The Vacation...

This may get convoluted, but stay with me... We rented my husband's cousin's beach house in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ with my in-laws, a three bedroom cottage with one bathroom, 4 adults and one child. The house was a perfect little beach cottage, though a little cramped.

Originally, my husband wanted to only take our mini-van, "We'll all fit." What planet does this man live on? He grew up with his mother, the woman used to take winter coats on vacation during the summer because "it might get cold at night" When we reached their house, they had 2 beach umbrellas, a beach tent, 4 sand chairs, a beach cart, 2 suitcases, bags of linens and towels, 2 huge boxes filled with food and a cooler filled with everything that was left in their refrigerator. "Mom, you do realize they have supermarkets in Jersey?" We had to take 2 cars.

I love my MIL, she's 73 and has been a perfect size six since she was 14. I now know why, she forgets to eat. On the day we arrived she had a piece of toast before she left home, a vodka collins at 4 in the afternoon and promptly fainted in the ritzy restaurant we chose for dinner at 7 pm. We had to call 911, nobody realized she hadn't eaten. We walked from the house which was about a block from the beach, walked up and down the boardwalk to see everything and then walked to a restaurant in town about 1 1/2 miles. Her blood sugar probably plummeted, we wont know because she refused to go the ER. I fed her cookies when we got back to the house and she was better by Sunday morning. But this made us nervous so we drove everywhere instead of walking. I've come to the realization that God has a sense of humor, my SIL went to the Shore a couple of weeks before we did and her MIL fainted on the beach from the heat, EMT's came to make sure she was okay too, my MIL couldn't believe "that idiot woman" fainted, can you tell she doesn't particularly like her daughter's MIL?

So, come Sunday morning everything is back to normal and we are at the beach by 9:30 in the morning and we start my son's week of firsts. It was his first time at the ocean and he loved the water. The water was fairly rough and the under tow was pretty strong, but he didn't care.

Saturday night actually started his first, slept for the first time in a bunk bed--very exciting for a 5 year old.

Monday he went "grown-up" fishing with his dad. Instead of fishing he played tag with a little boy who was fishing with his grandad.

Tuesday he visited his first boardwalk--loved the little amusement park, it was wrist band day. $12 for all the rides you want, it was great fun for him, but hot and crowded for mom and dad.

Wednesday he caught his first fish--actually he caught 4 small bluefish, he called them "speckled beauties"--this comes from a Jean Shepard movie, but it'll take too long to explain.

Thursday afternoon we found a little train shop in the back of a woman's clothing store, stange I know, and bought him his first grown-up train set. A Lionel Pennsylvania Flyer.

Thursday night he saw his first real fireworks. Point Pleasant Beach has fireworks every Thursday.

The beach was wonderful and I had some interesting realizations...

1. It's always hot in the sun no matter the air temperature.
2. The water is a magnet for me, I'd much rather be in the water than sitting on the beach.
3. Life Guards are hot, really, really, really hot.
4. Not every woman on the beach should wear a bikini, this coming from the puggy woman who hasn't worn a bikini since she was 7 years old.
5. Men with dark hair and really pale skin shouldn't wear white swim trunks.
6. Obnoxious children should be supervised, but rarely are.
7. Don't read a tear jerker at the beach, you'll get sand in your eyes when you wipe them.
8. Don't put up the beach umbrellas if it's real windy, this one I already knew, but apparently not all in my little group was aware of this.
9. A 5 year old is never too tired to run in and out of the water, but is always too tired to walk back up the beach when it's time to leave.
10. Beach shoes may not look pretty, but are soooo comfortable.
11. Walking in the sand barefoot is better than using a pumous stone on your feet.
12. Children are amazing they make friends everywhere.

We had a great week, and we're going back next year.

Next up--book reviews, but I need to get to the bank, post office and laundramat first.