And with an abrupt and unpleasant Monday, we return to our regularly scheduled programming from a fabulous week at the beach with The Professor’s Parents and The Professor’s Sister and The Niece. I’ll go ahead and reveal that we call these folks D.D. (or DeeDee, not sure how it should be spelled – deciding grandparental nicknames is a tricky thing), Chip-Ip, Aunt Erin, and Ella. Jack has been calling all of their names since we left them yesterday morning, asking where they are. He did the same when his Nana and Doc and my sisters left after a recent visit. He loves being surrounded by family.
One week and two days ago, these beloved four showed up at our door, much to Jack’s (and our) delight. He and his cousin immediately began wreaking havoc on my living room. When our visitors left a short time later to drop off Erin and Ella at a friend’s, where they were staying the night, Jack’s heart broke and he cried bitterly.
Monday morning we loaded up our car and set off for the Florida panhandle. The condo was a lovely one, on the 7th floor of an 8 story high rise right on the beach. The porch yielded stunning views of the glassy gulf, the white powdery sand. Unfortunately, we landed in Sandestin right in the middle of an especially heavy seaweed season, so we could also see the broad band of seaweed that lay like sod over the first several feet of sand, and the yards and yards of dark seaweedy water that we would have to swim through in order to reach the clear blue water beyond. Tuesday morning we gathered up enough gear to go on a three week safari and trotted the children out to a little square of beach we could call our own, where we lazed about amid the fumes of baking seaweed. My husband began to crave collards. My mother in law declared that all we needed was a couple of ham hocks and some black eyed peas and we’d have New Years’ dinner. It was astonishingly thick and, er, fragrant. I fetched buckets of water for the kids to play in the sand, and had to strain the seaweed out.
Since we couldn’t really get the kids wet to keep them cool, we didn’t last long out there. Less than an hour after hauling everything down, we packed up the safari and hauled it all back up, and retreated to the pool, a much more suitable and pleasant swimming experience for all. It had a little kiddie wading pool area with a waterfall, and the kids were happily occupied for the rest of the afternoon.
And thus went our week, alternating playing in the sand and swimming in the pool. Here are some memories, in no particular order, more for me than for my reading audience, because I have no time to write this the way I want to but I don’t want to forget anything:
- Swimming through warm seaweed soup (tasty!) to get to a shallow sandbar. The Professor, his sister and I did this one day, floating out a cooler of beer and enjoying a couple of hours of kid-free time. The next day, we dragged his father along, promising a relaxing lounge on the sandbar, and instead the choppier water nearly knocked us off our feet and at one point sent the cooler surfing toward the shore. My sister in law, who is, shall we say, vertically challenged, struggled to keep her Woodchuck above the towering waves, but by golly she managed. She nearly lost her suit at one point, but she kept that drink firmly in hand and out of the water. The Professor called her The Statue of Liberty.
- Sending DeeDee and Chip-Ip out to lounge on the sandbar while we watched the kids on the shore, again promising a nice lounge in crystal clear shallow water. We lied. The tide was in, and the water at the sandbar was about 7 feet deep. I think we nearly killed them, as they kept swimming and swimming and swimming, looking for the shallow spot.
- I took a long run during one toddler naptime, and a long walk along the shore during another. There is little I like more than walking along the beach where the tide meets the land. Although squelching through gooshy seaweed kind of marred the experience.
- Liam really loved sitting outside in the shade by the pool, with the sea breeze blowing. He slept best when he was out there.
- Watching the cousins interact was cool. Ella is definitely the ringleader, though she is seven months younger and Jack outweighs her by a good deal. Whatever she was doing, he wanted to do, and she was happy to lead. They are really close buddies, and I think their personalities are perfectly complementary.
- Watching Ella. I don’t get much time with my only niece, and she is an absolute ham. Her parents call her Bossy and The Class Clown, two names that perfectly fit. She’s incredibly smart and strong willed, and yet extremely well behaved and obedient. I love being a part of her life, and only wish I could see her more.
- Pina coladas on the balcony.
- Playing Cranium with the family.
- One-two-three-JUMP in the pool with the kids.
- The toddlers climbing on the Professor’s back for horsey rides.
- Sleeping four to a bed. We were given the room with the king bed – my dream! But we shared it with Jack and, some fussy mornings, with Liam, too. I’m not a Family Bed kind of mom, but I have to say it was special to be piled into bed with my three boys.
- Jack made a good friend in the baby pool one day. It was a much older boy with a brother Jack’s age, and he took Jack under his wing and taught him ball throwing and other fun stuff. At the end, Jack gave him hugs and kisses. It was SO CUTE to watch them together.
- Ella began asking her mother for a timeout. You know you’re in trouble when your 18 month old is already outsmarting you re:discipline.
- Shopping with the girls on the last day, and enjoying a tasty decaf Starbucks iced coffee.
- Finally, Jack ceased saying Shish and has started saying Fish. Sigh. They grow so fast!