A North Carolina Vacation

We got home yesterday from a 5-day trip to North Carolina to visit Lisa and Robb. We all had a great time there and it was so nice to visit with everyone. Our flights down to Wilmington went perfectly, and Mudgie was so well behaved on the planes. He played with books and a magna doodle on the first plane and then took a nap on the second...it really couldn't have worked out any better.

The whole family was at the airport to pick us up (Dave's parents were also in NC for a visit), and we went home to settle in and meet Bentley (Lisa and Robb's big dog). Mudgie really liked Bentley, but was sometimes overwhelmed by the baths Bentley tried to give him (with his tongue), and he definitely didn't like it when Bentley knocked him over (by accident, of course), but he was always happy to see him and loved sharing food with him.

On Sunday we went to the beach, and unlike on our trip to Turks and Caicos, Mudgie loved the beach. He ran right up to the ocean and went in it like he's been doing it for years. Even when the waves knocked him over, he'd cry for a minute and then be right back heading into the water. The shells on the beach were a big hit, and Mudgie loved to draw with them in the sand, and then dip them like a chip into the sand...a mouthful or 2 of sand definitely made its way into his mouth before I could stop it.

When the rain put a damper on our outdoor plans, we went to the aquarium. Mudgie was mildly entertained by the fish and reptiles, though he did seem to really enjoy the big tank with sharks, and there were even divers inside for a show. He was more entertained, however, by all the other kids at the aquarium. Mudgie loves to watch other kids, and likes to do stuff so they will watch him as well. He's quite the little performer!

We also took a drive down to Myrtle Beach to do some shopping at the outlets. Mommy loved this, though Daddy was less than thrilled with this activity. Mudgie had fun playing on the little ride on toys like the trucks, cars, and merry-go-rounds that you put a few quarters in to make do stuff. He didn't need any of these things to do anything, however. He seem quite content inside them doing his own thing. After shopping we went to play mini-golf at the dinosaur golf place. There were giant plastic/plaster dinosaurs everywhere, and Mudgie didn't know what to do with himself. When we first got there he ran all over the place pointing and "roaring" like a dinosaur! When we got to the mechanical T-Rex that moved and made noise, Mudgie stood there in awe just staring at him. He didn't know what to make of him!

We made one more quick trip to the beach before heading home. Unfortunately, our trip back didn't go as smoothly as our trip down, but Mudgie still did very well on all the flights. He really is an amazing little guy. The entire trip he slept very well...I was concerned how he would do in the pack-and-play, but he loved it. He actually asked to go in when he was tired! We ate out every night and he was well behaved at all the restaurants. We only had to leave early once, and that was mostly because it was a long, slow meal and the restaurant wasn't very kid-friendly. On our last plane home, while Mudgie played with his magna doodle and then fell asleep, there was another little boy crying in the back of the plane. It made me even more proud of my little man, who is turning into a such a wonderful little boy.