28 hour vacation with the red heads

When we decided to take all the grandbabies on a mini vacation, I had already planned to play doubles early Wednesday morning. So, Mark dropped me off, ran errands and picked up the kids. We left Moultrie around 10;00 and got to Big Grannies around 11:15. We ate lunch with Mom and cousins and Glenn and Lynn. The kids went out to play on the fort playground. The weather was pleasant for the first time in months, So, Mom and I sat and talked and watched the kids play, and swing and play fetch with Zeke, which help Olivia to stop saying. "no dog, don't bite." Zeke is a good dog and is good with little ones. Then we went inside a let the kids make their own parfaits out of three kinds of pudding and crushed cookies and whipped peanut butter and cool whip. Each child created their own dessert by layering favorite flavors and topping with cool whip and then showing them off to Mark before eating. Even Olivia had to show off her special dessert made of vanilla pudding. We left Mom's around 2;30 and headed toward the beach with sleeping kids in the back seat. The first beach we came to was Bald Point in a state park. It took Olivia a little time to get in the water. Soon, she was counting 1,2 go, and running in to make a splash, splash. Next we headed to Alligator point, with better a beach and better waves and no drop off. Riley could go a long way and still be waist deep. Olivia grabbed my hand, said cmon and pointed at Riley which meant, come on, lets go out there where Riley is. I was very surprised when she would go shoulder high and spit and sputter when the waves came, but kept going. She learn to holler,"big wave" so that we could help her jump over the waves. We had a great beach trip and headed to the Best Western. It had a great little pool, great breakfast, and a court yard with a dolphin fountain that Olivia loved. Mark went and got supper for a picnic in the gazebo. The kids and I headed to the pool. Olivia started out slow, sitting on the top step, while Becca and Riley swam. They are swimming so well that I did not have to worry about them. By the time granddaddy got back, Olivia was jumping to me from the side of the pool and splashing her big cousins. Mark really enjoyed swimming with the kids. We got back to room and took hot baths and change and ate supper outside. Olivia enjoyed being able to walk from table to fountain to room and back to table splashing every puddle along the way, Becca is such a good big sister and big cousin. She was a great helper. Riley makes Olivia laugh. They are a joy. Back in the room Olivia eats chips with Granddaddy. Lights out. Early morning breakfast and a good morning swim. Mark, Becca and Riley taught Olivia to blow bubbles in the water. Soon, she was blowing bubbles and kicking feet. She is a fast learning and will be swimming soon. We packed bags, checked out, and headed to Tallahassee Museum. The kids saw, the red caboose that I saw when I was a kid, and the old school house. We visited the plantation house and the slave house , the farm, the commissary, the local wild animal zoo and the farm animals. Then went to the hands-on science and nature exhibit, and the play ground. We were hot and tired, so, we had a picnic in the car on the way home. Becca and Olivia slept on the way home and we made it back to Moultrie by 2;00, making it a 28 hour vacation. We dropped Olivia off in her car seat still asleep. I wonder if she woke up at home and thought that she she dreamed the whole day away. We enjoyed it so much that we plan to do it again. We often tell Becca and Riley that there is nothing that they can do to make us stop loving them, but if they were not so well behaved, we would not take them off like we do. They make us want to be with them as often as possible.