Since I was single parenting for the weekend, my pictures don't really chronicle the whole experience. (Though I must add that I was extremely fortunate to have so many helping hands available!) I think it's best to just leave it at "you had to be there" and let these pictures speak for themselves.
PopPop came to our room the first night to read goodnight stories for Ed, but Ed demanded Gram because he knows she never travels without books. She brought a new library selection about the beach and Ed made himself comfortable using PopPop as an armrest. She had barely finished the last page when PopPop's phone rang and it was Ann saying her girls were also in need of stories and kisses. Gram and PopPop's work is never done!
Abby started the party with a bang and Joe was caught in the crossfire. Much hilarity (and a load of laundry) ensued.
We spent Saturday morning at a park carefully scouted by Aunt Nora. Plenty of equipment in all sizes, a sandpit, LOTS of shade (!) and several nearby food options for lunch. Props to Aunt Nora!
Daniel is used to following Edward around and attempting to replicate all his physical feats, but this time he had yet another role model in cousin Sean, age 4. He saw Sean execute this swinging over the slide move and you could just watch his little mind immediately working out how to accomplish it. He did not end with a butt plop on the slide like Sean, but was quite pleased with himself and the swinging.
Brothers holding up their end of the teeter-totter with cousins on the other end (and in the middle, I think.) This game later evolved into "mechanic," which was very fun until just after this video ends. The next time they got down to "fix" the truck, another kid immediately jumped on and started bouncing and Sean's finger was pinched. Ouch!Now we skip ahead to the end of the weekend, when we retired to Gram and PopPop's with the Arizona contingent to play and have lunch while waiting for their airport departure. Daniel immediately found this helmet on the front porch and insisted on wearing it.
We stayed over until Monday, which was the plan all along, but also a necessity due to major sleep deprivation on my part. I could hardly stay awake until the 3 p.m. airport departure so there's no way I could have made the four-hour drive alone. We all took naps and then had an evening together. Monday morning Gram and I took the boys to the beach. It was a little chilly and Edward was not too pleased when he ended up on his butt while trying to fill a bucket. But he got over it and mostly spent the time digging. 
Daniel LOVED splashing along the shoreline and would venture out as far as I let him, undeterred by the chilly waters and breeze. Needless to say, it was tricky to get pictures of this as I was sure the camera would end up in the lake while I was lunging for Daniel.
