notes from last week (travel edition)

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I met a penguin (and possibly a ghost), my child lived her best outdoor and sparkly life, and we made it back!


So many kind words on my last post; it’s so nice to know I’m not the only one who gets nervous traveling. I really do hope to get better at it (but hopefully in hotels or places where I can have some alone time haha)!


Oh so many stories from such a lovely week; but here are 5 snippets:


-Making my own smoothies was such a failure. I use this contraption that blends the heck out of what I’m making, but they had the singleserving little tiny thing that really didn’t blend anything so all I was tasting were plant protein powder lumps, ew. On day 3, it started to smell like burning when I was making my smoothie; I decided that was the end and moved on to other breakfasts.


-We went to the Ripley’s aquarium in Myrtle Beach; Luke almost paid extra for me to pat a penguin - I just really love penguins - but it was crazy $$ so I said no. after we explored the entire aquarium, we were wrapping up in the penguin exhibit, and about to head out to lunch. Two of the workers walked out and said “it’s time for the penguin parade!“ - my heart leapt! They walked through the Penguins down a hallway and around the loop, and came back in front of me; magically, one of the penguins walked right up to me, and just sat by my feet for what felt like a lifetime, but must’ve been 30 seconds. It brought so much joy to my heart, and was a true highlight!*


-Lil Momma had so many “firsts”. She went tent camping with her Aunt and Uncle-to-be, became obsessed with hammocks, and fished. Her aunt also put glitter*+ in her hair every single day, as well as edible glitter on her food. Wild times!


-after 18 years of talking about it, Luke and I went for a “ghost walk“ tour of downtown Wilmington, the night LM was tent camping. Luke is way more into scary things than I am, but I love storytelling and history, so it seems like a good fit. What I wasn’t expecting, though, was to have one of the stops creep me out in such a specific and physical way.** Definitely an experience, but one I’ll definitely think much more about before attempting again!


-For my birthday last November, LM got me a telescope and Luke got me a bird feeder with a motion sensor camera in it - it grabs 10 second video clips when it senses movement or sound. I’m officially obsessed with my birdcam***.  I have a male robin, a chickadee, some finches - backstories forthcoming, I promise! 



*for some reason I am more OK with aquariums than most zoos. I don’t know why. Zoos can feel like animal jail, but aquariums just have a different vibe to me.


*+we don’t allow glitter in the house 


**It was the Price House <shudder>


***the closeups of squirrels are freaking me out, to be honest 

Comments

  1. ElisabethApril 24, 2023 at 4:50 PM

    Love this post!

    First: "On day 3, it started to smell like burning when I was making my smoothie; I decided that was the end and moved on to other breakfasts." This made me laugh so hard for some reason.

    PENGUINS! So cool! We happened to be at the Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto at the time they fed sting rays and happened to be walking by the feeding tank at just the right moment and all got to touch sting rays. It was SO cool.

    I have a firm anti-glitter stance in our house. I really hate slime, too, but the kids wear me down and I spent 20 minutes today getting dried slime out of some carpet. Sigh.

    Love the motion-sensor camera on the bird feeder. How cool. I had no idea something like that existed. My Dad loves, loves, loves to feed birds, and I bet he would love this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lindsay42April 25, 2023 at 1:12 PM

      It is so funny, all my friends are buying the birdcam for their dads since I've been raving about it so much - but, I'm comfortable with my hobbies having olderish dad vibes!

      LM fed the sting rays! We never know if she'll do something like that (both from a real anxiety place AND from the place of getting attention if she acts scared; I can't count how many waterslides I've waited in line for only for her to walk away from at the top). She LOVED it!

      Delete
  2. Life of a Doctor's WifeApril 25, 2023 at 4:42 AM

    Hooray for a great trip! The penguin parade sounds amazing! And the ghostly experience sounds cool, if creepy.

    I am not a big glitter fan, either. My daughter's last Halloween costume was a glitter DISASTER and left glitter everywhere she went. It was a witch's costume, so I was unprepared. Speaking of my daughter, she NEEDS a bird cam. Would you consider sharing which make/model you got?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lindsay42April 25, 2023 at 1:09 PM

      I am 90% sure this is the one he bought me: https://www.amazon.com/Camera-Auto-Detection-Wireless-Notification-Space-Idea/dp/B0BCDQ7YVG

      When she was a wee one, my daughter wore a dress to a wedding that RAINED glitter - it made it easy to find her, but immediately went in the garbage in the garage vs. bringing it back in the house haha!

      Delete
  3. NGSApril 25, 2023 at 8:40 AM

    I didn't know that a feeder with a bird cam was an option, but now I'm furiously trying to figure out if I can buy one for my husband for his birthday! What an excellent, fun idea!

    I am the aunt who does the glitter things. I cannot help it, but I will allow my nieces to put glitter everywhere on me and them because when else can you wear glitter?!

    I'm glad you had a good time! Yay!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lindsay42April 25, 2023 at 1:07 PM

      I think aunts automatically get a free pass on glitter!

      Oh, if you do get your husband one, let me know how it goes! It's been so cool seeing the birds I watch from my office window up close.

      Delete
  4. Nicole MacPhersonApril 25, 2023 at 4:15 PM

    Well, this sounds just wonderful! So glad you had a good trip, minus the smoothie part. You'll love this - at the Calgary Zoo when they first got penguins (and maybe still now, who knows, it's been years) they would have a penguin walk. It had to be just the right temperature outside, I can't remember exactly but it had to be below a certain threshold. Anyway, I used to take my boys to the zoo all the time and we sure loved the penguin walk and exhibit. It was very fun.
    The birdcam! How fun!

    ReplyDelete
  5. JennyApril 26, 2023 at 7:14 AM

    Ah, glitter. When my daughter was younger she used to say her favorite color was "glitter." I did allow glitter in the house, which meant it was constantly everywhere, including on my face. One year we made our own Christmas wrapping paper, and used it to wrap presents that we sent to my sister and brother in law. Of course the wrapping paper had glitter on it which then got all over THEIR house, and a couple months later when I mentioned we were going to make valentines for them, my BIL said "Please don't!" Ha ha... although the house is cleaner now, I miss those days. I prefer glitter to bright red hair and septum piercings, sigh.
    I love the penguin story- "Time for the penguin parade!" I can just picture it, and it's making me laugh.
    The birdcam sounds amazing! I can see how the closeups of squirrels might freak you out... they're rodents, aren't they? (I don't really know, but I can see how some people would associate them with rats.) Anyway, sounds like you've had some fun adventures!

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnneMay 4, 2023 at 1:05 PM

    OMG, glitter is the devil's decoration. :) I open holiday cards like they're going to explode, because so many people (ahem) use glitter. (No kids, can you tell? HA!)
    So glad you survived staying in someone's house. Go, you. Now find a hotel for the next time. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. SanMay 4, 2023 at 5:26 PM

    That sounds like a successful trip, yay!
    I love the idea of a birdcam and am intrigued to hear more.

    ReplyDelete

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