Summer vacation with family ... South of the Mason-Dixon

Hi again, family and friends. Here are some photos of our happy family taken during the first two weeks of August for our second family vacation of the summer. Because, well, why not. The trip started with Kate and the kids spending a week at the beach in North Carolina. After a week of peace, and in some sort of a masochistic / Stockholm Syndrome haze, I drove down to pick up the family and drive them north back home, spending a few days along the way with family. Here is the evidence:

At the beach in NC:

There was a Pirate Invasion in Beaufort, NC ... it rained, but was otherwise enjoyable

This is probably my favorite picture of the trip

Roanoke Island, NC ... on the way north

Kill Devil Hills, NC ... just a few minutes outside of Roanoke Island

We stayed the night at a horse farm in Grandy, NC, where Kate milked a cow in her Sunday best

For breakfast the next morning, we ate at the [Grave] Digger's Diner, just outside Grandy

We then spent a few hours in the rain at historic Jamestown, VA

Stopping along the side of the road to ... uh ... read this sign. Yeah, that's the ticket

Hanging out in Southern MD

And in Northern VA

Back in NYC, where the kids discovered winter hats and scarves while putting their sunglasses away (everything is in accessory buckets)

The July edition of "At home in NYC"

In a continuation of our laziness trend of posting cookie blogs, vacation blogs, and monthly photo blogs showing you all the rest of the photos that don't fit into one of the first two categories, here, ladies and gentlemen, is the photo blog for the month of July, showing you photos of us doing stuff in NYC. Sorry we're a little late in posting. Just pretend we've been incredibly busy doing very important and tiring things ... not vacationing and eating a lot (note: this is exactly what we've been doing).

Celebrating Henry's half birthday ... we thought one candle was good enough for a half birthday

Both Henry and Elizabeth filled backpacks with school supplies for less fortunate children as part of Operation Backpack

Hanging out with adorable baby sea lions during a last-minute trip to the Bronx Zoo to see the Wild Kratts

Practicing baby yoga before the show (but not like this)

Finally, the Kratt brothers conduct a live performance of their show

At Brooklyn Crab sucking the marrow out of life ... and crab legs

More Brooklyn Crab ... although the kids didn't have crab, they enjoyed the place too

Kate got the highest score! 

The view from the best grocery store in Brooklyn

The kids attempted a camp out in their bedroom. It lasted a few hours.