Snip-its

Here are a few shots from Scarlett and Max's haircuts a few weeks ago.  We usually go to a kids salon in the back of a Stride Rite shoe store (so you can have the pleasure of mixing two totally unrelated activities at once -- haircuts and shoe shopping), but this time we thought we'd try Snip-its, a kids salon in Snider Plaza that has movies, games, bubbles, and a boatload of colorful distractions.  

Scarlett got a "trim."  (Even though we took several inches off, we had to be careful to call it a trim, because she was convinced that if she got a "haircut" like Max, they would cut all of her hair off.)

Blowing bubbles.

Turning around so the back of the chair doesn't get in the way.

When the stylist asked Scarlett to put her head down, she sort of scrunched up like this instead of just lowering her chin.

Pretty girl.

Next up -- Max and  his pouffy 'do!  He did great sitting in the chair all by himself.  (He's had several haircuts, but previously we had to do them in my lap.)  Give that kid a lollipop, and apparently he'll do just about anything.

Kicking back and relaxing while he takes in a movie.

Looking concerned, although it's hard to tell if it's because her hand is in his face or because he can't see the t.v. screen.

Yep, the lollipop's still there!

Looking good, Max!

The Fourth!

We celebrated the Fourth of July this year at the Kovac's house with swimming, great food, and lots of fun.

Check out the snazzy hair-do (braided pig-tails left in overnight)!

Max made it his mission to pull up and replant the flags.

Swimming!

Chris and Max giving Michael and Henry tips on jumping into the pool.

Poolside tea party (with Stella serving tea on Scarlett's head).

Max, not deterred by the giant hat covering his entire face, digs around in the candy bowl for treats.

Next challenge:  finding his mouth (note that he has one lollipop in use and another one ready as backup; you can never be too prepared).  

Max loved this ride in the Kovac's backyard.

Chris looking like some strange combination of Yankee Doodle and Willie Wonka.

Henry and Scarlett rocking their crazy headbands.  (And Henry rocking sans pants.)

Trying to get a group photo with a 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 year old where everyone looks at the camera at the same time with a pleasant look on their face is a challenge to say the least.  Here's what I ended up with instead.

Take 1 -- The Dramatic Patriot:  Everyone is looking the right way except Scarlett, who is too busy theatrically waving her flag.

Take 2 -- The Scream:  Scarlett is almost completely obscured by her flag in this one, and hardly anyone is looking at the camera for that matter, but I love Henry's expression (made all the more poignant by his outfit (or lack thereof)).

Take 3 -- The Keeper:  This is probably the best one I got, although Max has moved on to something more interesting (like pulling up flags along the sidewalk) and has been replaced by Mark, and Chris's face is mostly covered up by the giant hat thanks to Michael's bunny ears.

Take 4 -- The British Are Coming!:  All hell starts to break lose, at least as far as Scarlett is concerned.  We announced it was time to leave, and you would have thought that Scarlett just determined that the Declaration of Independence had a typo in it and we were going back under British rule based on a technicality.  (Translation:  MAJOR MELTDOWN.)

Hope your Fourth of July was so much fun that you didn't want it to end either!

A Toast to the Coast (Part 3)

We rounded off our trip with a big family gathering and a trip to the Rockport Beach.

Here's Max and his Grandma, ready to party with the rest of the Schwegmann gang and friends at Hunt's.

Happy boy.

Sweet sister kisses.

Checking out the water from the new deck at Hunt's.

Posing with Mimi and Papa Tig.

Silly goose.

Scarlett and the ladies -- Aunt Brenda, Grandma, and Aunt Meg (and photo bomb by Mike).

Erin and Paul made a fishing tournament scoreboard for the kids to sign and comment on what they caught.  Here's Max and Scarlett signing their names with a little help from their Daddy.

Scarlett's comment said, "12 fish!"

Max's comment said, "Threw 12 perch back into the water!"  Coincidence?  (Although a more accurate description would have been something along the lines of "Threw four fish, ten bait shrimp, a bucket, a bottle cap, and attempted to throw anything else that wasn't nailed down into the water!"  But that was too long, so we kept it simple.)  

Fish face for the fishing tournament.

More Scarlett kisses.

Watching Uncle Greg man the grill.  He made some fish/chorizo concoction that was delicious.

Sneaking cake bites.  (Note the icing warpaint on Scarlett's cheek.)

Max making more silly faces, but this time with his Daddy.

Scarlett and Cousin Jordan.

Max eating Scarlett's cake while she was momentarily distracted, with Papa Tig as his accomplice.  Spoiler alert:  this did not end well.

Uncle Paul announcing the winners.

Scarlett collecting her trophy (which is currently proudly on display on the windowsill over the kitchen sink).

We spent the last day of our trip hanging out at the beach.

Here's some evidence that I was actually on the trip.

Here's Scarlett and the giant blue crab at the entrance to the Rockport Beach.  According to my giant crab internet research, this is a new crab that was unveiled last Labor Day, replacing another giant crab built in the 50s that sat on top of a local seafood restaurant.  It was a beloved landmark (Paw remembers it when he was a kid), but after it didn't fare so well in a few hurricanes and deteriorated beyond repair, it was taken down in 1976.  Some residents started a "bring back the giant crab" campaign a few years ago, and well, behold the new giant crab (and the toddler posing dramatically in front of it).  

Playing the guitar with Eric.

That wraps up our 2013 Rockport trip.  But wait!  Look!  Did Paw catch the giant trout that managed to get away from Chris that fateful night?  Is that a trout on his hook, or an old hat?  Is the elusive giant trout related to the giant crab?  Do giant trouts wear hats?  So many questions remain unanswered.

Until next time, Rockport.