Summer STEM Project

The kids have met with their friends all summer to build an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV).  It was definitely a challenging project.  The kids learned how to measure and cut PVC, drill, waterproof, solder, assemble, troubleshoot electrical issues, and adjust buoyancy. It took 20+ hours to assemble. Soldering the circuit board was the most difficult part by far.  We were all nervous that something would go wrong or not work.  The first two tries were duds but after a few adjustments, the ROV was up and running.  Everyone was so excited and we rushed out to the pool to try it out- and it ran great.  There is an underwater robotics competition that we can enter in the spring, and we may participate.  I have to say, this was a great way to keep the kids engaged in STEM during the summer.  They loved the project and loved the fact that they got to do it with their friends.     

Pool, Pier, Putt-Putt

When not on the beach, we hung out at the pool or on the pier.  The pier is still not fully rebuilt from the damage it took during the hurricane two years ago. so fishing could only be done around high tide. Both of my kids swim well enough that they can be in the pool without me right there, and that was nice (meaning more time on the beach for me).  We were also able to eat out a few times during the week.  In addition to our usual favorites (hello, Salty Pelican) we tried some new places including the brand new Salt Life.  We ate on the rooftop overlooking the ocean.  The view was incredible and the food was also good.  Papa Buie gave all of his great-grandkids money to get ice cream, so we hit up Fantastic Fudge.  I ordered Vanilla and was given a Lemon Custard flavor by mistake, but it was delicious.  I was glad for the mix-up.  I also took the kids putt-putting, and that was fun.  We had such a great week at the beach and are already looking forward to next year.

Beach Vacation 2019

 We love our week at the beach, and this was one of the best in recent memory.  The weather could not have been better.  It was in the mid-to-high 80s with a gentle breeze every day.  I spent about four hours on the beach on all but one day. The older kids spent more time than usual on the beach this year as well.  They usually boogie board some, and they did this year too.  But, the big thing was getting out in the waves and playing in them. They asked to do this every single day. I have lots of pictures, so I'm going to do several posts.  Here are the first set of beach pictures.

Six Flags Over Georgia (with friends)

One of the perks of our Six Flags passes is that we have several "bring-a-friend" days.  In the past, these days have usually passed by unused because Six Flags is so far away so it's not really convenient to use them.  This is summer, though, and we have time on our hands.  So, the kids invited their friends to accompany us.

 The park was busy, so we didn't ride everything.  We did, however, hit up some of our favorite rollercoasters including Twisted Cyclone, Dare Devil Dive, Goliath, and Mindbender.  We also rode some non-rollercoaster favorites like Monster Mansion and Justice League.

It was very hot, so we took a break in the middle of the day to visit the attached Hurricane Harbor Water Park.  I didn't bring my bathing suit, but I wish I had.  I ended up going into a splash area in my clothes a couple to times to cool off.- it was that hot.

 After leaving the park we visited a rolled ice cream place.  Our friends had just gotten back from Thailand and they wanted to share this Thai dessert with us.  The rolled ice cream was so amazing.  I will be seeking out places to get this dessert again in the future.  It was a long day for sure, but we all had a great time.

Lexington, Concord, and Old Ironsides

Once our time in Massachusetts was done, Brian flew home and my dad flew in to ride back to Georgia with me and the kids.  We did make a few small detours before heading home.  After picking daddy up, we visited Lexington and Concord.  The highlight here was walking down to the bridge where the "shot heard round the world" was fired.

Daddy has been wanting to go on the USS Constitution for years.  As a matter of fact, he and my mom went on a trip to Boston with Uncle Mike and Aunt Connie several years ago and had planned to do it.  Unfortunately, there was a government shutdown during their trip and the ship was closed to the public.  We decided to revisit the ship so that daddy could go on board.  Uncle Mike and Aunt Connie even met up with us so that they could go on board with him. This ended up leading to a super cool moment.  Because Uncle Mike is a retired military officer, he was piped aboard the ship.  About 50 or so people were gathered on deck and they all stopped to cheer for him.  It was really cool to witness.

 We made good time on our way back to Georgia.  We were on the ship in Boston until about 11 a.m. on Sunday, and I was sitting in my house by 6:00 p.m. on Monday.  I think that we had a very good trip.  I did not think that I would like Boston as much as I did.  I found it to be a clean, safe, and friendly city.  I would not mind a return visit at some point in the future.

Six Flags New England

On the last day of our family vacation, we visited Six Flags New England. This was our first time at this park, and our overall impression was favorable.  They had two stand-out coasters- Wicked Cyclone and Superman.  The only sort of negative thing that I have to say about our experience there is that some school groups with poorly behaved students were there on the same day.  Having to put up with cussing, line cutting, and overall obnoxious behavior was not how I wanted the day to go.  Fortunately, the groups left in the early afternoon and the rest of the day went smoothly.  The lines were short for all rides and the weather was good, so overall we had a pleasant day.  Our Six Flags season passes are once again proving to be worth the investment.  Here are our 2019 stats so far:

Number of visits:  3
Number of parks visited:  3