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| Introduction to June Grass |
Everyone slept very well. Robby stirred at 6, I did at 7 but we both went quickly back to sleep. I woke up again around 8 and soon Graham was sitting up trying to fix his sleeping bag. Before long everyone was stirring and Anderson and Graham were discussing where we were going first-the beach or the pool. I said we would probably go to the beach but Anderson didn’t like that answer and said “well, Daddy will decide because he is the boss.” Next Reagan piped in with “God is our boss.” The discussion was ended when I mentioned getting ready for breakfast.
The kids must feel like our room is a hotel room because they asked if we were going to eat breakfast here and I assumed they meant the condo and said yes. But when Anderson said “I’ll sit here” I realized they were thinking we were eating breakfast in this room. It was big stuff that we were able to eat in the kitchen-just the little things in life.
Waffles were the breakfast of choice this morning and shortly after breakfast, Robby and Todd walked to the beach to claim our spots and set up their little tents. While they were gone, the rest of us started putting on our bathing suits. I did have one scare when I thought that I had left my jumbo size swimming suit bottoms at home but luckily found them relocated from where I had put them. I could have borrowed on of the parasails that we have seen and used them for my bottoms! Ha!
Anyway, once we were all fully dressed, we headed toward the beach. Would you like to know what all we were carrying? Including Robby’s earlier load this is what we had with us: tent, 6 towels, 4 floatees for 4 kids, 3 water bottles, sunscreen, baby powder (to get the sand off), extra swim diapers, wipes, cash, camera, cell phone…well, when I type it out it doesn’t seem like it was that much. But when you haul it to the other side of this condo, down some steps, beside the pool, across the boardwalk and through the sand it does seem like a bit more. The kids were troopers and made it without too many complaints. Campbell did need two hands to drag her through the sand.
Once we made it to the beach, we looked out upon the waters and saw it-saw seaweed. Lots and lots of seaweed. The water was thick with it rolling in. It was almost like a tide of snot or toxic green sludge or as Robby tried to put a positive spin on it “shag carpet.” Seriously, it was pretty nasty and smelled foul as well. But the sand was great, clear and perfectly white.
It took a bit coaxing for the kids to get into the water but they enjoyed floating on the boogie board Grannymom found during the last snow storm. Campbell even enjoyed it for awhile but then she just laid her head on Robby’s shoulder. She was pretty tired before we made it to the beach. Anderson was the one who enjoyed the boogie board the most. He did play in the sand but not as much as I thought that he would. Reagan was all about the sand and the sea. Graham enjoyed getting buried by Kennedy and Reagan and playing in the water with Robby (I really tried not to get into the sludge if possible). Campbell loved the sand and would just sit shoveling sand or putting it on my feet.
Thankfully, the clouds were out so it was fairly pleasant. We made it awhile and our tent was nice to keep the sun out once it came up. The tent is like a long bag folding chair but it is fairly heavy-I made the big 3 carry it on the hike back to the room. But the positive is that it opens like an umbrella and even has a little pocket on it-that’s very handy for us. Since we didn’t have a great spot for our phone and camera. I needed a ziplock bag. I also need something to bring some sand back for the kids. I don’t know how Robby will feel about me hauling lots of sand home for a school project-he will probably just offer to buy my some at Home Depot.
Anyway, once the sun came out we figured it was time to head to the pool. And oh sweet relief was the pool. Robby and I had to work pretty hard pulling Campbell and encouraging Graham who was behind us having a meltdown. I would shout “you can do it, just a bit further” and he would reply “no, I too little.” But once we made it to the pool everyone was happy again and refreshed by the water.
The kids enjoyed the water and especially jumping in. Campbell is a clown and will stand up on the edge like them and squat down like she is going to jump in and then not jump. Sometimes she will hop in but it is when you least expect it. She has gotten so good with her little floatee and will be a pro next year. We swam until the Penningtons and McGuires came to the pool and then left for lunch. Finally, we loaded up from the pool and headed back for lunch.
The kids must have been starving because even after lunch they were still asking for stuff. Grilled cheese, pizza, chips, lemonade, water, bananas, cookies, cheese-seriously, these kids were hungry. We were pretty hungry too-the beach is hard work. Once the kids had eaten most of the food in the pantry, they played with all of the other kids for awhile and then we called a rest time
Campbell was almost excited about getting in her spot and Robby turned a movie on for the other crew. We all rested while our laundry dried in the dryer.
I woke up around 5 after sleeping with Graham and the camping mats work perfectly-I couldn’t even tell that we were sleeping on the tile floor. I left to check on the laundry and discovered that it had rained and thundered while we were sleeping. Hotel naps are really the best, we never even knew it rained. Todd also found out that it wasn’t seaweed on the beach because it would have been long and stringy but it was called June Grass. That makes it sound pretty but trust me-it wasn’t. Okay, I think I have found a picture of it (click here) So maybe it wasn’t that bad but it was pretty nasty-bad enough that I would have to reach under the boys swim shirts and pull it out. Blah! Anyway, back to after nap….
Everyone woke up and got ready to go out to eat. Before we left the kids played the Wii for a bit. Since we don’t have one they are all about it and couldn’t get enough of it. Though I was reaffirmed that we can’t have one for awhile because I could see Anderson’s eyes glaze over-oh, he would be such a video game addict.
We headed to supper with the McGuires and walked in at the same time. They walked right on in and were seated right away despite the crowds of people outside but when Robby said “6” we were told the wait was over an hour. Hmmm, that decision was pretty easy to make-we headed to plan B (no, we didn’t have a plan b at the time) but knew we couldn’t wait that long with the kids. They had 5 in their party and we just had 6-should have left Campbell in the car! What will the wait at restaurants in a few months when we say party of 7. Gracious. Wouldn’t trade it though.
So before we could find our plan B restaurant we had to get gas. I had already mentioned the AAA repair man that would bring us gas when we ran out to the kids and they were getting a bit excited about seeing him but we were able to get gas before we had to call AAA. After gas, we drove this way and then that way looking for a restaurant and by now it was 7 and prime eating out time so they were all covered up. We don’t mind waiting but the kids were really anxious now because half didn’t understand why we left the first place. Graham tried to help pointing out every place he saw-mostly they were McDonalds.
We used a recommendation by Amy and ate at the Donut Hole for supper. Robby and I split a hamburger and the kids split pancakes. We then needed to sample their key lime pie, peanut butter pie and a few donut holes for the kids. The kids gobbled down their donut holes and then started to work on our pie. It was all very good and we will definitely going back some morning for donuts-we hear they are heavenly. Can’t wait!!
Back at the condo, the kids all helped Robby make cookies and everyone topped off their dessert with cookies and ice cream. Soon the McGuires came back and headed out again for crab hunting-we told everyone we will go another night and they were content with that probably because they had cookies and ice cream in their mouths. Then the Penningtons came in as we were heading to pajama up.
After pajamas, teeth and relaying out everyone’s beds the kids were all out fairly quickly. We brought a fan from home so it is pleasantly noisy in here (like an airplane) so they just pass out pretty quick. All the kids had a great time today and couldn’t believe that we were going to do the same thing we did today, tomorrow. And when I told Reagan we would go to the beach again even the next day, she almost fainted from excitement. Hopefully there will be even more clouds and lots less June Grass tomorrow.
As I was tucking Anderson in, I sniffed him and said “I love the way you smell.” He returned the sniff and said “Eeew, you smell stinky.” That’s my boy!
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