This morning we said goodbye to Mama, Nana, Alana, and Lili as they headed down to New York for a 3-day trip. We hope they have a great time!
Mom had a fun plan in store for the kids: Old Orchard Beach! Even though the forecast said there was a 100% chance of rain, we figured it would still be fun because the crowds would be small. Grandma and Pop Pop get the Good Sports award for joining us on our soggy adventure.
We hit the rides as soon as we got there. Surprisingly, Kate didn't want to go on a single ride. She was quite content to watch her sister enjoy them....and enjoy them she did! Emily tried everything, from driving a hot rod....
....to spinning in a giant bear (with Pop Pop)....
....to driving a teacup (and she had her pick of colors).
We were sure right about the lack of crowds. We practically had the place to ourselves!
Emily got more bold as the day went on. She tried out a motorcycle...
....rode on a whale....
....flew a cropduster....
....and an elephant(!)....
....and she even went up real high in the Ferris Wheel with Mom. What a view!
It was such a joy to watch Em enjoy the rides. We could tell she really felt like she was driving (or flying), and it was such a thrill for her. She waved to us from all the rides, and her smile was so contagious, it got us all smiling, despite the rain.
After all those rides we decided to grab some lunch. Old Orchard Beach is a very touristy spot, and there were lots of walk-up windows with standard "Fair" food.
We went with hot dogs, apple juice, and a bucket 'o fries.
Kate was in her element at lunch. Rain or shine, Kate loves her some Fair food.
After lunch we went back to the car to get our beach clothes, and we headed out to the surf. Em had seen the beach from the Ferris Wheel, and she was very excited.
Kate was not quite as excited....she didn't like the feel of the sand on her feet at first, but she slowly made her way down to the surf.
As we saw at the waterpark yesterday, Emily is in her element in the water. It was surprisingly warm, and she could have played in the waves for hours.
Em wanted to go farther and farther out, but Mom had to set some limits.
Emily would like to live at Old Orchard Beach, if possible.
Kate, meanwhile, was finding out how much fun it is to make footprints in the sand.
After the beach we had a special snack: Ice cream with sprinkles!
Then we headed back to the car, and dried off for the trip home.
We had a great time at Old Orchard Beach today. A big thank you to Grandma & Pop Pop for helping out so much!
Finally, here is a little video of Emily enjoying the surf.
The kids were thrilled, especially Emily. She loves her Mom and her grandparents, but Mama holds a special place in her heart.
Kate missed Mama too!
The girls couldn't wait to show Mama pictures from their big adventure to Old Orchard Beach.
It's always nice to have the family back together.
Mom had a fun plan in store for the kids: Old Orchard Beach! Even though the forecast said there was a 100% chance of rain, we figured it would still be fun because the crowds would be small. Grandma and Pop Pop get the Good Sports award for joining us on our soggy adventure.
We hit the rides as soon as we got there. Surprisingly, Kate didn't want to go on a single ride. She was quite content to watch her sister enjoy them....and enjoy them she did! Emily tried everything, from driving a hot rod....
....to spinning in a giant bear (with Pop Pop)....
....to driving a teacup (and she had her pick of colors).
We were sure right about the lack of crowds. We practically had the place to ourselves!
Emily got more bold as the day went on. She tried out a motorcycle... 
....rode on a whale....
....flew a cropduster....
....and an elephant(!)....
....and she even went up real high in the Ferris Wheel with Mom. What a view!
It was such a joy to watch Em enjoy the rides. We could tell she really felt like she was driving (or flying), and it was such a thrill for her. She waved to us from all the rides, and her smile was so contagious, it got us all smiling, despite the rain.
After all those rides we decided to grab some lunch. Old Orchard Beach is a very touristy spot, and there were lots of walk-up windows with standard "Fair" food.
We went with hot dogs, apple juice, and a bucket 'o fries.
Kate was in her element at lunch. Rain or shine, Kate loves her some Fair food.
After lunch we went back to the car to get our beach clothes, and we headed out to the surf. Em had seen the beach from the Ferris Wheel, and she was very excited.
Kate was not quite as excited....she didn't like the feel of the sand on her feet at first, but she slowly made her way down to the surf.
As we saw at the waterpark yesterday, Emily is in her element in the water. It was surprisingly warm, and she could have played in the waves for hours.
Em wanted to go farther and farther out, but Mom had to set some limits.
Emily would like to live at Old Orchard Beach, if possible. 
Then we headed back to the car, and dried off for the trip home.
We had a great time at Old Orchard Beach today. A big thank you to Grandma & Pop Pop for helping out so much!
The first item on the agenda is always to apply a good layer of sunscreen....
....then we hit the water! This giant frog slide was Em's favorite last year.
It was still a lot of fun!
Kate declared that the water was too cold (even though it was 70 degrees out), and she mostly stuck to wading in the "beach" area.
But Emily jumped right in. She absolutely loves playing in the water, which is just what Mama was like at her age.
Em and Mom even took a turn going down the big slide!
The waterpark is sure to be one of our favorite spots this summer.
Now whenever Mama checks Facebook, she can do it too!
Emily is very excited about her laptop. She doesn't even care that it's not connected to anything, for now she is quite happy just pretending!
It finally stopped raining for a few hours, so they played outside in the pool, and Em showed Cole how she hits batting practice.
Then it was up to the playroom for Emily's favorite activity: Wrestling!
It was so nice to see Cole today!
We have been told that little kids grow too fast to wear out their clothes (that's why garage sales are such a gold mine)....but I guess Kate proved that wrong.
So if you are ever wondering "why do they dress her like that?", just keep in mind that Kate is Kate.
Not to be outdone, Kate took her scooter for a spin.
Emily is serious about the Trek. She wasn't satisfied with just riding her trike--she also insisted on a water bottle and a meal bracelet, just like Mama.
