Saturday, March 21

life's a beach

and then you have to come home to the real world!
It was another great trip to the beach. Due to other vacation plans, we moved the beach trip to Spring Break. We are use to sunny and sometimes sweltering days where you spend from 10-4 inside playing games, eating, reading, shopping, watching movies. Days where the best beach times are when the sun is coming up and when the sun is setting.
This year we had some rain and some cool temperatures but it is hard to beat staying on the sand all day and not sweating. One day I kept my long sleeve T-shirt on all day!
Carly had big fun. She made friends with kids in the 2 neighboring beach houses. They played hard all day including swimming in the frigid water. She was even invited to join their bonfire one night to make s'mores and then go crabbing (aka playing on the beach with a flash light at night).
There was kite flying, castle building, digging in the sand (who knew how much fun a full size shovel can be), shell hunting, and so much more. Carly played so well that it reminds me again how easily she fits into situations. She talks easily with adults, holds her on with older kids, plays hard with active kids, teaches younger kids, involves everybody, and has no trouble jumping right in with any group. She did not think twice about going to watch a movie with the family next door or joining them for their bonfire. When a kid Carly had met the day before wandered over to the group, I heard Carly introduce her to the kids she was playing with followed up with "you want a turn?" There was dolphin watching. One morning there was a huge group that had at least a dozen dolphins in it including a couple that looked like babies.
More things to remember about this trip....
ate at the Original Oyster House for the first time and everyone agreed that it was a good experience and we should try it again sometime,
ate breakfast at Tacky Jacks II (YUM),
read 2 1/2 books and about 10 magazines,
colored in Carly's quilt pattern coloring books,
played lots of games including 2 new ones called "In a Pickle" and "UNO Flash" and an old one "Progressive Gin",
got LuLu's smoked tuna dip recipe (score!),
after a stop at a souvenir shop was thankful that we were staying out at Ft. Morgan and not "in town", and
did not take enough pictures especially of anyone besides Carly!
{Spring Break 2009}

12 comments:

Neighbor Jane Payne said...

What a fun vacation . . . and beautiful pictures, Kim Sue.

It looks like it was just what a vacation is intended to be.

That's great Carly is so socially adjusted. Good for you for encouraging her and helping her build it.

Keetha Broyles said...

These pictures are awesome. Looks like the best of the best of vacations.

Hey - - - do you realize that you are in the UNIQUE position of "knowing" 2 Keethas??? We aren't all that common ya know, and I have a dream that ONE DAY TWO KEETHAS WILL EXIST SIDE BY SIDE in your side bar - - - - yep, I've been to the mountain top and I dreamed that!

Keetha Broyles said...

Oh look at that!!! You've started a COLLECTION of Keethas. Doesn't that look GOOOOOOOOOOOD?!?

Looks good to me.

:-)

Jill said...

I'm so glad you had a wonderful trip to the beach again. I would love to stay at a beach house some time.

It's also wonderful that Carly gets along so well with others and is comfortable with adults and new kids. What a great skill to have.

Linda said...

It certainly looks like Spring Break 2009 was a complete success! Each and every picture is beautiful.

How wonderful that Carly has such amazing social skills. Not every parent can say that about their children. It's apparent Kim Sue that you and hubby have done an outstanding job as parents!

Unknown said...

ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT CARLY IS SO GROWN UP. SHE GOT GROWN IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE. IT WAS ONLY A SHORT TIME AGO THAT HER DAD WAS THAT AGE WITH THE SAME SOCIAL SKILLS...NEVER MEETS A STRANGER KIND OF THING. WOW, WHAT A "TRIP"

Melinda said...

This seriously looks like the best spring break every. I miss the beach. The dolphin watching would have been the absolute best.

Anonymous said...

What a great vacation -- I thought about you while you were gone, and I am so glad you had such a great time. Our spring break is the week after Easter, and we are going to Washington, so we can finally meet Robin from Robin's Nest. Now, I guess it is time for you to get back to your real life. Don't you hate that? I know I do.

Doodle Bugs said...

It was great! and possibly the best trip beach trip to date...

I loved it! Except for those bugs! Sheez, I still have bites!

sweetfunkyvintage said...

That beach looks heavenly!
missy

calista said...

Looks like you all had a blast. We LOVE the Oyster House and Doc's. Tacky Jacks has to have the best view though. I also love Pirate's Cove. Oh man, I can't wait to get there.....5 wks to go!

Alisa said...

What a wonderful break! I love how you recognized Carly's gift of being social. Some kids just don't have that in them for a while.
Beautiful photos- I would love to see dolphins up close!