Remembering Grandma

One month ago my Grandma Rose passed away, at 89, after a long and healthy life surrounded by family.  She was my last surviving grandparent, and really the only grandparent I really got to know since the others passed away before I was 10.  While we didn't have the kind of relationship where we baked cookies together or talked about life, I think she still did a lot to shape me.  She really was just the strong, silent type, who lived through World War II and raised 4 kids while her husband was off at sea.  She moved to the US just over 20 years ago and adjusted to a completely new world.  And she always did put family first, which is evident by the way her kids loved and respected her.

The night she died my dad sent me this picture of him as a toddler.  And that's when sadness really stung my heart-- no matter how old you are, your mother is always your mother.  And her loss is no less painful when you are 60, than it would be if you were 6.

 

 Me and Alvin flew back to California the week after, and were met by Malou at SFO for the drive out to Reno, NV.  Given the circumstances we were really happy to be together, it's been ages since we've spent time together as siblings, sans spouses/kids/pets.

The following morning was the funeral service and burial, followed by a whole lot of Mangosing family reunion time.  All of my "little" cousins are either in college or working now, and it was really fun catching up with each other.  Here we are outside the church before the mass.

 

After heading back to the Bay, and given the absolutely gorgeous weather, we decided to have some family time in Santa Cruz.  It had been ages since any of us had been there, and we happened to catch the coast on a warm, windless day.  We stopped at Natural Bridges State Park, one of my all time favorite spots, for some sunshine and tide pooling. 

 

 After a satisfying lunch at Saturn Cafe, (where my dad had no idea he was eating a veggie burger!) we hit up the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.  I'm such a mom-- we even cruised around the kiddie area to scope which rides the boys can go on once we move back out West.

I had never been to the Mystery Spot, so we decided to check it out.  In the Bay Area, you see a lot of the ubiquitous yellow bumper stickers, so it's pretty amazing that I haven't been there before.  It's funny how your brain tricks you into having vertigo, here I am holding on for dear life.

Overall, I'm more thankful than sad about my grandma's passing.  She lived a long and healthy life; she didn't suffer too much at the very end; she was always with family who loved her.  Isn't that all anyone can ask for in life?  While we all gathered to grieve together, it was evident that we were healing by recognizing the blessing that is family.  And that is a wonderful legacy to leave behind-- thanks Grandma Rosing.

Chincoteague Island Getaway

Over Labor Day weekend we took a much anticipated trip to Chincoteague Island, VA.  I had obsessed in the days following my birthday, wanting to get away and explore a coastal area in the Mid Atlantic.  We wanted someplace not too touristy, kid friendly, and with beautiful natural scenery and wildlife-- Chincoteague fit the bill.

We left at 5:30AM Friday morning, almost military style the way my dad used to whenever we drove anywhere far. I only understand his "express" orders now-- there is no way I will deal with traffic with 2 little kids in the back.  We got to the island by 9AM and hopped on a wildlife viewing boat tour.

    

The tour didn't disappoint.  As we approached the Assateague Island National Wildlife Refuge, we saw pelicans, tons of shorebirds, and Atlantic bottle nose dolphins!  Something about seeing dolphins makes me happy, but I'm pretty sure Magnus thought they were sharks.

Then we got to see the famous wild pony herd of Assateague Island. 

Later that afternoon the Harris family arrived at our small 2 bedroom cottage, and we got to crabbing right away.  Melissa and I had been most excited about catching and eating blue crabs; planning, and crafting crab-catching devices in the weeks prior.  Now I've done my share of fishing and crabbing in my life, thanks to my dad, but I have to admit that catching blue crabs is the most fun I've ever had.  All you do is put a chicken neck on a weighted line, throw it into the water, wait less than a minute for the line to wiggle, and pull up slowly.  Those dumb crabs hold on to the chicken neck for dear life, and the kids scoop up the crab with a net.  It's that easy!  Every time we caught a crab, both Finn and Linus screamed "We caught a crab!!!!"

We had the most gorgeous view of the Assateague lighthouse from our cottage.

After a not-so-great night of sleep (what'd you expect with 4 kids under 4?) we got up and had breakfast.  Well, we all had breakfast while Matt entertained the munchkins.

We decided to go to the beach that day, but first order of business was steaming our tasty catch.  The boys had great fun helping us get them into the pot.

Then we were off to the beach!  There is a boat shuttle that takes you to a sandbar, where the water is very shallow with very little waves.  Because it was boat access only, there weren't a lot of people there.  Unfortunately, none of us brought a camera and my lame ass accidentally deleted the few photos I took on my phone :(

Much of the rest of the weekend was spent lazing about, enjoying small, quiet moments when the kids were napping or entertaining themselves. At the moment the below photo was taken, all 4 kids were napping in the cabin-- a tiny victory for us parents!

It's amazing how sand can entertain for hours.

By Monday, we were all pretty tired from 3 nights of poor sleep, too much sun and activity, and were ready to head back early to beat the traffic.  We managed to snap this great group shot before loading into our cars. 

 

While we (as adults) know each other very well and have been friends for over 13 years now, it was awesome to learn about each other as parents.  What our specific challenges were with each child, how our parenting styles were both similar and different.  And it was also funny (and stressful at times) to see our kids' personalities and the unique dynamic they created.  Maybe, hopefully, this is the first of many Karlsson/Harris family vacations.