In answer to the question...

Will a seagull steal a chip from a child's bottom?

The answer is yes! If he lies still enough. But it takes longer than you might think.

Connor was totally complicit in our antics. Five adults and Helen watched very quietly, reloading and baiting the cap on his bottom as necessary.

Elaine

Blackbeard Left a Little Something on the Beach for Us

It's a little known fact, but the famous pirate Blackbeard apparently spent a bit of time in what is now known as Chincoteague. I'm not sure of all the details, but I learned over Labor Day that he left a little bit of treasure behind.

It started out like any other day. Connor and Helen ran across the street to check on our crab trap. (And actually, although we did catch a few crabs, it was more of a crab feeding station since there were so many holes in the trap, and most crabs opted to dine and dash, rather than stay around and get eaten by Connor and Helen.)

There was initial disappointment at not finding a crab, and more disappointment when we found an old jar and piece of trash instead. But quickly, the day started looking up. Inside the glass jar was a map left by Blackbeard which indicated there was buried treasure nearby. There was much excitement as Connor and Helen raced to show me their find.

We drove to the beach and carefully studied the map, which seemed to indicate the treasure was buried on the bay side. Never mind that the bay side probably didn't exist in its current state when the map was allegedly penned. We were not going to be dissuaded from our hunt by facts!

We gathered a couple of apprentices and set out on our hunt!

We were doing our best to act casual, so as not to attract unwanted attention and risk having to split the booty multiple ways.

The treasure hunters followed a series of clues, and eventually we found this:

Our treasure hunters seemed a bit lost at times, but our intrepid adviser Stephen (who has been on a few hunts in his day) reminded us that sometimes pirates have peg legs, and they walk with a limp, which might cause them to veer off to the left.

There was lots of digging...

A bit of mid-adventure analyzing:

And finally, there was treasure!

Connor requested I contact the newspaper right away, but instead I told him I'd run the store on the wire out of my office. I might have forgotten to do this. My only hope now is that Stephen joins us next year. Otherwise, Ed and I are going to have to get mighty creative to top this year's trip.

Upon starting back to school, Connor seemed to have forgotten all about his trips to Kansas, Loon Lake, England, and Paris - but he did remember the treasure!

Elaine

Labor Day in Chincoteague

We might have started a new family tradition of heading to Chincoteague for Labor Day. Originally, the trip happened on Memorial Day weekend. But, unless you are at the beach every Memorial Day, you may not know that it rains every year at that time. You could probably guess the water was cold - which is not the best time to go to a beach if you want to swim.

The trip was then moved to 4th of July - and we had a string of great ones.

But this year, Labor Day made the most sense, so we gathered a crew of new and returning 'Teaguers alike, and it might have been the best trip yet.

Connor still has mad boogie board skills, which he happily showed off.

Ed found a Horseshoe Crab washed up on the shore. Luckily, it was not too stinky.

Helen has surpassed the Mr. Whippy sign in height. Click here, for past years' photos.

Connor and Helen can practically lead the Captain Barry's Backbay Cruise - and bonus this year - a photo of Connor and his friend Eamon appears in the brochure. This cruise has provided so many great memories for both me and the kids. As has been noted in these pages before, I take particular pleasure in finding activities that I loved before I had kids, that I love with my kids as well.

Our new au pair was game for the campiness of Captain Barry. She's even smiling at the end!

The water was a little rough - so there wasn't a lot of going out super deep, but there was lots of playing near the shore. Helen has decided that wave jumping is her sport of choice.

Up next? The treasure hunt dreamt up by my friend. It's what kept 'Teague fresh for us this year - after 18 years of visiting!

Elaine

Getting Around on Vacation

Ed and I are on the brink of an enormous parenting milestone. We can almost bike to the beach with our children. At present, Helen is still riding the trail-a-bike behind Ed, but my backseat has been put to rest in the shed until I have time to pass it along to the next person. This is possible, because Connor is rocking his own wheels these days.

I love it. And not just because my bike is 25 pounds lighter!

We also added kayaks back into to our list of great things to do in Chincoteague. It felt great to visit Snug Harbor for the first time in 6 years and paddle around. This was one of those activities that Ed and I have always loved, but we've been afraid to take the kids. This year, we gritted our teeth and just said "we're doing it". It was totally the right call.

As usual, our arms gave out well before our alloted time on the ocean. Next year, maybe we'll make the whole morning. Another Chincoteague milestone of being given a paddle with kayak rental still seems a few years off for Helen and Connor.

Elaine

Getting Bigger, Measurements by Mr. Whippy

In general, I like to travel to new places. There are just too many great places to see, and I'll never get to see them all. However, there's also a certain charm to revisiting old places. Ed and I briefly considered bailing on Chincoteague this year, but found a note Connor had written in the craft room on a wipe board about how much he loves Chincoteague and especially Captain Barry. Once we found that, our fate was sealed. Off to 'Teague we'd go.

The first year we took Helen to Chincoteague, she spontaneously hugged a wooden ice cream cone at Mr. Whippy's (2009). She repeated the feat in 2011. This year, our friend's daughter got in on the action as well - which I think means she's obligated to come with us every year from here on out so I can keep recreating the photo! Next year, I'm guessing Helen will be taller than the sign!

Here's Helen through the years.

2009

2011

2012, with Luna

2012, with Luna

Elaine

July Vacationing: Chincoteague 2012

We took back-to-back vacations in July, heading first to Chincoteague and then to Cape May.

Prior to the start of our trip, Helen and Connor had reached a point in the summer where they were making each other a little nutty. I enrolled them in only one week of camp (which they participated in together), precisely because I wanted them to have a summer of playing together. Too much of a good thing? Maybe.

In any case, cramming them into a car for our annual trek to Chincoteague either went really well or so badly that I've blocked it out because only a few weeks later, I have no memories of the event. Did I sleep the entire ride?

We arrived to our friends already settled in, and Connor and Eamon wasted no time picking right up where they left off last year - boogie boards.

It's amazing how much time those things can consume. Helen tried her hand at the boards a bit, but she'd still prefer to play in the surf and head out deep with someone holding her.

And Connor suddenly looks a lot older to me. Is it a sign that summer's almost over and 2nd grade will be starting soon?

Day 1, in the books!

Elaine