The Great Big East Coast Adventure - PTR About This Page:

[KMB733]

Glad your vacation has finally started!!! Sounds like a wonderful first day!!

[Principessa_di_Fata]

Wow. Today was insanely hectic. Woke up at 4am, checked out at 415am, grabbed the airport shuttle at 430am... and was at the gate by 520am. Phew! Grabbed a fast breakfast at McDonald's (which amazingly was right beside our gate - and our gate was RIGHT outside security, so it was just perfect) and boarded the plane with no trouble whatsoever.

Meri fell asleep on the plane about 10 minutes into the flight, if that. We had an entire row to ourselves, so she had the window, I had the aisle, and she stretched across the middle seat to nap. She slept almost until landing. It was great! I got to read and drink my coffee in peace. It was lovely! BTW, I really liked The Hunger Games - I'm now 1/3 of the way through Catching Fire - I'm a fast reader. Fascinating concept, fascinating series so far.

We landed in Newark, grabbed our checked suitcase, and headed over to the air train (or whatever it's called) which takes you through the terminals and to the Amtrak station.

Then we boarded the train to Penn Station, which was uneventful. I was so happy to see the NY skyline though. Just made me smile. We arrived in Penn Station where I immediately lost Meri in the crowd after getting off the train. It was MAYBE 6 seconds that she was "lost" but we both freaked. Criminy. I don't think I've ever felt so sick in my life. Well. Maybe on that Ferris Wheel, lol. But this was probably worse. I'm not sure.

Anyway, we found the LIRR and got on the train to Ronkonkoma at 1013am. That took, gosh, maybe an hour and change. Then my cousin picked us up at the Ronkonkoma train station where we made the final drive to her house (about 45 minutes east).

We got settled in there, then the kids came home from school. Meri gets along SO well with my cousin's kids (Madison is nearly 10 and Collin is 6) and the three just played inside and out for a while. We went to see the horses and chickens (my cousin owns a farm) and just vegged out a while before heading over to one of the beaches here. The kids played in the sand and on the playground while my cousin and I vegged out on blankets and talked.

Then it was back to the house, where the au pair watched all three kids, while we three adults (me, my cousin and her husband) went out to dinner at this great place. The name already escapes me, but oh my stars it was SO GOOD! I had this paella dish (rice, sausage, shrimp, chicken, steak, mussels, onions) and then dessert was creme brulee. And I had cappucino with the dessert. And wine with the meal. Oh it was delectable and I'm stuffed to the brim and falling asleep here at the table as I type this!

I will upload the pictures in the morning. I'm just so tired, after this long long day. I'm going to take a nice hot bath, and then read a bit before bed.

It really was an eventful day. Tomorrow I work a full day and then am going to a family party, so likely it will be very dull, though I'll post pictures of the horses and stuff. Maybe I'll take a ride on my lunch break or something, or go down to the end of the block where there are these amazing cliffs with endless stairs down to the beach.

Friday I work a half day (they always let us out early on holiday weekends) so we plan on driving through the Hamptons and doing some fun stuff like that. So I can post pix of the great homes and stuff. Saturday we're out on the boat, which will definitely be awesome. So there are at least a couple of little things to look forward to, lol.

Anyway, I'm falling asleep here so I'll check in with you all tomorrow with photos and the like.

[chezp]

Wow, that was a long day!

[Colexis Mom]

Glad you had a great day!

[KMB733]

I'm tired just reading about your long day! Glad you had a great day though.

[lfredsbo]

WOW! You are always full of adventure!!! That Meri just cracks me up!!! hailing a cab!!! She is so like my DD.........so watch out!!!! LOL!!

Can't wait to the see the pics of LI.........I am just in CT and always say we should go for a weekend to LI,,,,,,,,,,and never do

[dsteiny23]

What a crazy busy day!! But what a nice grown-up dinner out too. That Paella sounds absolutely delish!!

[pamcarey]

What a great day! Your dinner sounds fabulous! Glad to hear that you liked the Hunger Games. I'm hoping to borrow book 2 from someone soon!

[Principessa_di_Fata]

Originally Posted by chezp

Wow, that was a long day!

Sure was. But oddly enough it wasn't nearly as stressful as I anticipated it being. I really expected something far worse, and was relieved it went as easily as it did. LOL!

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

Glad you had a great day!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by KMB733

I'm tired just reading about your long day! Glad you had a great day though.

I'm tired remembering it.

Originally Posted by lfredsbo

WOW! You are always full of adventure!!! That Meri just cracks me up!!! hailing a cab!!! She is so like my DD.........so watch out!!!! LOL!!

Can't wait to the see the pics of LI.........I am just in CT and always say we should go for a weekend to LI,,,,,,,,,,and never do

Oh I have to say definitely do. Actually Riverhead has some really cute rentals, and they're really fixing up the little downtown area. I'm quite impressed with the work they're doing. Of course, there's lots of other towns on the island, and I'm pretty sure you can't go wrong with most of them! I'm driving out to the Hamptons today so I'll post those pix later!

Originally Posted by dsteiny23

What a crazy busy day!! But what a nice grown-up dinner out too. That Paella sounds absolutely delish!!

It was awesome. It was called The Cooperage. Oh man it was so good. Can't say enough!

Originally Posted by pamcarey

What a great day! Your dinner sounds fabulous! Glad to hear that you liked the Hunger Games. I'm hoping to borrow book 2 from someone soon!

I stayed up til 1am last night finishing the second book. It was really good. I'm hoping to start book 3 later on today.

[Principessa_di_Fata]

Ok so here are a handful of photos from Wednesday.

When I looked at this photo later, I thought "WTF is that airplane doing SO CLOSE outside the window?" Then I remembered, duh, we were parked at the gate when I took this. LOL! *doh*


The beach we went to on Long Island. The water was freezing, but the kids loved wading (some even swam) and Meri had a blast digging.


Playing in the sand




This kind of turned into a cute artsy shot, of the bucket and shovel, with the kids walking together towards us.


Yesterday we didn't do much of anything to report on or take photos of. I worked and then we went to my other cousin's house for an Arbonne / Willow Creek party.

Right now my cousin has her daughter and Meri out at the aquarium. Meri is having a field day, no doubt! I just hope she's behaving. I get so nervous! Last night my cousin's husband watched all the kids while Gina and I went to that party, and when we got back... I got the report that Meri streaked naked around the house (freaking out the young boy, who is 6). Andrew (the husband) was like, "I'm not touching someone else's naked kid, so I made Madison (the 10 year old girl) deal with it." LOL! Geez.

Then when I got upstairs, Meri was in bed and she confessed all her "sins" to me (this is a nightly thing with her, lol, where she tells me everything bad she's done during the day, and we discuss it). Turns out she'd made Madison cry and was being a general butt-head to her. But then she said they were friends again and everything was ok. *sigh* I hope we can survive 5. I hear that kindergarten helps a LOT in maturing kids. I'm praying... lol.

So this afternoon, after I get out of work, we'll head out to the Hamptons, I think, to go have a look around, and go get ice cream and whatever. I don't really know what our plans are after that. And then tonight is dinner out with my cousin, her husband, and some of their friends. I hope Meri behaves!! *oh please* *oh please*

Tomorrow we'll go out on the boat, and then I believe my best friend will drive out here to hang out. I am now thinking we may drive back with her tomorrow night to Queens, because really, we'd be leaving here at 8am on Sunday morning anyway, so the only thing we'd miss here is sleeping and getting driven to the Jitney stop. If we go back with my friend, we can have breakfast with my Goddaughter (it's her 11th birthday on Sunday) and then head down to Penn Station on the LIRR (or maybe I can even wrangle it so I get driven down there by another friend). Either way, it makes life a lot less stressful, I'd have to say.

I'll talk to my cousin about it tonight and see what she thinks. I wouldn't want to hurt her feelings by leaving early, but since it's only about 11 hours early, lol, I don't know that she'll mind.

Anyway, enough rambling... I'm outta here. More photos either later tonight or tomorrow at some point, I hope!

[mcc0313]

What a whirlwind couple of days you both have had. Just getting to catch up, so sorry to hear about your friends loss , glad you were able to be there for her and also have the ability to modify the trip a bit so you could be with her and also enjoy the rest of your trip.

Love all the pictures

[cubfancolleen]

Meri cracks me up! Can't wait to meet her! (hopefully she'll have all her clothes on!). Both my kids used to like streaking naked thru the house but I am happy to report they do outgrow that.

[scrappyjae]

Okay, jumping in on this very late, but still in time as you aren't home yet. Meri sounds like a great kid. Jeez, if my kids confessed their "sins" every night, I would never get any sleep!! Just kidding, a little, they are good kids, not perfect kids.

I think you will have some great weather for your NOVA part of the trip, as it really has been sunny and warm down here and they are calling for the same.

[chezp]

Originally Posted by scrappyjae

Meri sounds like a great kid. Jeez, if my kids confessed their "sins" every night, I would never get any sleep!! Just kidding, a little, they are good kids, not perfect kids

I agree - I think it's a lovely idea to confess the "sins" every night.

[KMB733]

Great pictures. The story about Meri running around naked, priceless