I know I wrote a post, like, five minutes ago about how I never manage to keep up with uploading photos and posting when I’m on vacation, and here I am writing another one. I was downloading yet MORE photos from my cameras—the fancy-schmancy Nikon D40 and a Sony Cybershot that I keep in my purse—and I came across some that made me remember a funny snippet from the day. I wanted to share it before it gets lost in my brain while I’m sleeping tonight.

We went swimming this afternoon and the pool was empty except for us and two ladies water-walking for exercise. When it was nearly time for us to go, I got out of the pool and had a quick rinse in the outdoor shower, dried off, and took some photos. So when Troy and Annalie got out of the pool there was no one else waiting to use the shower.

Troy went first so he could adjust the water to the right temperature. Also, we know from previous experience that Annalie likes to take her time as the outdoor shower is a novelty to her. But the 60 seconds Annalie had to wait for Troy to finish was apparently excruciatingly long. She pleaded for Troy to let her go first, exclaimed that she was freezing, and jerked her thumb behind her as she said, “Look at the long line of people waiting, Daddy! C’mon!”

I laughed at that one. “Annalie, YOU are the line. There’s no one else waiting.”

“Well, all those people,” she waved airily at the two ladies in the pool and a couple lounging in deck chairs, none of whom looked like they planned to shower anytime soon. “They might come over here any second! Hurry up, Dad!”

I have so much fun when I’m traveling and take so many pictures that I’m always behind in uploading and posting. Oh well. I guess I am on vacation after all. So I’ll just catch you up to this past Sunday.

We left OMSHville on Saturday morning and headed for Houston. In case you didn’t know, Texans pronounce it YEW-sten. I did not know that myself till I heard Heather pronounce it that way. And that suburb of Houston next door to IAH, Humble, is correctly pronounced without the ‘H’ sound. I don’t know about you, but I like to know these things when I travel so I don’t sound like a total ignoramus.

Anyway. We drove to the airport to pick up Troy and there was much rejoicing. Then we went to see some friends of ours who live in Houston. Chris and Angie both went to UNL around the same time we did, but we didn’t know them back then. Erin and Angie became good friends when they did a study-abroad semester in Spain together, and we’ve gotten to know them through Erin over the years.

Chris and Angie have two kids, 3-year-old Isabelle and 6-month-old Tommy. They are both totally adorable. Annalie and Isabelle renewed their acquaintance over the backyard swing set and, minor squabbles over a toy laptop aside, they got along well. Everything Annalie did, Isabelle wanted to do too. Annalie wanted mini-corndogs? So did Isabelle. Annalie wanted the pink cup? So did Isabelle. Annalie wanted french toast? Isabelle too, please!

Tommy, meanwhile, just sat around looking cute enough to eat and smiling at whomever came into his line of vision.

He’s such an easygoing baby that after his evening feeding, Angie put him down on his playmat in the living room, gave him his pacifier, and he turned onto his tummy and unceremoniously went to sleep. As the parent of a child who has only voluntarily put herself to sleep three times in four and a half years (every time, she had a fever) I found that amazing.

Saturday after we arrived Troy got to watch the Nebraska game on a big-screen HDTV with other Husker fans. And Nebraska beat Iowa State, 35-7. So he was happy.

After going to the park in OMSHville the day before and watching the big kids on the swings, Annalie did her first-ever flip on a swing without any help from me. The mom in me was thinking, Eek! Careful! Don’t hit your head! Are you old enough to be doing this?! But the 10-year-old in me who used to spend all her recesses inventing new and better ways to jump and flip off the swings was thinking, Wow, she figured it out on her own, that’s awesome! And I’m right here taking pictures of it!

Motherhood is weird sometimes.

We had originally wanted to leave early Sunday morning but Troy had only gotten about two hours of sleep the night before, thanks to his crack-of-dawn flight, and I was getting sick. So we let ourselves sleep in a bit and didn’t rush. Thank goodness because Angie cooked us a delicious breakfast of french toast, hash browns, and scrambled eggs with sausage, peppers and onions. I helped with the hash browns a tiny bit and I also managed to make their coffeemaker overflow. Don’t you all want to invite me over now? I bring disease and break appliances wherever I go.

This is Angie explaining why she never wants to see me in her house again. Just kidding! They were extremely gracious about the coffeemaker, insisting that it overflows all the time. And since Isabelle was already sick when we got there, I don’t think they could blame us for that.

After breakfast for Annalie and Isabelle snuggled adorably up on the couch and watched a little Disney Channel before we left. We said thank you and good-bye, promised to come again and stay longer next time, and headed down the road to Mom & Tom’s.

Someone asked me today in an email when we were leaving OMSHville. Oh, uh, we left there two days ago. I just have not had the chance to blog about it, what with picking Troy up at the airport in Houston, staying the night with friends there and loving on their seriously cute baby boy while Annalie played with their equally adorable almost-3-year-old daughter, and then driving half a day to Troy’s mom & stepdad’s RV park.

Oh, and I also crocheted a Frankenstein’s Monster trick-or-treat bag. I had the idea for his curly hair and just couldn’t resist. I don’t know yet what I’ll do with it, if I’ll keep it or give it away or put it in my shop.

Troy is going to be helping his mom buy a laptop and she’s getting DSL installed so I hope to have the chance to post more later in the week. If I don’t, then you can just assume I had better things to do (like swimming in the heated pool). Off to have BLA’s (bacon, lettuce and avocado sandwiches) for lunch!