Kenny and Tyler’s Visit - The Sixth Installment of a Five Week Long Series - Preserving Memories - Tyler’s Birthday, Minions and Big Brother

For the Record
Kenny and Tyler’s Visit
June 22 - July 27, 2014

Writing this on Friday, July 11. 

It’s the end of week three of Kenny and Tyler’s visit here.  This morning Jimmy will take them back to his house. 
On Monday, we picked the boys up from my daughter’s and brought them back to our house for the week.  My sister Johanna was up visiting from Virginia.  We took the boys to the  beach in the afternoon.  I’ll tell you, and I’ve probably said this before,  it is a chore to get two kids and two old people ready to go to the beach.  The old people I’m referring to is me and Ross not you Johanna. 
Anyway, we had to take two cars which were loaded up with all of the beach paraphernalia. 
The traffic was horrible on the island.  There were sirens, ambulances, and firetrucks flying down the boulevard.  
Luckily, we were going in the opposite direction.  (I later found out that there was a three alarm fire in one of the professional buildings on the main drag. )
Okay, so we get to our favorite beach, and the parking lot was pretty empty.  My first thought was that we were so lucky to have our pick of spots.  
It took us at least 5 minutes to unload the cars and then load us up with all of the stuff.  
As we were walking up the ramp to the beach, we passed a woman who was coming off the beach.  She told us to forget the umbrella because we would not be able to set it up.  “It’s too windy,” she said. 
She was right.  The wind was the kind that whips the sand up in the air shooting pellets of stinging granules into your face, arms and legs. 
The boys had already started to run down to the water.  I had to call to them to turn around and we trudged back up with all of our stuff and re-loaded the cars, which were now the only two cars in the parking lot.    
The boys were disappointed, but we took them to the pool when we got home and they were happy about that. 

Tuesday was Tyler’s fifth birthday.   We had a few little things for him to open when he woke up.
There will be a party for him on Saturday.  
My son-in-law came down with Bella and Ryan.   Ross met them at the beach with Tyler and Kenny.   (I had a doctor’s appointment.)  This day there was no wind  but the ocean was too icy cold for them to spend much time in the water. 
So they had fun in the sand instead.

From Left to Right
Kenny, Tyler, Ryan and Bella
The shoveler is Derek

Later that evening, Tyler was excited for his father to come home with his birthday present. So  excited that he, with a lot of encouragement from his brother, was able to keep those little eyes from closing until Jimmy got here. 
The birthday present was a Disney interactive video game called  “Infinity”.  Apparently, there are different play sets which you purchase separately.  Ty wanted the characters  which are based on the Toy Story movie. 

It was a good gift, especially since it has multiplayer capabilities.   That means he and his brother can play nicely together and there are no arguments.   NOT!  
I try not to get involved and somehow they manage to work it out between themselves.  

Wednesday, the weather was unpredictable.  I took the boys to the pool and as soon as they got into the water, it started to rain.   Fortunately, our community has an indoor pool.   With the help of their private swim coach, Pop-pop, the boys continue to make progress with their swimming.  

Thursday was another cloudy day.  So, it was the indoor pool again.  Later in the afternoon we took the boys to the local amusement park on the island.   However, we got there an hour before the rides opened.   But, there is an indoor arcade.   
I have to say, arcades just aren’t what they used to be when my kids were young.  
Now, they are like mini Casinos.  Bright flashing neon lights which attract the kids to games they are too young to understand.  They even have “slot” machines.  There are hardly any more games of skill, like the old pin ball machines.  Instead the walls are lined with those crane games.  
You know the ones where you have to work the crane

to pick up a stuffed toy.  The boys get so frustrated each time the toy drops before it gets to the shute. 
After putting in $10.00 worth of quarters, Kenny finally managed to “win” a stuffed toy Minion, which I am sure was worth no more than twenty-five cents.  
Then, of course, Ty got upset because he didn’t win one.  Kenny begged to try “just once more”.  He wanted to win one for his brother.  After another $10 worth of “just once mores”,  I said, “Okay, that’s it.”

As we went back out into the park, just in time for the rides to open, it started to rain.   So no rides this day.

On the way home there was a lot of commotion in the back seat.  Tyler was still upset about not “ winning” a toy.   Apparently, there were complicated negotiations going on about sharing the Minion.   I’m not sure what the outcome was.   Like I said, I try to stay out of it and let them work it out themselves. 

One of the things that Kenny and I share is a love of the TV show “Big Brother.”   I think it’s remarkable that he knows the names of all of the houseguests and that he has his favorites.   
As we were watching the live show last night, he was on the edge of his seat, hoping that his “guy” Zach, would not get voted off.   
He was cheering when the other houseguest Paola was sent home instead.   He told me that he wants to go on Big Brother. 
Now, the boys are packed up and it’s time once again for hugs and good-byes, and waves out the car window until next week. 

PS: I found a pattern on Ravelry for Minion hats.  The boys were thrilled when I told them I would knit one for each of them.