Day 30: Thanks, Dad (and Mom)

Saved the best for last.

My parents are pros at the drive from Pittsburgh to Wilmington. They emailed their directions to us on Tuesday (the day we were originally going to leave). My dad drives a route designed to keep away from Beltway traffic. Although I will remember that it’s I 81, not 80.

Additionally, between them and my sister, they know how to procure a nice beach house and get around Wilmington and the islands.

My mom did the bulk of the cooking on Thanksgiving. My dad directed most of the clean up. They watched the children last night so Dan and I could hang out at Fermental. Dad even came to pick us up at the end of the evening, saving us the cost of a taxi. On top of all that, mom did a bunch of laundry, and my dad got us snacks for the car.

And my mom bought M his very first skateboard for his birthday.

This post is a little bit of an inside joke. I talked about how my parents are part of my child-rearing village before. But they are also fun to vacation with. Their grandchildren adore them. And they’ve earned a special place in my Days of Thanks series for just being all-around awesome people.

Day 29: I am Thankful for Wilmington, NC

Here are a few things Wilmington, NC has that Pittsburgh does not:

Sand pipers
Pelicans
Sea shells
Prickly pear cacti (so cool)
Jellyfish (gross, but fascinating)
A beach
The ocean

My children like the beach and the ocean as well. So much so that telling them they could take off their shoes to wade ended up with M falling down (very upsetting accident) and Kate wet up to her neck (on purpose, although she found the walk back to the beach house upsettingly chilly).

Here are two other cool things Wilmington has that Pittsburgh doesn’t have.

A Serpentorium. Which, whoa.

And my BIL’s business, Fermental. If you can’t find it here, it’s not worth drinking.

Here’s the most important thing in Wilmington.

This is my sister Kristen. Doctor Sis. She’s been a lot of places: Florida, Baltimore, Ocean City, Virginia, Ithaca, Indianapolis.

Here is where she has found a home. A family (husband, stepdaughter,  dogs). A practice. A business.

I am thankful on her behalf.  And I am so, so glad we made the drive.