Vacation - Take 2
Sunday - August 3
The kids slept until 8 o'clock on Sunday. Unfortunately, every other day during the vacation they were up between 7 and 7:30. After they had breakfast, I left them with Greg and took the pooch down to the beach. She is bred to swim and would have only been happier on the vacation if I would have let her stay on the beach and in the ocean the entire time. We took 10 tennis balls with us to fetch and only returned home with 1. She would just get a bit too enthusiastic and end up puncturing the balls which would eventually lead to them sinking. I got to talking to a lady on the shore who also had a lab. She could not believe how spunky and just plain crazy my pooch was. Her dog is 5 years old and lays around most of the time. My pooch is 10 years old, has had 2 knee surgeries, and was out there being pummeled by waves and going back for more.
After I got back from the beach with the pooch, it was time for the rest of the family to head down for some fun in the sun. We couldn't just grab some sunscreen and a towel and go like the days I remember. We had to get two kids dressed and lotioned up, grab shovels and buckets and extra swim diapers and snacks and snack cups and sippy cups and water and swim shoes and a beach umbrella. And we can't forget hats and sunglasses. (These sunglasses were Maria's.)
Marcus and Will had no idea what the beach was really like but they were not the least bit happy about the delay in getting there. They both ended up in time out. I call this picture "How I Spent my Summer Vacation".
Once we got all our things together, we had to actually get to the beach. The walk wasn't long - just across the street and up a path adjacent to the waterfront lots. Getting over the dunes was pretty rough though carrying all that stuff. Plus, we had to carry the kids as well because they are just too little to make it. (You can get a glimpse of the glowing color of our house in this picture.)
(I'm pointing to the beach, because we were going that way.)
We had done a lot of talking about the beach and the ocean prior to the trip, but really, there is no way to prepare a little kid for that. Marcus, my crazy man, was ready to dive right in to beach activities. While Greg and I set up our spot, he picked up a shovel. (I was not aware of this prior to our vacation but Marcus has since educated me on the proper way to pronounce shovel. It is said sha-BA-dule.)
Will, being my cautious boy, cried. Those crashing waves are quite loud and scary! After he realized that he was okay he decided just to stare for a bit.
We weren't at the beach long before we were in the water. It was really hot out. The ocean was warm but still quite refreshing. We sat in the surf for much of the time. Marcus thought it was hilarious when the waves would wash onto us. Will eventually did really warm up to the beach and the water but for the first day, he pretty much just clung on for dear life.
On that first day, Marcus and I hung out together for a long time, digging holes in the sand and picking up seashells that the waves brought in. I was just so happy to be able to be there with my family sharing that time together and getting to be with my boys on their first trip to the beach. Marcus was even content just sitting. He is never content unless he is going in full speed.
Will hung back at the beach umbrella and tried his hand at digging.
Eventually, all my boys teamed up to work on a sandcastle.
A little while later my mom came down to the beach,
along with Kim, Randy, Maria, and Scott.
We brought a little pool with us that we filled up with ocean water for the kids to play in. We thought they might hate the ocean and then would have some calm water to splash in. Turns out they both eventually loved the ocean but still put the pool to good use too.
The water was really calm all but the last day of our vacation. There were just little waves. It was calm enough that we were confident about taking the kids out in the deeper water. Marcus LOVED bobbing in the waves and started throwing temper tantrums each time Greg and I would head out in the ocean without him. Will wasn't so sure at first but within minutes, I caught him splashing and smiling and enjoying the ocean. He really surprised me this whole trip. I was expecting him to just sit around and watch and stay away from really engaging in any new activities. Instead, he just approached everything with caution and by the end of the week, he was asking to go into the water. Was this the same kid who only goes to Lola's pool to stay out of the pool and eat snacks?
We stayed at the beach until around 12:30 and then packed up and headed back to the beach house. I was wearing my flip flops of course but that sand was HOT on the way back, even with shoes on. We got back to the house, got some of the sand off in the outside shower, then headed in for the boys to get a bath. While I was getting them dressed and making them lunches, Greg jumped in the shower. Then while they ate, I showered. This was pretty much our routine every day on vacation. Beach in the morning, then baths/showers, then lunch. Then we would have an afternoon siesta. At home my kids nap in separate rooms because it never seems that either of them wants to nap at the same time. (Nap time at our house is always the same time but Marcus usually plays in his bed for a bit before falling asleep and Will usually falls right asleep but wakes up earlier and then plays in his bed for a bit.) After spending the morning on the beach, naps were not an issue. All except one day, there was not a single protest or desire to hang out in bed and play instead of sleep.
My dad isn't too crazy about the beach so while the rest of us had fun in the sun, he spent most days keeping the pooch company.
Kim brought her dog as well, Ginger. Ginger is getting pretty old though and kept mostly to herself, just hanging out around the place and breathing in the sea air.
Each afternoon while the kids napped, Greg and I would hang out around the house mostly. Some days we took naps too. I did a lot of reading (currently reading The Kite Runner which is fantastic) and some knitting. Kim and her family would usually return while the kids were still napping so I would chat with her or my mom or just hang out with Maria and Scott. It was nice and relaxing. Our house had lots of decks (the room Greg and I were staying in had its own private deck). We got some afternoon shade on the deck facing the ocean and we all thought it was a great place to hang out.
The house also had a jacuzzi tub that Scott and Maria loved. The best part of the tub was when you washed your hair in there and the jets aerated the shampoo.
Sunday night we headed out for dinner to a restaurant called Sugar Creek (formerly known as RV's). It is my dad's favorite place to eat and I think eating at the restaurant is really his only reason for going on vacation. After our meal (I got fried everything, since it was vacation and all) we walked around on the restaurant's pier over the sound.
When we got back from dinner, we took another walk down to the shore so the pooch could have another swim.
The kids just watched.
In the evenings I would put the kids to bed and us adults would all sit around and watch bad television. Sometimes I watched, sometimes I read, sometimes I knitted. Pretty much every night though I was the first of the big people to go to bed. I might have been the youngest of the big people but I still felt old.
The kids slept until 8 o'clock on Sunday. Unfortunately, every other day during the vacation they were up between 7 and 7:30. After they had breakfast, I left them with Greg and took the pooch down to the beach. She is bred to swim and would have only been happier on the vacation if I would have let her stay on the beach and in the ocean the entire time. We took 10 tennis balls with us to fetch and only returned home with 1. She would just get a bit too enthusiastic and end up puncturing the balls which would eventually lead to them sinking. I got to talking to a lady on the shore who also had a lab. She could not believe how spunky and just plain crazy my pooch was. Her dog is 5 years old and lays around most of the time. My pooch is 10 years old, has had 2 knee surgeries, and was out there being pummeled by waves and going back for more.
After I got back from the beach with the pooch, it was time for the rest of the family to head down for some fun in the sun. We couldn't just grab some sunscreen and a towel and go like the days I remember. We had to get two kids dressed and lotioned up, grab shovels and buckets and extra swim diapers and snacks and snack cups and sippy cups and water and swim shoes and a beach umbrella. And we can't forget hats and sunglasses. (These sunglasses were Maria's.)
Marcus and Will had no idea what the beach was really like but they were not the least bit happy about the delay in getting there. They both ended up in time out. I call this picture "How I Spent my Summer Vacation".
Once we got all our things together, we had to actually get to the beach. The walk wasn't long - just across the street and up a path adjacent to the waterfront lots. Getting over the dunes was pretty rough though carrying all that stuff. Plus, we had to carry the kids as well because they are just too little to make it. (You can get a glimpse of the glowing color of our house in this picture.)
(I'm pointing to the beach, because we were going that way.)
We had done a lot of talking about the beach and the ocean prior to the trip, but really, there is no way to prepare a little kid for that. Marcus, my crazy man, was ready to dive right in to beach activities. While Greg and I set up our spot, he picked up a shovel. (I was not aware of this prior to our vacation but Marcus has since educated me on the proper way to pronounce shovel. It is said sha-BA-dule.)
Will, being my cautious boy, cried. Those crashing waves are quite loud and scary! After he realized that he was okay he decided just to stare for a bit.
We weren't at the beach long before we were in the water. It was really hot out. The ocean was warm but still quite refreshing. We sat in the surf for much of the time. Marcus thought it was hilarious when the waves would wash onto us. Will eventually did really warm up to the beach and the water but for the first day, he pretty much just clung on for dear life.
On that first day, Marcus and I hung out together for a long time, digging holes in the sand and picking up seashells that the waves brought in. I was just so happy to be able to be there with my family sharing that time together and getting to be with my boys on their first trip to the beach. Marcus was even content just sitting. He is never content unless he is going in full speed.
Will hung back at the beach umbrella and tried his hand at digging.
Eventually, all my boys teamed up to work on a sandcastle.
A little while later my mom came down to the beach,
along with Kim, Randy, Maria, and Scott.
We brought a little pool with us that we filled up with ocean water for the kids to play in. We thought they might hate the ocean and then would have some calm water to splash in. Turns out they both eventually loved the ocean but still put the pool to good use too.
The water was really calm all but the last day of our vacation. There were just little waves. It was calm enough that we were confident about taking the kids out in the deeper water. Marcus LOVED bobbing in the waves and started throwing temper tantrums each time Greg and I would head out in the ocean without him. Will wasn't so sure at first but within minutes, I caught him splashing and smiling and enjoying the ocean. He really surprised me this whole trip. I was expecting him to just sit around and watch and stay away from really engaging in any new activities. Instead, he just approached everything with caution and by the end of the week, he was asking to go into the water. Was this the same kid who only goes to Lola's pool to stay out of the pool and eat snacks?
We stayed at the beach until around 12:30 and then packed up and headed back to the beach house. I was wearing my flip flops of course but that sand was HOT on the way back, even with shoes on. We got back to the house, got some of the sand off in the outside shower, then headed in for the boys to get a bath. While I was getting them dressed and making them lunches, Greg jumped in the shower. Then while they ate, I showered. This was pretty much our routine every day on vacation. Beach in the morning, then baths/showers, then lunch. Then we would have an afternoon siesta. At home my kids nap in separate rooms because it never seems that either of them wants to nap at the same time. (Nap time at our house is always the same time but Marcus usually plays in his bed for a bit before falling asleep and Will usually falls right asleep but wakes up earlier and then plays in his bed for a bit.) After spending the morning on the beach, naps were not an issue. All except one day, there was not a single protest or desire to hang out in bed and play instead of sleep.
My dad isn't too crazy about the beach so while the rest of us had fun in the sun, he spent most days keeping the pooch company.
Kim brought her dog as well, Ginger. Ginger is getting pretty old though and kept mostly to herself, just hanging out around the place and breathing in the sea air.
Each afternoon while the kids napped, Greg and I would hang out around the house mostly. Some days we took naps too. I did a lot of reading (currently reading The Kite Runner which is fantastic) and some knitting. Kim and her family would usually return while the kids were still napping so I would chat with her or my mom or just hang out with Maria and Scott. It was nice and relaxing. Our house had lots of decks (the room Greg and I were staying in had its own private deck). We got some afternoon shade on the deck facing the ocean and we all thought it was a great place to hang out.
The house also had a jacuzzi tub that Scott and Maria loved. The best part of the tub was when you washed your hair in there and the jets aerated the shampoo.
Sunday night we headed out for dinner to a restaurant called Sugar Creek (formerly known as RV's). It is my dad's favorite place to eat and I think eating at the restaurant is really his only reason for going on vacation. After our meal (I got fried everything, since it was vacation and all) we walked around on the restaurant's pier over the sound.
When we got back from dinner, we took another walk down to the shore so the pooch could have another swim.
The kids just watched.
In the evenings I would put the kids to bed and us adults would all sit around and watch bad television. Sometimes I watched, sometimes I read, sometimes I knitted. Pretty much every night though I was the first of the big people to go to bed. I might have been the youngest of the big people but I still felt old.
posted by Annie and Greg @ 12:47 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Isn't it funny how kids just automatically know how to dig in the sand like it's second nature?! That was a great idea to bring a little pool for the beach. Amelia took nearly the whole week to warm up to the ocean but once she did, there was no going back. She napped like a champ on vacation. I'm glad you got to relax, too. Keeping a house clean for showing with two toddlers must be exhausting:) Welcome back!
Annie - looks like you all had a great time! I love the pictures. Thanks for the heads up on the traffic - we are headed to Corolla this Friday but stopping in Richmond on the way down and leaving at some obnoxiously early hour to come back. Hopefully we can avoid the traffic that way! I hope we have the weather you did!
Sheila
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