The kids put on a play like the children in the book ... telling the story of Columbus and his quest for America on the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. Looks like Abby is at the helm of the Santa Maria! 
They also made "water" and one little girl was "the land." I fashioned the sailor hats out of newspaper LATE the night before, as we had just returned from Sanibel. 
But I also got to help with the party ... assisting the kids with the assembly of "spider pops," and decorated gourds. Such fun!
Oh yeah, Starla the "not stuffed" tiger was there too! Lucky tiger! She got to enjoy a beautiful sight. 
We had such a great time here ... just wish Grammy had been able to join us as well! But, Nanny was appreciative that she stayed in Orlando. It turns out Nanny did have a case of Pnemonia, and she spent the majority of the week in the hospital. While they're keeping her hydrated and fed (a disgusting low-sodium diet she'll tell ya!) it's not where Nanny really wants to be. But we're glad she's been cared for and will be feeling better soon. 
Meanwhile, Tyler got QUITE comfortable in the trailer we rented for the other bike. 
I still can't believe he slept that way on our final bike ride of the week. We tried to bike a little each day ... 
She was all smiles, until the waves started coming ... 
Ooops!
Abby is a real water lover ... even if it does mean mouthfuls of ocean water! 
Meanwhile, her brother is a bit a landlubber ... he likes chasing the seagulls. I can't be certain these events are related, but the first day we got there, the beach was FULL of seagulls. And by the end of our stay, there were very few in front of Sanibel Cottages. Coincidence? I think not! Our little guy chased them all off! He's SO big and scary! :) 
Why aren't they here, and WE are, you may ask? Well, they're helping Nanny get back on her feet after a brief hospital stay (no worries ... it appears she's going to be a-okay) and they couldn't start their week as planned here on Sanibel Island. But, we Schnittkers came to the rescue! We told them we'd be glad to hold down the fort for awhile and enjoy the sand the surf until they could make it down here. This morning, the kids and I took a post-sunrise walk on the beach, looking for shells. Then, we made this cool heart (notice the shell border!) in Grammy and Grandan's honor. 
We hope they are having a great day! Wish the quality of these photos were better by the way, but I had to post the ones taken with my cell phone. I forgot the camera cord for the computer. That said, I DID remember to load all of the pictures from late August - mid October on my flash drive, so I hope to get caught up on the blog while lazing around this week at the beach.
Was Nanny worried when Abby said she hoped to be Raggedy Ann for Halloween? NO! Did she raise an eyebrow when we began looking for patterns at JoAnn's? Well, KINDA. Did she grimace when we (Grammy and I) suggested it might be a "fun" project for her to sew? Honestly? YES, she grimaced a bit! But, then she was right on board. My Nanny is a trooper! And she did a fabulous job on this costume. Now we just need to gather the accessories (the striped tights, the wig and the makeup) and we'll be ready to trick-or-treat. We'll show you all the complete Raggedy Ann costume as we near Halloween, but for the time being, THANK YOU Nanny. You're the best! Here's a hug from AbbyT...
