Off to the Beach, Part 1

The third week in July, we packed up (with less stuff than we had taken in the past four years!) and headed south and east to the beach! YAY! If we ever needed a vacation, it was this summer!





We had a pretty easy trip down and didn't hit a ton of traffic until very close to the shore. The kids were good travelers, but were very happy when we arrived! After a quick unloading of the car, we headed down to say HI to the ocean. And, silly Mommy should have KNOWN to put them in their suits. Wading. YEAH RIGHT.



After a change of clothes, we got some pizza and the kids hit the sheets. After I did this to their room...I'm so classy.


(WHY do all beach houses come with eastern facing windows with no coverings???)

Sunday kicked off a string of beautiful beach days. Waves, sand, running, icees. Perfection.


Gillian laid in the sand like this ALL week. Like a little lizard soaking up the sun and heat.






Lots of digging! A lot of it by Daddy!




But Daddy did get the occasional break.


The kiddos loved being in the water! It was too cold for ME! Thankfully Daddy, GraGra and Papa Greg are heartier than I am!






Zach and Kevin entertaining the troops!


There were LOTS of beach icees. LOTS.




Sunday night we had to hit the boardwalk for some ice cream and game playing. Colin HAD to win some "friends." HAD to. Like his little life depended on acquiring cheap pieces of fluff. Thankfully his Papa Greg was along to increase his chances of actually WINNING something.










The Monday of our vacation happened to be Daddy's birthday. So we celebrated. We started with donuts.




Daddy got a Birthday Nap.


The Lobster came for dinner.




Then we did a round of mini-golf. The Shell We Golf is beginning to show some wear...but we had fun anyway. Although Colin STILL insists that we played hockey.





Definitely a fun start to vacation! To be continued!

Beach Vacation 2012: Part 2

So Monday of vacation....more of this!


And I know there was more beach fun, but apparently it wasn't captured...or I used the pictures already! So many pictures that they are confusing me!

But, I DO know that Monday night we hit the boardwalk for some fun. I had been talking to Gillian about getting a colorful wrap in her hair, with maybe some beads. She was up for that. So that's where we were headed.

And Colin got it in his head that he was going to PLAY GAMES. And there was no deterring him. I think it started the night before when Colin saw THE SKELETON on the boardwalk. We had no idea what he was talking about until we searched the boardwalk on Monday for this:

So that's where the boys headed.

Meanwhile at the hair shop, G quickly made friends with the nice wrap lady. G climbed up in her spot on the bench and didn't move or make a peep until her hair was DONE. While I was paying, GraGra said G told the lady exactly what she wanted, with no help needed at all. There is no stopping that girl when she knows what she wants.


At the end, G picked a pink, a purple, and an orange bead to go on her wrap. And, honestly, it matches her wardrobe perfectly. I'm not exactly sure WHEN and HOW I'm going to get that thing out of her hair!

In the meantime, Daddy, Colin, and Papa Greg were hitting up three or four arcades and the Funland to WIN COLIN A PRIZE. I hear the boy wasn't going to stop until he won SOMETHING. Finally, they settled on some sort of "Plinko" game. Colin could shoot the ball up and Daddy could try to catch it. Apparently Colin told Daddy, "This is an easy one. I know you can do it."

Eventually they caught 3 of the 5 balls and TA DA Colin won a stuffed penguin. Daddy said it was like he won a Nobel Prize, Colin eyes just LIT up and he gave a big THANK YOU to the worker who had handed him to him. Daddy said it just might have been his favorite part of the whole vacation. After winning the penguin, the boys caught up with us girls at the hair shop and Colin was STILL effervescent about this penguin. Just glowing with happiness.

Fun evening for kids:




Close up of the penguin, who was quickly christened Dewey.


Then we had a nice stroll on the boardwalk and tried to squeeze in our family picture early in the week. Semi-success as usual.


And a nice one of the kids with GraGra and Papa Greg.


Walking to the car was even fun.



We kicked Tuesday morning off with some AWESOME donuts thanks to Papa Greg. They were seriously good.



And then some beaching.




(HA! See Daddy and I sneaking in some reading on the beach! All thanks to Papa and GraGra!)







Notice the shell decorations!


Daddy reading some more.


After beach and nap and dinner, we headed for some Mini-Golf! C&G had never been and they really had NO CLUE what we were talking about, but they were excited. So Shell We Golf was on the agenda! Thankfully 3 years and under are FREE, so that was an extra treat!

A lilac ball for Gillian. There wasn't a pink choice....


Colin was more interested in getting IN the water hazard. Both of them tried to climb in at one point. Eventually we got across the point that you are to stay OUT of the water on a golf course!


And we're off!



Extra hazards added for more fun!



Our golf sunset.


The kids were funny golfing. They kind of figured out a pushing/sweeping kind of motion that worked pretty well for them. Colin would take ten or twelve strokes and then plop the ball in the hole with his hands. Gillian would hit and hit and hit and hit it. Never give up. That's her. Near the end of the course, Colin looked at me, grinned, and said, "I like this. Let's do more hockey-ing." Oh boy.

After our 18 holes, we popped into the Seashell Shop next door to pick up a souvenir for Colin.


HA! The story on the blow fish? The condo next to us had a taxidermied puffer fish stuck head first in a sand bucket hanging out on their porch all week. Colin was FASCINATED by it. He talked about it each and every time we walked past it. And called it "his puffer fish." He HAD to have one of his own. Although Daddy STILL doesn't understand why.