before 2012 or start over. So, now that I've managed to pay off all non-mortgage and non-car debt, I'll be in debt yet again for tuition. Ugh! One more year and I'm done, one more year and I'm done...

You go, girl!

Anyway... I need to do some stuff to get ready. Hope you have a wonderful day and a fantastic weekend!

Have a great weekend!

So did you pee in the sink?

Janet - great pics! I'm thinking we'll need to visit Williamsburg in the near future. Waldo is a serious history FANATIC!

**************************************************************
Maddie has her Pep Rally this morning, so we'll be heading there shortly. Other than that, not much going on except some heat! Finally!

Supposed to go to DCA on Sunday with my nephew. We want to see World of Color again before the kids go back to school. But we'll see.

Have a good day!

 

[DisneyJo]

I called her today and the sun was coming out so they were taking the kids to the beach. Thankfully they will get two decent days with the kids.

I'm glad the weather is getting better for them!

I have also decided I'd like to get waxed which I have never done. My sister, who has had two babies, said there's no way she'd do it. Do you think there's something to the fact that I am interested in pain this summer? My mother thought she needed to call me every day to make sure I wasn't dead. Now that would be pain.

OMG having my legs done was painful

Ooh, ooh, me too! When can we all go together? I want something to do with the boys, but don't know exactly what (nor where, as the tramp stamp area is already marked , and I do want to be able to hide it when necessary...)

Another one? Enjoy your little trip!

Have I mentioned that I'm back to school in a few weeks? Yeah, I've got 6 classes left to finish this damn degree, and I need to be done before 2012 or start over. So, now that I've managed to pay off all non-mortgage and non-car debt, I'll be in debt yet again for tuition. Ugh! One more year and I'm done, one more year and I'm done...

You can do it, a year goes by very quickly and you'll be finished before you know it

...she runs from the flu shot nurse.

and yikes on the cost!!

WTG Jess! When do they go back to school? Mine started Wed.

Friday the 3rd which is so daft as what's the point of going back for 1 day

and THIS IS WHAT I SAW IN THE BATHROOM:

Good old French loos huh I love that your one had places to put your feet

Let me just say that Jimmy is his dad's son...he LOVEs history and really enjoyed our time here.

Awww bless, glad you had a good trip

Maddie has her Pep Rally this morning, so we'll be heading there shortly. Other than that, not much going on except some heat! Finally!

Is she still loving it?

She obviously takes after you, Jo.

Maybe

What!??! Ok, I draw the line at hot wax near my naughty bits!

Rosie somehow I missed you, have fun at your party



Today was our clubs junior open and Jess did really really well again. The front 9 she was only 9 over par (meant to be 16 off her handicap) and she mucked up a few holes on the back 9 but still played 6 under her handicap, came 3rd nett and cut her handicap to 29 I walked round and I'm more exhausted than when I play

Tomorrow I'm meeting Dad halfway and he's having the girls for a week

 

[tazdev3225]

No Tattoos for me !!!I don't believe in any pain by choice !!!

I'm with you on that. I will not purposely inflict pain upon myself.

Want to take one of mine for me?!

No thanks I enjoyed my alone time.

WHy is it that we don't have a psychologist amongst our Fockers?!

I have an associates plus in psychology. Does that count?

Have I mentioned that I'm back to school in a few weeks? Yeah, I've got 6 classes left to finish this damn degree

Good luck. I don't think I'll ever be done because I only take one class a semester.

Whew--I saw Diabetic blister and was about to say GET TO THE DOCTOR!

They can get ugly really fast. Keep an eye on it for him.

Thanks, I am. When I saw the "blister" I had a panic attack. It was really bad and he was acting like it was no big deal. The podiatrist actually told him to thank me because it was getting really bad. He is at least taking and using the meds the drs. gave him.

Sunday, June 20....
Today is the day we head to Germany!!

That's on my bucket list. I really want to see Germany. I had a chance 18 years ago when my brother was stationed there but opted for Disney instead.

and THIS IS WHAT I SAW IN THE BATHROOM:

OK that is scary and I can't imagine how you use it. OK I can but it isn't a pretty thought.

Yes, Jimmy stayed in his pajams until we hit the Maryland Rest Stop
He had his stuffed animal, his Phillies blanket, his Diary of a Wimpy Kid book and a Butterscotch Krimpet Tastykake for breakfast (Don't judge me)

Sounds like a good breakfast to me although I prefer Peanut Butter Tandy Takes.

our first stop was the Maryland House in, um Maryland. We use rest stop often when we drive I-95. It is clean and it is huge, so there is never a wait for the rest rooms.

I love this rest stop.

we had a few hours to kill so we headed to the Yorktown Victory Center

Let me just say that Jimmy is his dad's son...he LOVEs history and really enjoyed our time here.

As many times as I have gone down to the Williamsburg area I never made it to Yorktowne. it looks like a lot of fun. We took our kids there because we are history buffs and so are the kids now.

They also did a cannon demonstration, whihc most of you did not go over well with Jimmy so we had to watch from the inside becasue it was too loud for him.

I'll have to remember that for Mikey. He spent a lot of time holding his ears and shaking uncontrollably at the Acad. of Natural Sciences last weekend.

After the tour, it was after 4pm so we decided to head back to the hotel and get our keys and unload the car. The Governors Inn is the "value" resort of Colonial Williamsburg, but it is clean and cheap....always 2 good attributes of any place we stay

My favorite type of place.

+++++++++++++++++

Well I had an easy day today. I had Anthony but the other kids were all down the shore with their parents. I priced out my Disney trip for next year and the girls are happy with the price and better that we will have free dining. My son isn't going. He is a little angry at us right now because we are going but he'll have to get over it.

I'm going on a hike tomorrow. I'm not sure it's a good idea with my knee but we are going in search of the Jersey Devil. It sounds like it will be too much fun too pass up. I'll let you all know if I find him.

Have a good night everyone.

 

[jcc0621]

He did some fast talking....something about an "upgrade" but in the end, he just wanted to drive a cool car on the AutoBahn. (and I was somewhat pacified, cause they DID take my coupon!)

Fast talking toyou or the car agent

and THIS IS WHAT I SAW IN THE BATHROOM:

I run back out of the stall.....and check the door....yep--the little picture has a skirt....so this MUST be the ladies room. But there's no toilet seat... And I really gotta go now........
I was thanking God that I did not have preschool girls at this point....

Janet - great pics! I'm thinking we'll need to visit Williamsburg in the near future. Waldo is a serious history FANATIC!

He would love it

Today was our clubs junior open and Jess did really really well again. The front 9 she was only 9 over par (meant to be 16 off her handicap) and she mucked up a few holes on the back 9 but still played 6 under her handicap, came 3rd nett and cut her handicap to 29

WTG Jess

Tomorrow I'm meeting Dad halfway and he's having the girls for a week

Enjoy your free time!

I'm going on a hike tomorrow. I'm not sure it's a good idea with my knee but we are going in search of the Jersey Devil. It sounds like it will be too much fun too pass up. I'll let you all know if I find him.
.

What's to look for...just go to the Meadowlands

+++++++++++++++++

Evening all! Busy day today. We went to the scout shop to pick up sme things for Cub Scouts. Then we headed to the mall and go Jimmy some socks and underwear. ALso wound up getting him 2 new pairs of school pants. Boscov's was having a sale on everything and then I had a coupon for an additional 15% off

Then we ent to payless, who was having their Buy One Get One half Off Sale. Jimmy got his school shoes and a pair of sneakers. I got a pair of sneakers and so did Jim. I also hd an additional 20% off for them

From there we headed to Cracker Barrel for dinner and then Pet Smart to pick up a new fish for Jimmy. His fish, Patrick, dies a week before we left for vacation!

Now we are just hanging out. Jim and I are working on scout stuff and jimmy is watching Scooby Doo. Hope you all have a great night!

 

[englishrose47]

Evening All !!The Luaua went great the Ham Kabobs were wonderful, as was the rice with pineaple juice !!!My Pineapple trifle was out of this world !!!!! I am really tired and tomorrow is the Girls Birthday party and Judy has a huge list for me !!!So Iam turning in for the night !!!

 

[askelton]

Have I mentioned that I'm back to school in a few weeks?

Way to go!

I was going to print this tattoo off and give it to Ab---but I remembered she's never experienced childbirth OR a root canal! (but she think she really needs a tatoo when she turns 18!

Yea, I haven't either.

Ab came home with Senior expenses already:
graduation supplies--$209
Senior trip to Disney--$649 +
Model General Assembly trip-- $350

Wow.

So, for now, he's tweaking some stuff in the bathroom, but I think we're doing good there, finally. I have a working sink and a toilet that just needs some minor tank stuff to make it fill properly. I don't know when he'll do the shower surround tiling, but that's not nearly as important to me as the toilet!

Have you posted pics that I missed?

Today is the day we head to Germany!!

I'd love to go to Germany with my German heritage on both sides of the family.

and THIS IS WHAT I SAW IN THE BATHROOM:

Yes, that is quite a shock the first time you see one.

Anyway, at this point we had a few hours to kill so we headed to the Yorktown Victory Center

Mitch would absolutely love that too. When we went to Williamsburg, we had my godchildren with us, so we couldn't do everything we wanted.

I'll find a pic and post it. I also want something representing my family unit, but I'm not sure exactly what that is yet. Birth dates, or initials or symbols... I just can't decide.

That's my problem too.

OMG having my legs done was painful

I do love that you all are so honest.

Tomorrow I'm meeting Dad halfway and he's having the girls for a week

So how much golf will you play whilst they are gone?

we are going in search of the Jersey Devil. It sounds like it will be too much fun too pass up. I'll let you all know if I find him.

I read about him in a Janet Evanovich book.

The Luaua went great

So glad.




I talked to my sister this morning and Reid is not having a good start today. He started his new class last week which he seems to enjoy, but something about his schedule has set him off. The good and bad of being so scheduled. I think she needs to go somewhere with only him for an hour, but I'm not sure if she will. I also suggested to bring him over here, but maybe not being at home with his parents is part of the problem.

 

[TEminnie]

Williamsburg, VA
Sunday 8/15/10​

We wanted to leave the house at 5:00amish, we pulled onto 476 (The Blue Route) at 6:28am. Jim and I got up and got ourselves ready. Jim walked the dog (who was being dog sitted by the neighbor) and I got Jimmy out of bed and onto the couch. Jim loaded up the car with our stuff and we were off..

Yes, Jimmy stayed in his pajams until we hit the Maryland Rest Stop
He had his stuffed animal, his Phillies blanket, his Diary of a Wimpy Kid book and a Butterscotch Krimpet Tastykake for breakfast (Don't judge me) He was ready to roll......

We pulled out of the driveway and our first stop was the Maryland House in, um Maryland. We use rest stop often when we drive I-95. It is clean and it is huge, so there is never a wait for the rest rooms. Jim took Jimmy to the mens rooms to get changed. After that we grabbed some breakfast sandwiches from Roy Rogers and headed back to the car. We drove for a bit more passing through Baltimore and DC. Saw Oriole Stadium and the Washington Monument. No pics because they were so far away.

We cross over the Virginia border. I tried calling TE to get directions to her house at this point, but I think she blocked my calls so we stopped at the Virginia Welcome Center/Rest stop. This worked out well, becasue I was able to get some coupons for different things and got a 20% off coupon for the combonation ticket to Yorktown and Jamestown Here is a picture of Jimmy at the rest stop. As you can tell it was raining.

Yeah....I thought that was you---I had the Virginia Border patrol watching for you too! (and you were only 6 hours from my house then!)

We get back into the car and drove the rest of the way to Williamsburg. We arrived at the hotel

about 11:30ish . We could check in, but they could not give us our room keys until 4pm. Anyway, at this point we had a few hours to kill so we headed to the Yorktown Victory Center

The Official description says this:
On October 19, 1781, the decisive military campaign of the American Revolution culminated with the British surrender to combined American and French forces under the command of George Washington. The Siege of Yorktown effectively ended the six-year struggle of the Revolutionary War and set the stage for a new government and nation.

Today the Yorktown Victory Center, a museum of the American Revolution, chronicles America’s evolution from colonial status to nationhood through a unique blend of timeline, film, thematic exhibits and outdoor living history.

An open-air exhibit walkway details events that led to American colonies to declare independence from Britain.

Indoor exhibition galleries portray the Declaration of Independence as a revolutionary document that attracted international attention, recount the war’s impact on 10 ordinary men and women who left a record of their experiences, highlight the roles of different nationalities at the Siege of Yorktown, and explore the story of the Betsy and other British ships lost in the York River during the siege. Exhibits also describe how people from many different cultures shaped a new society and the development of a new government with the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Outdoors, visitors can explore a re-created Continental Army encampment, where historical interpreters describe and depict daily life of American soldiers at the end of the war. A re-created 1780s farm, complete with a house, kitchen, tobacco barn, crop fields, and herb and vegetable garden, shows how many Americans lived during the Revolutionary era.

Let me just say that Jimmy is his dad's son...he LOVEs history and really enjoyed our time here.

We started with the indoor exhibit. We took a few pictures, before they told us we weren't allowed to. (Side Note: Don't you think it would have been better to tell us that when we went in)

.

Just pretend you don't understand English and keep taking those pics! You're gonna be in trouble on future vacations---they'll want to read every sign everywhere! Add some hours!

We then moved onto the outside part of the exhibit which is where Jimmy had a ball. They have a Continetal Encampment set up and you can go in and out and actually touch things. Not like a regular Museum where you are always telling the kids don't touch.

/


The whole tour took about an hour and a half. It could take as long as or as short as you want. It all depends on if you get out at every stop and how much time you spend at each stop.

After the tour, it was after 4pm so we decided to head back to the hotel and get our keys and unload the car. The Governors Inn is the "value" resort of Colonial Williamsburg, but it is clean and cheap....always 2 good attributes of any place we stay


We unloaded all of our stuff and got back into the car to try and scrounge up some dinner. We wanted to go back to a place we had gone to back in 1999 but unfortunately it was closed. We wound up at a place called the Bourbon Street Grill. It was okay. nothing exciting and a Very limited menu. At this point we were tired and hngry so we sucked it up.

We had dinner, went back to the room with intentions of doing some swimming, but at that point we were all tired and decided to just watch some TV and head to bed.

Tomorrow we are going to Jamestown.

Sounds like a good start! This will mean so much to him when he starts studying US history. I remember taking Abby to the Alamo when she was 6---she surprised the teacher by telling her all about it when they were studying it---yes, Texas starts TX history in kindergarten...seriously!

It really helps your memory when you've seen and touched things!

 

[englishrose47]

Good Morning All!! I crashed by 10:30pm last night which is soooooo early for me !!!But I was very tired !!
Today is the Birthday Party for the girls and I have to clean my room per themIsn't that a TWIST!!!!Actually I planned on doing just that !!!!
Have to pick up chips etc for the party with the list from Judy !!

I think I missed where that TOILET was !!I do know when in Yugoslavia we were treated to a HOLE in the floor as the ladies room !!!!

Well gotta go and clean !!Will chat later !!

 

[jcc0621]

Mitch would absolutely love that too. When we went to Williamsburg, we had my godchildren with us, so we couldn't do everything we wanted.

If he is a history buff he would love it!

I talked to my sister this morning and Reid is not having a good start today. He started his new class last week which he seems to enjoy, but something about his schedule has set him off. The good and bad of being so scheduled. I think she needs to go somewhere with only him for an hour, but I'm not sure if she will. I also suggested to bring him over here, but maybe not being at home with his parents is part of the problem.

Poor Reid

Yeah....I thought that was you---I had the Virginia Border patrol watching for you too! (and you were only 6 hours from my house then!)

Next time I am going to program your address into the GPS

Just pretend you don't understand English and keep taking those pics! You're gonna be in trouble on future vacations---they'll want to read every sign everywhere! Add some hours!

Sounds like a good start! This will mean so much to him when he starts studying US history. I remember taking Abby to the Alamo when she was 6---she surprised the teacher by telling her all about it when they were studying it---yes, Texas starts TX history in kindergarten...seriously!

The only history Jimmy has gotten in K and 1st grade is learning about MLK in January, and Washington and Lincoln in February

I think I missed where that TOILET was !!I do know when in Yugoslavia we were treated to a HOLE in the floor as the ladies room !!!!

*******************

Good morning all. Busy morning already. I have started unpacking all the little stuff and have organized the laundry to get that started. Have also made up the shopping list. Now it is just getting a move on and getting it done. I want it done between today and tomorrow because I go back to work on Monday

Hope you all have a great day.

 

[jcc0621]

Monday August 16th
Jamestown Settlement​

This was our first full day in Williamsbueg. We have most of the day to ourselves. My friend Denise and her two kids were joining us later in the afternoon. (They had actually left Saturday and spent one night in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and 1 night in Chincoteague).

We hada 7:00am wakeup call (No Sitch, just some fife drums to wake us up here). The hotel provided a Continental Breakfast. It was not bad. Hard boiled eggs, cerel milk, danish, donuts, bagels, English Muffins, Toast,Coffee, Tea, and several different kinds of juices. It wasn't bad and it was enough to start the day until we wanted to sit down and eat a meal.

Here is Jim and Jmmy at Breakfast. Yes, Jimmy is also eating Cheetos he brought with him from the room (hey, it's vacation )

After we had a quick bite to eat we headed to the van and programed in Jamestown Settlement in the GPS and we were off. It is about 8 miles from Williamsburg to Jamestown and did not take us long to get there at all. I think this was Jimmy's favorite part of the trip.

Picture taken by Jimmy

Here is the official description of Jamestown Settlement....
In 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, a group of 104 English men and boys began a settlement on the banks of Virginia's James River. They were sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, whose stockholders hoped to make a profit from the resources of the New World. The community suffered terrible hardships in its early years, but managed to endure, earning the distinction of being America's first permanent English colony.

Today at Jamestown Settlement, the story of the people who founded Jamestown and of the Virginia Indians they encountered is told through film, gallery exhibits and living history. Expansive gallery exhibits and an introductory film trace Jamestown's beginnings in England and the first century of the Virginia colony and describe the cultures of the Powhatan Indians, Europeans and Africans who converged in 1600s Virginia. Outdoors, visitors can board replicas of the three ships that sailed from England to Virginia in 1607, explore life-size re-creations of the colonists' fort and a Powhatan village, and tour a seasonal riverfront discovery area to learn about European, Powhatan and African economic activities associated with water. In the outdoor areas, costumed historical interpreters describe and demonstrate daily life in the early 17th century. Dine at the Jamestown Settlement Cafe when you visit.

We started at the James Fort...

Musket Demonstration

Jimmy really liked it here becaue in addition to the "museum" there was a lot of hands on stuff.

From the Fort we headed over to the replicas of the ships that brought those original settlers to Virginia.

After poking around the ships we heated to the Powatan Viliage

All in all we spent about 3 hours here. It was enough time to do everything without tiring everyone out!

After we finished here and got into the van to discuss our next move Denise called they were about 10 minutes out of Williamsburg. That sort of created our plan. We headed back to the hotel to meet up with them. Again they could check in, but could not get their rooms keys until 4:00pm. We met them in the lobby and after we checked in hung out there and came up with a game plan.

We decided that we would head over to the Colonial Williamsburg Visitors Center to et our tickts for the Historic Area and to sign the kids up for the tour designed just for them.

Pictures from the Visitors Center:


Then we took the alking path from the visitors center to the Historic Area just to get a lay of the land for the next day....

Ice Cream Break

Jimmy was determined to find every water fountain in Virginia!

Picture taken by Jimmy

We ended the day with dinner at Golden Corral and then a swim in the pool. Bedtime was about about 9:00 after baths and showers so we were all ready for the next day. Another 7:00am wakeup call was coming.

Tomorrow - Colonial Williamsbug

 

[KatGarcia]

hello!

have I missed anything good??

I am loving the trip report posts!

I have had one drama after another. I got tonsillitis from KC, that was bad. The last day of my antibiotics, just as I was feeling human again, my tooth started killing me. I went Thurs and had my upper right wisdom tooth removed. So i have been heavily medicated for the last 2 days. I'm weening myself off today but still only really able to eat mushy foods. I just want some real food! I'm making pasta and sauce for dinner because its soft. i can't even have hot coffee!

We are planning a few date days out since we have both been stuck in the house wince the beginning of the month. We are planning on seeing Scott Pilgrim & Inception at some point and searching out a Checkers in the city that we didnt know was there (we have NONE around us).

So I hope you all have a great weekend!!! Good luck to everyone getting the kiddo's ready for school too! I can't believe it starts so early!

 

[englishrose47]

Ouch Kat !!Tonsillitis and a wisdom tooth!!Feel better soon !!

I am enjoying Colonial Williamsburg !!I was there many years ago and enjoyed the area vey much I don't think we got to Jamestown or Yorktown as we were busy in Williamsburg, I remember they had an awesome pottery that was very reasonabl then !!!
I also noted it is on the list of "FREE" vacations hmmmmm Carol how doya feel about Colonial Willamsburg???

 

[askelton]

After poking around the ships we heated to the Powatan Viliage

Hey, there's a Powatan road in Richmond. Now I know where the name came from.

Janet, what a great trip. Now I find history interesting, but of course, not when I was younger.

I have had one drama after another.

I'm glad you both are feeling better. Enjoy your dates.


I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon. I'm excited and scared!

 

[jcc0621]

hello!

have I missed anything good??

I am loving the trip report posts!

Thanks!

I have had one drama after another. I got tonsillitis from KC, that was bad. The last day of my antibiotics, just as I was feeling human again, my tooth started killing me. I went Thurs and had my upper right wisdom tooth removed. So i have been heavily medicated for the last 2 days. I'm weening myself off today but still only really able to eat mushy foods. I just want some real food! I'm making pasta and sauce for dinner because its soft. i can't even have hot coffee!

Oh no! You guys have had a rough month

Hey, there's a Powatan road in Richmond. Now I know where the name came from.

Janet, what a great trip. Now I find history interesting, but of course, not when I was younger.

I can't get over how much Jimmy loved. Actually today he pulled out his revolutionary war army guys (Think Green Army Men painted Red and Blue) and his Lincoln Logs and build his out James Fort

I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon. I'm excited and scared!

Good Luck

 

[puggymom]

HI Fockers!

Just got caught up on all the trip reports. Love them! I promise to finish my Italy one!

TE - Saw the same type of bathroom at a rest stop in Italy, but at least it was one of 2 and I opted to wait for the other stall that had a real toilet.

Janet - love Williamsburg, I was there over 10 years ago, making me want to go back! Jimmy is getting so big!

Angela - going to PM you about my trip in a few weeks and seeing what works for you

V - congrats on finishing school, I give you tons of credit! BTW changed my hotel reservation again and still haven't completely decided. Why is this so hard for one night!

As for a psychologist, no I am not one, but sometimes I do feel like I am in need of one.

As far as tattoos, just ask CE, she will vouch that I do not have any

******************************

So I am heading to Disney and other Florida attractions on 9/8, I fly home on 9/18 and as it looks now I am flying to Chicago on 9/19 for work.

Yep, I get to be home a whole night before flying out again. I am still hoping we can leave on an early flight on the 20th but it is not looking good. THe client wants to start the meeting at 8:30 Monday morning.