OBX 2010

In my post-college years, I went on cruises with my friends every year. I've been to some beautiful beaches and islands, but when push comes to shove, one of my favorite places in the world are the Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina.

My husband took me there a few years before we got married; he grew up going there with his family every summer, and when I went with him the first time, his big brother had recently begun taking his own kids there - continuing a family tradition, if you will.

This year marked our seventh year doing to the OBX as a family - Boo's first visit was when he was only 5 months old!  This year was probably one of my favorite trips, as we stayed two weeks, so we were actually able to spend a bit of time with all of the Hubs' family - and because this was the FIRST year that Boo was actually excited to be at the beach. 

You see, in years past, the Hubs typically had to carry him into the water, and it took him until Thursday or so before he'd really get comfortable with being at the beach. It was too loud for him, to sandy (i.e., messy), and too overwhelming.

So this year, to hear him yelling "wooo hoooo" as he conquered first, the boogie board, and then body surfing, well, it was music to my ears. (And a relief, as the beach is my favorite place to be, and I would be heartbroken if he really did hate it....)

Can  you give me a "thankyoubabyJesus"? Look at that face!

Even more fun when his cousins came to hang out with him, as he got much braver after watching them!

While the temperature was pushing 100 degrees some days, the water was COOOOLLLLD.

I wasn't going to complain. It felt good. Strange to have goosebumps underwater when you were roasting out of it - we'd go in, say "oh sh*t", them come out, sigh with happiness...and then start to sweat. And then back in the water we'd go.

It was pretty, and it was peaceful. The beach was not crowded at all.

Boo took to sprinting down the beach (until we started to panic as he was getting way too far out of sight....) and then he'd run back. Pea thought it looked like fun, too.  Those little legs of hers can FLY.

But of course, her favorite things to do were to jump waves...

And to find shells! She was a super shell finder. No shell was too small or too big for her to delight in.
(or pose with)

As for Boo - he was just happy to be there. And that makes me happy.

Pea's favorite part of the two week stay, however, had to be when her cousins came. She and G-Bug are less than 3 weeks apart in age, but they really haven't had much time together since we live(d) in the Midwest and they live on the East coast.  Any time they weren't on the beach, they could be found in "their" bedroom playing with princess dolls. They were two peas in a pod. Pea sulked when G-Bug had to go home (and she and Boo battled constantly, the first of the trip) to such an extent that I was ready to drive back to Virginia to bring all three cousins back!

Thankfully, they had another cousin on the way. Thank goodness Jake is tolerant. :0)

As for me - give me a good book, my shades and any amount of sunscreen, and I'm good to go. (And if you bring me down a Corona around 4pm, I'll love you forever!)

Find a happy place FINDAHAPPYPLACE!

After a long morning (yes, already) with my daughter Sybil...erm...Pea (I mean, is it really possible for someone to wake up whining? Apparently so, and it morphed into a 45 minute tantrum, at which point I just threw some cheerios at her and stuffed her in the car to go to school.....)

Aaand, I'm rambling. I digress.

After a stressful morning with my darling, darling now 4 year old, coffee in hand, I latched on to my bloggy pal Jenny from Jenny on the Spot's post "Ooooh! A List! A List of Happy Things" because I needed a laugh. (And its just too early for vodka.)

I love that flattery took up three spots on her list. Nothing wrong with confidence shots. And sublety. So what the heck - I need to change my frame of mind, so here is my totally random list of 10 things that make me happy.

1. My kids. They rock. They crack me up.

2. Alternately, dropping my kids off at school. (Is that wrong?)

3. The Hubs. He's smart, sweet, sexy. I love how his entire body turns red when he laughs (although, it is a bit startling in a "hey, are you ok?" kind of way.) He puts up with me, my blogging, and my weird hours. It works.

4. Chocolate. Especially warm, melty chocolate that cries out for a big glass of milk.

5. This Movie: Its corny, its sweet, and it has classic lines that stick in your head - like the "chick" version of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". Or "Spaceballs".

6. Sitting at the beach. Can you be unhappy with sand between your toes and the hot sun on your face?

(ok, so maybe this wasn't the best photo choice.)

7. A Starbucks skinny vanilla latte. Ok, but if we are talking SERIOUSLY happy, a peppermint mocha, with whip. Oh yeah, I walk on the wild side.

8. Curling up with a good book. Especially when all my housework is done. (Isn't it awfully convenient that I live in the "town of books?")

9. Date night: I get to enjoy a good meal with my husband, but without having to cook or clean up myself, and I get to have an uninterrupted conversation, too. If I'm lucky, we might even see a show or a movie. (gasp)

10. Miniature golf. How can you NOT have fun playing miniature golf - a family tradition when we go to the beach. Especially watching your 3-year-old play.

11. Chocolate.

Yes, I know I said a list of ten, but chocolate makes me so happy it needs to be here twice. There is no such thing as too much chocolate.

Wanna play? Make your list on Facebook or on your blog, and let me know so I can read it, too.

I needs all the happy I can gets today.

The Sand Man

Sometimes, it is the simple things in life that make a guy happy.

Like digging a hole in the sand...

Note: it is a good idea to keep your three-year-old cousin nearby, so she can go get help when you get stuck INSIDE the hole you dug.

I'm now calling my nephew "The Sand Man". He can dig some deeeeeeep holes in the sand.

Beach Week

I've been a bad, bad blogger. I confess.

But, really, I've been too busy stuffing my face with steamed spiced shrimp, key lime pie, she crab soup, margaritas and beer, and rinsing sand out of my personal spaces after swimming, jumping waves and dodging jellies for hours in the ocean.

I love it!

Let me tell you, it is mind-boggling how much sand is sitting at the front of the outdoor shower. For how small my 3 year old is, she can likely get a job dredging beaches after hurricanes using only her swim diaper! Its remarkable.

Pea, well, she just tickled her beach-loving parents. She tore headlong into the waves on the first day, and was sitting in the sand, digging holes and building sandcastles. For a neatnik, she did amazingly well with the amount of sand coating her body.

In fact, we wore her out so well on the first day, she fell asleep getting her hair braided, which I'm told is less than comfortable. Seriously - look at this:

Now THAT is tired....

The end result is adorable (and totally maintenance free for the week, woo hoo!)

Boo, on the other hand, had a harder time adjusting. I'm still not sure where the fear stemmed from - he loves the sandbox, and he loves to swim. However, true to form, by the 4th day, he ventured near the water, getting wet with help from Hubs.

It was a tad pitiful....

By the 5th day, he was running into the water.

And by the last day, he was getting up after being tumbled by the waves, grinning, and running back to the water.

Next year, I think we need to stay for TWO weeks - so that by the time Boo remembers how much HE loves the ocean, he has another week to enjoy it!

(And, the rest of us have more time to enjoy Carolina pulled pork, shrimp, tuna, scallops, and more key lime pie!)

Beach Day in February

(Warning: gratuitous photo blog post for grandmothers ahead)

Its beach day!

Well, not for real - just for Pea at preschool. I found it kind of hard to get in the spirit, given that it is about 24 degrees outside today, but she is certainly excited! Just check out that grin!

(and note the remaining snow in the background...BRRRRRR)

She thought the fishie barrettes were "perfect".

However, when we came home, she wouldn't take off the dress, but agreed to add some leggings. And the bunny slippers, because her FEET were cold. (Huh.) Always the fashion diva!

Needless to say, THIS was the outfit that Miss Thang wore all day long - including when we picked up Boo at school later that afternoon. She did agree to switch into her kitty rain boots when we went to Boo's guitar lesson, but those arms (now paint-covered from school) were still bare.

Yup, I'm one of those moms.