Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Beach Vacation 2012: Part 2

So Monday of vacation....more of this!
IMG_2479.JPG

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:
IMG_2488.JPG
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.
P1010805.JPG
IMG_2491.JPG
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:
IMG_2492.JPG
Camera Roll-390
Camera Roll-387

Close up of the penguin, who was quickly christened Dewey.
P1010809.JPG

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.
P1010815.JPG

And a nice one of the kids with GraGra and Papa Greg.
P1010816.JPG

Walking to the car was even fun.
IMG_2507.JPG
IMG_2509.JPG

We kicked Tuesday morning off with some AWESOME donuts thanks to Papa Greg. They were seriously good.
DSC_0009.NEF
DSC_0011.NEF

And then some beaching.
IMG_2510.JPG
IMG_2511.JPG
IMG_2512.JPG
P1010820.JPG
(HA! See Daddy and I sneaking in some reading on the beach! All thanks to Papa and GraGra!)

P1010825.JPG
IMG_2514.JPG
IMG_2517.JPG
IMG_2520.JPG
IMG_2522.JPG

Notice the shell decorations!
IMG_2524.JPG

Daddy reading some more.
IMG_2525.JPG

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....
DSC_0013.NEF

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!
DSC_0014.NEF

And we're off!
DSC_0015.NEF
DSC_0018.NEF

Extra hazards added for more fun!
DSC_0019.NEF
DSC_0023.NEF

Our golf sunset.
DSC_0025.NEF

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.
Camera Roll-393

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.



Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Beach Vacation 2012: Part 1

On August 3 we were UP and OUT and headed to the BEACH....by 6:50 am. Yep, that was fun. Amazingly Colin was up and raring to GO when I opened his door at 6:30...not really surprising though!
Camera Roll-379
Camera Roll-380

Those headphones??? AMAZING. So peaceful when the kids are plugged in! I did make them unplug when we went over the "big, big" bridge!
Camera Roll-381
Camera Roll-383

Finally, FINALLY around 4:00 we got to the beach house. We had to be beg Colin for ten minutes to unload the car before we HAD to go see the water. We told him we were just saying HI and talking a little walk, but, yep, kids were both soaked in three minutes.

Camera Roll-386
Camera Roll-385
Camera Roll-384
Welcome to the beach, I guess! We haven't been to the beach in two years, so the kids were really little last time they saw the water, so I was a bit worried they would be afraid and not like it....NO WORRIES! They loved the surf. Ran, jumped, screamed, chased, you name it. Ocean = BIG FUN.

GraGra, Papa, Zach, and his friend Joe finally made to the house, so we all settled in, spread out, and headed out for some pizza! The kids were so tired by bedtime, it didn't take long to get them settled...into their shared bedroom! C&G haven't shared a room since they were 4 months old, so this was quite an experiment for us all! And, mostly, they did GREAT! I think they were just too tired to screw around! And, it was SO nice for the grown ups to not to have to share a room with a kiddo!

Sunday was a HOT, SUNNY, and perfect for a beach day! And we took advantage of it!

First hole of the week!
IMG_2452.JPG
IMG_2454.JPG
IMG_2457.JPG

Checking out the surf with GraGra.
IMG_2462.JPG
IMG_2463.JPG
IMG_2467.JPG

Hi Mommy and Daddy!
IMG_2468.JPG

IMG_2469.JPG
(The hole wasn't really that deep, Colin was basically LAYING in the hole here)

IMG_2471.JPG

First shell of the week....many more to follow!
IMG_2475.JPG

The kids called this swimming:
IMG_2481.JPG
IMG_2483.JPG

Sunday night was wrapped up with a big scoop of ice cream at the end!
DSC_0004.NEF
DSC_0005.NEF
DSC_0008.NEF

More fun to come! Woo hoo!