Bryon and Elizabeth arrived at BWI airport just a few minutes late yesterday morning. They really enjoyed the flight and, according to the stewardess, behaved themselves wonderfully. The stewardess carefully checked my ID against the designated pickup person on record and had me sign for both. I was favorably impressed with her friendly attitude and her attention to security. It was an unusually hot and humid day, and our air conditioning had failed the day before. We went home, had a sandwich bar for lunch in our very hot house. Food bars work really well with B & E, because they have different tastes in what they want to eat. With a bar, they take whatever they want and there’s no fussing about eating.
Bryon, Lynne, Suzanne, Addy, Danita, Elizabeth
After lunch, Danita took them to the pool while I waited for the A/C repairman. We had one clap of thunder, which closes the pool for 30 minutes. But the sun was shining, so Danita and the kids played with some other things at the clubhouse. Twenty-eight minutes later, there was a second clap of thunder. Danita decided to come home. That was a good thing, because shortly after that we had a short but heavy rain squall. By this time the A/C was working, but the squall dropped outdoor temperatures faster than our inside temperature dropped. The kids were tired and a little fussy. It wasn’t time for dinner. That’s when we found the true power of screen time (when kids are permitted to use their tablets). Both went to their rooms, were totally silent, and entertained themselves until they felt more social. We had a baked potato bar for dinner, and retired to the basement for a Disney Nature movie about chimpanzees. The movie was unexpectedly good. We all enjoyed the evening.
E & B at the nature center
Today the A/C works, but it’s shut off because the weather is so delightful. We had a breakfast bar and were about to leave for Ed & Lynne’s house when the handle on the kitchen faucet came off in my hands. It could have broken a couple of weeks ago when we had a plumber repairing the garbage disposal. Lynne was home with Suzanne and Addy. The girls were quite excited. Lynne was relieved when we finally arrived. Lynne was prepared with extra bikes, helmets, and rules so they could go bike riding. We were prepared with swimsuits so they could play in a sprinkler. None of that was relevant. The kids had a good time among themselves without any adult supervision or input. After Lynne served a burrito bar for lunch, we all went to the Oregon Ridge Nature Center in Hunt Valley. This got us out of the house and in the direction that Lynne needed to go to take the girls home, and the direction we needed to go to take ourselves home. It was a lot excitement for the kids. They were cranky, but screen time saved the day again. We plan to go out to BGR for dinner. They serve the best hamburgers in town. They have kids meals with hot dogs optional for those who prefer.