A Pirate Adventure

Sunday was a cloudy, partly rainy day. But a local lighthouse was having Pirate Day, which we knew Rudy would enjoy, and it included a boat ride, which Paul was looking forward to, so we ventured out after church. Although this lighthouse is VERY close to us, and just around the corner from a place I used to teach, neither of us had ever been there before.



It is the tallest lighthouse in our state and the third tallest in the United States.

The Dread Pirate Rudy (Princess Bride anyone?).

Heading up the lighthouse. There were 228 steps - no, we didn't count, the steps were numbered and donated by different people.

It was rainy and foggy when we got to the top, and the height of it scared me some, so we didn't spend much time up there.

At the top, we took a break to be pirates.





After hanging out at the lighthouse, we headed over to the docks where the boats were. With my history of motion sickness, I chose not to ride the boat, so Paul and Rudy headed off. Paul was exhausted when the ride was over (after an hour), he said he and Rudy explored every possible corner of the boat (meaning Rudy didn't stop moving, as usual)!

Riding under the bridge that leads to a local town.

I love this picture- he's so intent and content and still all at once.

A clam boat that had just come in filled with clams. Apparently these clams go directly to the Campbell's factory (as in Campbell's Soup) that is less than an hour away from us. The captain of the boat Paul and Rudy were on said that these clams would be in soup by Tuesday. Pretty quick turn around!

We had a great time at the lighthouse and plan on going back for other events. It would have been great if it had been a sunny day but at least it only rained a little bit on us.

A Great Week Off

It was just a stroke of luck that I ended up having all of this last week off. My (previous ) school had used so many snow days that school ended up being open on Thursday and Friday. Friday was supposed to be my last day, since I had given notice two weeks prior. But instead I was informed the week before Easter that Thursday (the 1st) would be my last day.

Rudy and I enjoyed our week off together - possibly a little too much - he's been VERY attached to me over the last few days. I blogged about much of the beginning of the week and all the time we got to spend outside. Paul was off with us on Thursday and Friday. However, he was also sick. Thursday he took his mom to the doctor's and went himself. So Rudy and I played at the park with friends instead. Friday ended up being the worst day, weather-wise, but Paul was feeling better, so he agreed to take Rudy out for a few hours and let me finish cleaning (I have to say, I never thought this was something I would enjoy or bargain for - time at home to clean!). Then Friday night my dad came over to watch Rudy and Paul and I went out to dinner, seafood - yum, and spent time at a bookstore and a coffee shop. It was a nice relaxing night out.

On Saturday we took the train into Philadelphia to see a Pirate play.

Rudy loves riding the train. (Excuse the way I look, I think Paul snapped the picture as I was eating.)

Rudy really enjoyed the play. Then we stopped at our favorite Philly restaurant - Marathon Grill- for lunch. As we waited for lunch we heard many Pirate phrases - "matey" and "Ahoy" especially. The play was based on the book "How I Became a Pirate" about a little boy who wants to join the pirates but then realizes that they won't tuck him in or sing him songs and he wants to go home. It was funny and Rudy was paying close attention. He keeps reciting parts of the dialogue still today.

On the way home we stopped by to see Bill & Renee for a little while. A tired little boy fell asleep in the car when we headed home - a VERY rare event any more. Even more surprising because we weren't expecting it (because he was very tired or cranky)or hoping for it (because he was very tired or cranky), he was just talking quietly in the back seat and then all of a sudden he was asleep.

Today, Sunday, our last day off, we went to church, took a short walk in the woods after (there's small chapel in the woods behind the church), and then came home and relaxed. I went out and did a little shopping and when I came home, the boys were outside playing baseball, so I joined the fun.

It was a great week - even more so because I didn't plan too much to do. Plans either never materialized, got canceled because of illness or work schedules, or happened spontaneously. And I don't feel like I need a vacation to recover from my vacation- a nice change of pace.