Things have been so busy since we have gotten back from Maryland that I haven’t had a chance to upload any of our vacation pictures. Silly me. Where I left off last we were going to the boardwalk in Ocean City with Lil Miss. But then it got so late once we finished dinner (and we were sun burnt) that we decided not to. But around 9:30pm on Friday night we said what the hell and off to the boardwalk we went with the sister in law and her husband. Lil Miss was mesmerized. She had never seen anything like the boardwalk before.

We took her on about 10 kiddie rides at the inlet. You can see by the look on her face that she was having a blast. She even played a game where she won a stuffed fish.

Then the G-man introduced Lil Miss to the joys of eating Thrashers French fries drenched with vinegar while walking down the boardwalk with the salty sea air filling your lungs. She was hooked!

After the fries I told her she HAD to have a snow cone to wash it down. It was okay though because we all grabbed little straw/spoons and helped her eat it. Lil Miss is giving the sister in law a look like she is getting more than her fair share of snow cone though. Oh well, that way Lil Miss would have plenty of room for the cotton candy, red candy apples, salt water taffy and Fishers caramel popcorn that I bought her later. Oh, and a few bottles of water thrown in for hydration.

Saturday morning we went to the much anticipated souvenir shop so Lil Miss could shop to her hearts content. She purchased a Hermit Crab which she promptly named “Hermie” even though she told me that you must never name a pet that doesn’t have hair or it will die.

Saturday afternoon was the crab feast at my brother’s house. My mothers friend, Randy, supplied the steamed blue crabs. Randy is the king of finding good crabs. And let me tell you, these were awesome crabs! Lil Miss temped fate and brought “Hermie” to the crab feast. She warned everyone not to accidentally eat him though. After we had been crabs for a couple of hours someone happened to notice that 2 of Hermie’s legs were laying on another side of the cage. In other words, NOT attached to his body. We all determined though that since blue crabs can grow their legs back surely hermit crabs can too. So we continued cracking open blue crabs. A little while later the G-man looks at me and points at Hermie and then makes a slash motion across his neck to let me know that Hermie had apparently bit the big one. I knew Lil Miss shouldn’t have named that thing! So before you can say “Pass the old bay” everyone at the table (except for Lil Miss) knew that Hermie was a goner. Later as we were hugging everyone goodbye as we left Lil Miss picks up Hermie’s cage and says to me in a solemn voice “Grammy I don’t think Hermie’s alive.” I promised her another Hermit Crab but she said she would rather have a toy instead. RIP Hermie. You were a good crab for all of the 5 hours that you lived.

On Saturday evening we went to Jolly Rogers Amusement park. My sister in law works for City Hall and had gotten passes from the Mayors secretary for all of us to ride the rides at Jolly Rogers for free all night long. I think Lil Miss rode every ride that was age appropriate for her and even some that weren’t. Her riding buddy was the G-man. As you can see in the above picture the girl running the ride is checking out the G-man’s buns. Actually she is wondering if she is going to have to get the shoe horn out to help him get those buns in the seat. And she almost did!

Lil Miss’s favorite ride that night was the tea cups. I think those were the G-man’s least favorite ride. Even the sister in law got in the act and rode a few rides with Lil Miss.

We stayed at Jolly Rogers for almost 4 hours and then drove up to the boardwalk. Lil Miss LOVES the boardwalk. She told me she wants to get a summer job at the boardwalk when she is a teenager. Lil Miss also loves to eat the junk food on the boardwalk. Saturday night we ate “dinner” at the boardwalk. She had 2 slices of the best East Coast pizza you ever put between your lips, a polish water ice (half blue raspberry and half cherry), a funnel cake, a HUGE lemon shakeup, salt water taffy and more Fishers caramel popcorn.

Her uncle Shimon (the sister in laws hubby) won a 4 foot tall stuffed animal and let Lil Miss pick out the animal and keep it. She choose a 4 foot tall stuffed lizard which she promptly named “Mr. Lizard” (but said she would call him Shimon for short).

That little 3 1/2 foot girl carried that lizard all over that crowded boardwalk. She would not let anyone else carry him. Even on the ride back to Indiana she made him sit buckled up in the seat next to her. Heck, she will probably carry that lizard down the aisle on her wedding day as much as she loves it!

We stayed on the boardwalk until midnight again. On the way home I had to go to the ladies room really bad, so what does the sister in law do? Everything she possibly can to make me laugh in hopes that I would pee myself. She’s better watch out because paybacks are hell and I know how to make HER laugh when SHE has to pee!

On Sunday we loaded up the car for home and left Ocean Pines. We made a little detour though at Washington DC. Little did I know at the time that Mark was a few short miles away in Silver Spring (where we had been on Thursday actually). Sadly Mark was there because his father passed away. Please join me in sending condolences Mark’s way! Sunday turned out to be the hottest day of the year in DC and boy was I feeling it! We went to see the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and of course the WWII Memorial. We wanted to see the Navy Museum and especially the Lone Sailor Statue, but by that point I was about ready to pass out from the heat and humidity.

I felt much better when we got to our hotel that evening because it had an indoor pool and hot tub. Lil Miss enjoyed them as much as I did.

Monday was our last day on vacation. Boo hoo. Lil Miss didn’t want to leave the hotel and I don’t blame her. On the way home she told us that we have to go to Maryland EVERY summer now on vacation and not only do we HAVE to take her but we HAVE to stay longer next time. I must say I agree with her. We all had a wonderful time and I am so glad that Lil Miss went with us. I can hardly wait until next summer now.