Day 4: Fried Chicken on a 94 Degree Day

Note to self: avoid fried foods on a 94 degree day.

It was a rough day yesterday. So rough, that it has taken me until the day after to blog about it. We stretched the limits of human endurance in the name of fried food. The mercury reached 94 in Savannah. We arrived with 7 kids under the age of 12. Let's do some important math.

7 kids + 94 degrees = a peek into Hell.

Did I mention it was hot yesterday?

A couple of important points to remember when planning your Savannah vacation.

First, Paula Deen can only accommodate groups of 12 after 5p. Thus, if you get there at the buttcrack of dawn to reserve your spot on a day when even the Devil himself looks for shade, you better have a plan for the rest of the day. Our plan was shot within 15 minutes of arriving and we paid for it.

Second, the trolleys are not air-conditioned.

Third, there's no Chuck-E-Cheese house or Showbiz Pizza Museum in Savannah, GA.

Fourth, if you don't bring water on a day like yesterday, you may die. Ask my nephew Jacob. He found out the hard way. We nearly got to see his breakfast after he became overheated on the trolley.

Fifth, when you have a chance to go to Savannah, go in the fall without the kids.

Yes, we knew all of this beforehand, but we're here. It's close. We like the punishment.

Now the photos:

Day 3: Mini-Golf

Yes, Virginia, it's possible to blog about mini-golf.

Here's Henry and Owen before the round. Notice the strange booster leg Henry grew on the trip down.

Frankly, when you pay $26 for three shoddy putters and your foresome consists of Henry the Squirrel (aka my son - who nearly got dad killed when he refused to wait for the people in front of us), Owen the Dervish (aka Henry's high-energy cousin), me (aka the beer-baked, semi-responsible parent) and Caroline the Red Ass (aka my daughter who had a day to remember - see below), you know you are in for a helluva' mini-golf outing.

We started with good intentions, as the film below would suggest. However, by the third hole, we lost Erica, Josie and Nana to combat fatigue.

Here's some good film of the cute side of mini-golf:

Truthfully, it wasn't that bad with the toddlers. We had fun and no one got hit in the face with a club or lost a ball across the parking lot.

When you are faced with the odds of mini-golfing with three, tired toddlers, you lower your expectations. We made it and the kids enjoyed themselves. That's all that really matters.

As for Caroline, she had a rough day. We got her dressed for the beach and told her to drop our favorite prime number in the toilet (i.e. the deuce). She refused.

After much debating and back and forth, we decided to head down to the beach.

Five minutes after setting up camp, Caroline gave me the "face". You know what I'm talking about.

Here's a shot of the "face" from the unsuspecting eyes of her father who thought Caroline was just trying to be tender with her dad.

Notice the rigid body position.

Seconds after the above picture was taken, Caroline delivered the beach patrons with her version of an Ohio crabcake. It looked as though she had grown a tail.

Adding insult, I had to carry her across the beach back to the house to deliver our "goods".

Nice.

The beach had other moments today, like this one with Mom.

And this one with Joey's new beach pails. No one digs with more conviction than Josephine.

Tomorrow is supposed to be 91 degrees so we're heading to an urban heat island known as Savannah. There's fried chicken on the brain and a Paula Deen buffet in our future.

More to come.

Caroline's Version of Swimming: 2 Floaties Per Apendage

Caroline is determined to find a way to swim in the water without getting wet. In order to accomplish this rare feat, she has taken to hording all of the pool floats and using them simultaneously.

She's got her old man's cautious streak.

Take a look:

Day 2: Beach Bumming & Pool Skimming

Today's weather: 82 degrees and mostly sunny. A good day for the sun.

First thing's first, here's a shot of the oft-mentioned Brady House.



Below is a nice shot of Caroline and Daddy sneaking off for a quiet stroll on the beach.


And Caroline loading up the floaties for a dip in the pool.

This year's version of HHI includes the Funkhousers and Nana from Indiana. The cousins are enjoying the difficult choice between beach or pool.

Here's a shot of the crew from the family room.

Tomorrow's plans include the second annual mini-golf outing to Pirate's Cove.
Last year, Daddy lost three pounds of blood to the mosquitoes despite shooting par with a four month old strapped to his chest.

This year, he's coming prepared with a Citronella body suit and a six-beer buzz. Whatever mosquitoes break through my defense will drink the blood of Budweiser.

In your face, nature!

Jo-Jo: "Oceans are Funny"

Jo-Jo did not enjoy 12 hours in a forward-facing car seat. Thus, she was pretty psyched to see what the fuss was all about.

Here's proof:




Henry was eager to rush the ocean. Caroline needed some additional time. She was upset that the beach had "too much sand."

I was afraid to tell her about the predominant feature of beaches -- i.e., sand.

Josie was ready to challenge the waves. She tried to get Mom to take her out with Henry.

The girl has chutzpah.

That's all for tonight. See you tomorrow.

Signing off from 4222 Clinton Way.

Greetings from Hilton Head Island - 2009!

Another uneventful 12 hour drive to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Sure, I'd like to tell you about the numerous Piggly-Wiggly trucks, the West Virginia toll roads, a North Carolina driver known as "HunyBuny", and the I-95 corridor where cars actually travel as fast as the interstate, but we're here.

Not missing a beat, the Holmans made a beeline for the Atlantic Ocean (as tradition).

Here are a few of our pictures. Notice that we didn't have time to dress for the beach or apply sunscreen.

We spent 20 minutes on the beach before picking up the keys to the Brady house. I'll explain later. Suffice it to say that our house resembles the Brady abode from the television show.

The good news is that we're 100 yards from the ocean. The bad news is that I'm looking over my shoulder for Barry Williams.

Anyway, here's the pix I promised.


Had hoped to add some video, but we're running short on time. It's late and Erica tells me that we're getting up early tomorrow to rent bikes.

We're safe and sound and having fun. More fun to come.