Beachy Keen

Bethany Beach Vacation 2010 did not really start off as planned. For days before hand I excitedly told anyone within hearing distance about how excited I was to really organize, plan and pack for the trip this year. It was perfect because I was off from work on Friday and the kids were scheduled to go to daycare that day. So, I'd take them in, then go home and have all day to calmly and leisurely do laundry, make lists, pack bags, put things in an orderly fashion and even go ahead and pack up the car. Which would mean a smooth, peaceful and leisurely Saturday morning to get on the road and head to the beach. Dreamy! Especially since our packing usually consists of super late night laundry, throwing items in random bags, rushing around like crazy people all Saturday morning and then asking each other if we remembered to pack certain things for the first 30 minutes of the car ride. No, this year was going to be different.

But on Thursday when I picked the kids up from school, Lucas felt fairly warm and was acting a bit off. I couldn't really tell if he was just hot and exhausted from the obnoxiously hot weather (he'd been playing outside and it was in the upper 90s and super humid) or if he was getting sick. After a while, nothing really changed so I decided to take his temperature - which was 103. Poor thing had a rough night and a somewhat milder, but still present fever the next morning. No school for Luke, which meant no lovely day of organizing and packing for Mom. The best laid plans are always spoiled! But luckily, my little guy was not in terrible spirits so we actually were able to have a fun day together, just the two of us. Which is more exciting than laundry and packing anyway!

So Marty and I still did the late night scramble and last minute pack, but for whatever reason it went more smoothly than most years and we actually left the house in an orderly and un-crazed fashion TWO MINUTES BEFORE our target departure time, which is practically unheard of in this family. Lucas seemed to be completely better and we were ready to enjoy our fun-filled family vacation. But when we stopped at Marty's parents house on the way, we noticed Elise acting whinier than usual and then it became clear that it was her turn to get sick. I took her temperature and discovered she had apparently caught whatever Luke had because her body was also running at a blazing 103. By the time we arrived at the beach Elise was officially feeling horribly. Our first night was not the fun exciting celebration it usually is, but spent worrying over Ellie (and worrying that the illness was going to make its rounds in the house of 12 people during the week). After a rough night, Elise woke up with a mild fever in much better spirits, and by Sunday night she was as good as new.

The rest of the vacation was wonderful! It was incredibly hot and crazy humid all week, but we spent lots of time enjoying being in cool water in lots of forms. In past years we have gone to the beach, Elise has been so terrified of the ocean (it's too loud!) and Lucas enjoyed eating the sand so much that we've spent very little time at the actual beach. This year, it was a whole new experience. Both children LOVED playing in the ocean and abstained from eating sand. Elise had one little sand-in-the-eye issue that was a bit stressful for a while, but other than that we had excellent beach experiences. We even took her out into the water to jump the deep waves (before the lifeguard told us we couldn't do that if she can't swim) so she got a real ocean
experience. The kids (particularly Elise) also loved the pool. She was like a little fish all week, using her noodle to motor around the pool having an absolute blast. There was a strip mall very near our beach house that had a fountain that would shoot up water for kids to play in. This was Luke's favorite part of the vacation - he went into the fountain (both in his bathing suit and with all of his clothes on) nearly every day.

We took two trips down to Ocean City so the kids could experience the excitement of the boardwalk and go on some rides. Elise went on everything from kiddie rides to big kid rides she was tall enough to go on and loved every one. Lucas, on the other hand, is obviously way less of a rides person. He sort of enjoyed the Ferry Whip until he decided he was done (while it was still moving) and tried to stand up, coming so terrifyingly close to falling out that they had to stop the ride and take him off. He also went on the motorcycles for a few rotations before deciding he hated that and wanted off. The only thing he really enjoyed was the carousel - and by enjoyed I mean that he did not cry and beg to get off. I think Elise may be the only thrill seeker child in the family!

Lucas also played his first round of miniature golf, but I use the term "played" very loosely. He didn't really get it, but was a great sport about staying off the green and not picking up other people's balls. Elise and a great time playing golf with her cousin Abby, but I think she enjoyed the ice cream cone she got afterwards even more!

We had a really fun time hanging out with family and enjoying all that the beach had to offer. We're already excited about taking another beach trip next summer!