Xiaoniu 小妞

The big events for the last two days of vacation were going to Nauset beach and riding bikes on the Cape Cod Rail Trail.

It’s amazing we got the kids to pay attention to us long enough to take a picture. The sand is very alluring to kids.

Emelia spent most of the day playing with the sand. The boogie boards spent most of the day as you see them here. The waves really were not big enough to ride.

The beach was pretty busy the day we went. There was practically nobody there when we arrived and this is how it looked just before noon. Believe it or not the bare spaces you see here were filled in with other beach goers shortly after. It’s amazing how many people you can fit in such a small area and nobody got upset.

The surf was very calm. It was at least as calm as the sound side of the cape. The only noticeable difference was that the water here was chilly, as ocean water usually is.

James adventuring out into the water. This was about as far as he would go without being held. I don’t blame him. The water and waves can be intimidating and scary.

Sue posing with the kids.

The last day of vacation started off like any other; the daily morning ritual of scrubbing the nightly growth of crap off ones teeth. The kids are all too eager to climb up on the stool and scrub theirs at the same time. I should also mention that Emelia was the one that grabbed the stool in order to reach the sink. No parents needed.

Xiaomei takes the time to sweep debris off the porch before we head out. Such a thoughtful little one.

While making one of many of our stops along the trail I pose with my cargo for a picture. The kids had a good time in their trailer, until they got bored. I was terrified that Emelia would get out of her seat, which she did, and try to crawl out while I was moving. James is well behaved enough to stay put. Emelia doesn’t know any better yet.

James steals a kiss.

Another poser. Sue doesn’t have a chance in getting on my bike. The seat lands in the middle of her back!

Amy looks pooped in this picture.

Shortly after this stop we reached Harwich Center and grabbed a bite to eat. The ride back, as explained earlier, did not go well. We made great time, but we were powered by baby screams. It kept me moving and I pulled ahead of everybody for most of the trip, but had to stop repeatedly to put Emelia back into her seat and do my best to strap her in.

Anybody that plans to use these types of bike trails should note that the straps are not like car seat straps. Kids can and will get out of them and the screen does little to keep them in their “cage”.