North Myrtle Beach, Part 2!

You think the competition is getting fierce between Obama and Romney?  You ain't seen anything until you put a family of Mazers together for go-karting.  On Tuesday, we went to Nascar Speedpark (click link if you want to see their website).  This place was fun!  One of the best go-karting places we've been to.

We had many things going for us.  The weather was phenomenal, a slight breeze in the air and a perfect non-beach day.  Nascar Speedpark was empty!  There were at the most 2 other families visiting while we were there.  Incidentally, we did manage to upset a member of each of those families at various times.  Like I may have mentioned before, we take our go-karting very seriously.  My sister Meghan accurately commented, "It's not called nice-carts."  Hey, if you can't play in the big leagues, you should be sitting on the beach, where that is more your speed.

Being able to stay in our go-karts and ride around and around and around was the coolest.  We all took turns sitting in the 2 seater cars with Ian and Sam.  They had a blast too.  There were 2 tracks we went back and forth on riding as a family.  Additionally, Ian had his own track he was tall enough to drive a car.  And even Sam had a track she was tall enough to drive on her own.  It was awesome!

We were there for 3 hours, left to have dinner and went back again to close the place down.  By then, we were friends with all the operators and they were even getting in on the action telling us which Mazer won the race. 

During our last ride on the bigger track (Family 500), I somehow convinced the guy to let Ian drive his own go-kart.  And he let him!  Ian was a good 6 inches shorter than he needed to be to legally drive the car.  This meant the world to Ian.  I quickly told everyone to NOT BUMP IAN!  When you see the black colored go-kart, go easy approaching it.  Do not scare Ian.  Ian loved it and has a taste for speed now.  Watch-out!  We have another Mazer competing. 

Ian and Rita

My dad

Jeff

Sam and me enjoying the speed!

Ian getting to drive on his own track.

  

Sam driving on her own track.
As soon as she got her seat belt on, she took off!
She didn't wait for the guy to say "Go!"  Love it.



Getting a picture with our go-kart operator.



On your mark, get set, go!!!!!!!!!



Ian, taking his first go-kart experience very seriously.

Pretty stiff competition.

I won the first race!  And that's what counts, right?  Poor Jeff never stood a chance.  We'd fly by him and he'd look like he was barely moving.  I guess he can only be a Mazer by association.  Maybe you have to be born in this family to be a true competing speed demon.

One of the funniest moments was when the guy was showing Sam where her gas and brake were.  Ian hears this and says to all of us standing nearby, "Wow, our cars don't have brakes."   Meghan replies back with, "They do Ian, all the cars have brakes.  We just don't use them."   Spoken like a true Mazer!

Gosh I love my family.  I just don't see how anyone can have as much fun as us when we get together.  What a great day!

Stay tuned for North Myrtle Beach, Part 3! - You want dolphins?  We got dolphins!

North Myrtle Beach, SC

I feel like the Jefferson's.  We are living large in North Myrtle Beach!  We have a gorgeous 3 bedroom condo all to ourselves!  Not only do I have a bedroom to sleep in this for this Mazer family vacation, I scored the MASTER BEDROOM, baby!  Of course, I have Jeff sharing it with me. 

Dad/Rita, Lori/Ben, and Meghan are in the other 3 bedroom condo right next door.  This place is lovely and we have more room than we know what to do with.  I'm loving it! 

The ride down to S.C. took a little more than 6.5 hours.  Other than when Jeff got pulled over for speeding (82 in a 70 mph zone), you couldn't have asked for better conditions (no traffic, kids were great, and the time seem to fly by). 

The weather has been delightful and so far, we've only experienced rain late Monday evening.  It's actually a little on the cool side.

Hard for Sam to cause trouble when she is buried in the sand.

Ian dives for it and catches the ball!

Rita and Sam check out sea shells.

Lazy River!  How fun!!

We're off to a good start!  Stay tuned for North Myrtle Beach, Part 2 - Adventures in Go-Karting!  

Heard and Observed #36

Jeff developed a system so the kids wouldn't fight over whose turn it is using the TV.  Each hour is appointed with an alternating name, Sam, Ian, Sam, Ian, etc.

One morning before a school day, Ian wakes up and comes downstairs.  He sees that Sam has already woken up and is happily watching a "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse". 

Ian looks at the schedule and says, "Awww, it's my turn to watch TV".

Sam replies back with, "Well, you should've woken up earlier then."

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Sam has been acting very whiny and demanding, more when we are at home, than anywhere else.  It's the kind of noise that grates on you.  Jeff and I refuse to do anything to help her get what she wants when she is screaming at us.  Ian, however, likes to swoop in and be her savior.  He'll go to her and give her a big hug and do his best to calm her down.

After witnessing this last Ian-comes-to-the-rescue session:

Jeff:  How sad, Ian is a better parent than us.

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My mom came for a visit this past Tuesday.  On Monday, I heard Sam say to Ian:

"Just one more sleep Ian and Mom-mom will be here!!"

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Beach Bound.

I know it seems odd, just as the new school year gets under way and we get used to our busy schedules, we take a week off to go to the beach.  But that's the way we roll!

My dad tries hard to bring the family together every year for a time-out from the hustle & bustle of our regular lives and give us a chance to hang with the family.  We've done Gatlinburg, Tennessee more times than I can count.  Cocoa Beach was the destination two years ago.  A cruise to the Bahamas before that.  And, we've even done a staycation that had us visiting various theme parks in Florida.  It really doesn't matter what the location is, being around the family is the best.  I adore everyone I am related to.  No matter what the situation, we laugh till our sides hurt.  And then, inevitably, we start reminiscing about previous get-togethers and laugh all over again.  Rehashing stories is what I enjoy best about being a Mazer girl.  That, and my superior driving skills. 

Tomorrow we will be in Myrtle Beach, SC.  We have (2) three bedroom condos to stay in from Saturday, 10/13 to Saturday, 10/20.  I think I am most excited about this upcoming trip because there is a good chance, I will get a bedroom to sleep in.  I usually end up on the pull-out couch in the living room.  Yes, I am the oldest of the three girls!  Yes, I am the only one to have given my dad and stepmother grandchildren!  You would think I'd have some clout and could pull my weight to snag a good bedroom.  In theory, every single year, there should always be enough bedrooms for me to have one.  But somehow, it is me, always me to end up on the pull-out sofa.

The only small hiccup in my grand plans of sleeping in a bedroom is the fact we are arriving a day later than everyone else.  My great friend, Wendy is getting married TODAY!!!!!! and we are staying local an extra day to see her get married.  Everyone else will be getting to Myrtle Beach on Saturday, and we won't arrive till Sunday afternoon.  As we all know, possession is 9/10ths of the law. 

But I am hopeful.  I think me being in a bedroom this year is actually going to happen.  It helps that I can now put Sam and Ian together in the same room if need be.  It also helps that Meghan has to leave Wednesday evening and get back home for school.  Therefore, Meghan isn't bringing a friend with her, which usually is the case each year.  So if I am doing the math correctly, Dad/Rita in one room, Lori/Ben in another room.  Meghan in a third room.  That leaves 3 bedrooms for my Toppall team and me.  It's actually even looking good that I could be sleeping in the same room as Jeff.  Wow, what a concept.

I am grateful to my dad and Rita for making these trips and time together a priority.  Other than a few days here and there doing side trips, Jeff, me and the kids have never had a full week off for a vacation together.  It's so nice that due to my dad and Rita's generosity this becomes possible. 

I am really excited about our trip and have some fun things planned for the week we are there.  It does seem a little "off" that we are going to a beach town after the summer is over, but knowing my family like I do, this just means less people around to get in our way.

Write this.

You know the Web site, Pinterest, where everyone "pins" everything under the sun from recipes, to crafts, to books, to pictures of beautiful locations, to design ideas, to even just pictures of shoes they love?  I seriously think there is a board or pin for EVERYTHING!   It really is amazing how you can put in a random word (any word) like "chair" and get thousands of ideas (step-by-step) on how to refinish one, different kinds of chairs, many examples of rooms with chairs in them, kid's chairs, rocking chairs, and so on.  The word "chair" alone will incite thousands and thousands of pins, all neatly organized.

So, I am on Pinterest just like the rest of the free world.  And, yes, I do enjoy repinning things from time to time.  I love all the ideas and get grand illusions of thinking I'll do them.  Ha!  Other than trying out one recipe, I haven't done any of them yet.  But boy am I ready to go if I decide to get going. 

I came across a pin recently that inspired me right away.  I don't think even 24 hours went by before I got my idea in action.   

Here was the pin as I saw it:

Mom and Me journal. Write letters back and forth with your kids. Ask a question, answer a question. Leave under their pillows...I love this idea.



I saw this and knew I had to do it with Ian. I couldn't wait to go out and get a journal for us to use. 

 

On the inside of the front page, I wrote the following:

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

 

I write you little messages, or ask you questions, or maybe tell you something funny that has happened. 

 

I'll leave this for you under your pillow to find.

 

When you've read it, written something back to me, or maybe just draw me a picture, you can put it under my pillow for me.

 

This will be our journal to use.

 

Love, Mom

 

I wrote my first entry and put it under Ian's pillow that afternoon.  I was so excited for him to find it.  He had no idea I was doing this and I had visions of all this wonderful writing going back and forth between us.  This was going to be something special just for us.  I thought about the future and how if something was troubling him, it might make him feel better knowing he could write it down.  Or when something really cool happens, he'd have a place to document that too.  An opportunity for us to keep the "conversation" going when he gets too big to want to tell me everything, like he does now.  This journal wouldn't go back and forth between our pillows every day....maybe just one day a week or randomly when something comes up.

This was going to be our thing.  Just me and Ian. 

Ian found the journal and opened it.  He read my instructions page and my first entry.  Then he ran with the journal and put it back under my pillow (while I was in bed reading).  That was it.  Hmmm, ok, maybe I need to start off asking him a question or two so he'll know to use the attached pencil.  The next night I put the journal back under his pillow to find.  My entry asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up.  And then I also asked if  he could visit any state, which one would it be and why?  

Ian answered the questions and again, ran back with the journal to return it to me; trying very hard to be sneaky getting it under my pillow (again, while I am in bed reading).  There was no new entry with writing, questions, or a drawing back for me.  But we are making progress.  I think Ian is having fun with this and I will stick with it.   And if Ian ever feels inspired to do more than just read what I write or answer my questions, then he will have a place to do it.

Being Silly.

My Toppall team and I got silly trying out the new camera. I wanted to make sure I liked it and was happy with how the pictures were turning out. I was very ready to take it back if necessary. After spending this much money on a camera, it had to be a keeper in every situation I'd be using it.

The morning after it's big arrival, I was shooting various pictures to see how it performed indoors. Sam and Ian both said take a picture of us on top of daddy. So I took a bunch of the following picture.

Then, someone said to me, "You should get in the picture." Since the self-timer is something I would use from time to time, I needed to make sure I knew where the buttons were and how it works. So, we tried the photo with the four of us stacked on top of each other.

Only in our first try, Sam didn't even get close to making it on top of us. Those 10 seconds went by very quickly. You can see her in the left bottom corner.

Here Sam has done a bit better, but still she hasn't managed to get on top of us. We had no idea how close Sam came until we looked at the picture afterwards.

At last, we got Sam in the photo. We are giggling very hard, and managed to compose ourselves for when the red light flashed quickly to let us know the picture was about to be taken.

I think we spent about 30 minutes trying to get the picture to take with all of us in it. Turns out is impossible for Sam to have enough time to not only get in the picture, but also try to lay flat on top of Ian. She gets about 4 seconds to complete her part of the picture and its simply not enough time.

Pushing the button for the timer and then running into formation was hilarious. Poor Sam had the toughest job needing to climb up all of us.

It was a very fun morning. And I am very happy with how the camera did. And I now know that if we ever had to get moving in a hurry (you know, like a fire or something), we can do it in under 10 seconds. I just have to click the button on the camera to see everyone move into action, very fast.

Camera Fun!

I got a new camera.  I was tired of how washed-out looking the pictures were with my old camera.  And it was time to see how technology has improved over the years.  I think I am going on 4 years with my old camera.    As much as I love the idea of a DSLR, I really wanted one that I could keep in my purse and take out on a whim.  I am pretty sure I take more pictures than anyone else I know, and always like to have a camera ready to go.  I wanted a point and shoot type camera, but it had to take amazing photos, indoors and out. I researched a bunch of cameras and settled on one that CNET gave an "Excellent" rating to. 

This is it!

Sony Cybershot DSC-HX30V


Check out the size of lens!!

So the camera has a wireless component that will send photos to my computer without any cables.  This only took a 59 minute call with Sony's customer service to figure out why I couldn't do it with mine.  And, no, it had nothing to do with our computer's firewall.  But once I got it working, it has been a breeze to do ever since and is a really cool feature.  The other thing it can do is send photos to my iPhone.  This way, you can post to FB, email, etc.   This only took a 25 minute call to Sony's customer service to figure out.  But again, now that I can do it, I can keep doing it easily.   All the other settings/features, I've been pretty good about figuring out. 

I haven't mentioned Heather in a while...here's a picture with her and her
two youngest.  This is a great example of an indoor picture, with normal lighting.
Love it!

An action shot.

Self-timer.  What a beautiful picture! 

The camera takes amazing pictures.  It works well in any kind of situation.  I love it!  We have a beach trip coming up and I can't wait to see how the pictures turn out. I am very happy I took the plunge and got it.