Water in Chesapeake

We've been back in Lynchburg since Monday, but I've felt so busy!  Getting the house filled with food again, our weekly meetings, Eliot's playdate, Chris's dissertation meetings...  Today when Eliot napped, I fell asleep right next to him for about thirty minutes.

We had a good visit in Chesapeake with a beach trip, seeing my grandma, a family dinner, and a visit to the aquarium.  It is hard to believe that September is a little over a week away, so I'm trying to savor all of these nice days. 

I was so happy to get to see my grandma in a good place.  It is hard to really get her to understand things.  It has been that way for a while.  I'm pretty sure she never understood what I was doing in college or that I have a job or most details of my life.  Then she'd start talking bad about people (always saying they should work more) when she simply didn't understand the big picture.

So, it is kind of the same, but worse in that she gets stuck on something and can't get away from it.  However, it is better too because she is so care-free that she doesn't seem bothered by anything.  We had a conversation like this:

Memaw:  Do you have a dog.
Me:  Yes, we have two little dogs.
Memaw:  Do you still have that big, white dog?
Me:  No, I think you mean Chelse's dog, Arlington.
Memaw:  Are you looking after Chelse's dog for her?
Me:  No, her dog is at her house.

If she wants to think that I have a big, white dog, that is fine with me.  I just want her to feel safe and happy.  And she does!

During our trip, we tried to get in the water as much as possible.  Beach time with Kimmy.  Pool time with the cousins, Kimmy, and Josh.  And then the day we left, the pool was so cold!  I think it might be nearing the end of water for me.  Kimmy and I also brushed up on our drawing skills and drew all of the inner scouts on my parents' driveway.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was taking Eliot to the aquarium.  It was rainy and nasty out, so all of the tourists were gathering at the aquarium to look at fish.  Chris and I had been planning to buy a membership (it is just the price of two admissions), so we got to cut everyone in line after a nice man shared his umbrella with me.  Last time we went, Eliot was nine months old and indifferent.  A year later, he was so excited to see the fish, turtles, seals, and sharks!  Very enthusiastic about rays, Eliot would have dived right into the tank if I let him.

I can't wait to go back when it isn't as crowded and just sit and watch the fish.

Chris has been training hard for the half marathon coming up, so I went with him to the park to ride my bike as he ran.  We went for nine miles!  Usually I bring Eliot, but he can't handle that long of a bike ride (we stick to four miles), so my mom watched him at her house.  I felt so tired and sore, yet I am not allowed to complain since Chris ran forever.

So, we're back in town just to leave again in a week for Chris's race.