Beach Bums

I mentioned that we went on vacation a month ago but never followed through with a post, so here is my vacation wrap-up. So you can sleep at night. You're welcome.

I have to admit that I am not a person drawn to a beach vacation. Between the extreme risk for repeated melanoma (I'm not getting linky today, but for those new to the blog, I've had it twice already) and my dislike for hot weather, the beach is just really not my cup of tea. So, of course, we went to the beach. Actually, I did have a say in the location, and a lot of my willingness to hit the sand is all of the great memories I have from beach vacations as a kid. It's a good thing in moderation, and I figured that if we went there early in the season, it would at least remove sweltering temps from the equation. And the sun? Well, that's gonna just shine on whether I like it or not, but a good lathering of SPF50, a beach umbrella, and a snazzy mumu make for some great protection.

I'm so glad we went with the beach because the sand was a HUGE hit. The kids spent hours and hours digging and building and smashing and digging and building and...well, you get the idea. And since they are my kids, they also got a liberal dose of SPF50 and a big ol' umbrella of their own. Of course, this pic reveals my poor mothering skills because one of Gabe's legs is {gasp} in the sun.

Now, the ocean was definitely not a hit. In fact, it was close to the bottom of the list of things the kids wanted to experience. Right after brussels sprouts and showers (they love a bath but flip if you make it a shower). I think it was the strength of the current, because we almost got them in a few times. In fact, I had SC standing with me as a very small wave rolled in and covered our feet and ankles. But, as it went back out, it actually pulled her off of her feet--thankfully I had a good grip on one arm, but it scared the poo out of her. No more ocean after that! SC would happily go to the beach ("Walk by MY SELF") and parade around at will, but she gave the big blue a wide berth. (Side note: One of the great things about having a girl is giving her my hand-me-downs. That beach cover-up was mine. And, yes, it's unisex, but Gabe wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole.)

We also spent a lot of time doing activities with the National Parks Service. I had no idea that there were so many programs available! In fact, I was so blown away that I wrote a piece on my parenting blog about it. And because we were just south of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, we had access to all of their programming but didn't have enough time to partake. So, I think a return trip is in order. Really, the worst part of the whole adventure was the LONG drive to get there and back (14 hours each way), but for the level of relaxation, kid-friendly activities, and generally beautiful surroundings, it was well worth it.