Rainy Day

So, for everything that was perfect yesterday with the weather, today was the exact opposite. It rained the entire day.

We started the day with a trip to the outlet mall to buy rain jackets as we did not bring those on a trip for the beach in August. We also spent time at the five dollar store purchasing several random toys for the kids, and we did a movie and chocolate chip cookies this afternoon. We were so excited to show the kids the Neverending Story. It was a pretty big hit with Lyla...not as much with Cade, although he enjoyed the family time as always. 

My favorite part of the day was this evening when we went to the beach before dinner. There were a few sprinkles, but the ocean was beautiful and surprisingly warm. The kids had a great time playing in the sand, and it was difficult to get them to come back upstairs for dinner.

Tonight‘s play was building a sand house, a project agreed-upon by the kids. Lyla built a mansion, and Cade build an underground house. Most importantly, Cade insisted that there be a path between the houses pictured below.

The main boss was out in full force tonight.

I didn’t care, I was happy to see him.

Here are a few photos that are sure to become some of my favorites of all time. The kids are so deeply in play they hardly noticed I was taking these:

The path between houses:








There were a lot of silver linings in today. When Cade inadvertently got sand all over the camera lense, he apologized instead of blaming someone else. When I left our car keys in a crowded store, and Lance discovered them a half hour later, he was patient about it. Traveling isn’t always easy, but we’re all growing from it.

It was a silver lining, Falkor, Fantasia kind of day, and I loved it.

Beach Day

Today was an absolutely beautiful beach day. The weather here is perfection. It’s not miserably hot like southern beaches, and the water is amazing. 

Lyla & Cade really enjoyed their time at the beach this morning. We actually got started at 9 am!

Lyla & Cade loved being in the water, especially with Lance. They loved body surfing and using the boogie board today, along with building sand holes, tunnels and castles. 

We joke that the mean boss man from last summer is back, the one who made us endlessly dig tunnels and holes. Cade said he rolled into town last night around midnight, but he never showed up today to supervise much. 

And the gear Lance got for us has made for fantastic beach time:

Yesterday I laughed so hard when we got stuck at the beach in a downpour...we were cozy in the tent...he definitely got the last laugh. Ha!

Also, last night, after the downpour, we came home to this beautiful rainbow. I was too tired to post this last night.

After our beach time, we decided to take a trip to the Boardwalk, which has been around since the early 1900s and is 3 miles long. The kids loved it...we visited an arcade first, of course they had to check out the prizes before they even played a game:

And, Lyla got her beloved hair wrap this evening.

We had dinner at the Boardwalk, and Lyla shared her thoughts about her own future, after Cade asked Daddy why he didn’t marry an ex girlfriend:

“When I grow up I want to marry someone who’s a daddy just like my daddy.”

Music to my ears.

We ended the night searching for sand crabs, although that may be a shortcoming of northern beaches. I don’t think they’re as common here as in the South.

There have been a few tense, tired moments this trip, typically regarding trivial things like Daddy leaving a favorite pair of shoes at home or Cade losing his shoes altogether today, but at the end of the day, I love them all so much. I’m so happy to be here with these three. They’re so much fun.

Today’s Travels

I love the things you discover on a road trip.

Maryland sure isn’t Kentucky or West Virginia. Each county is marked by beautiful stone signs with the county name, and the rest area had a full playground for the kids:

Leaving Cumberland

Stayed at a two month old Hampton Inn last night. Kids didn’t go to sleep until after 11, but it was a great spot to rest (despite the lady next door who suffered from night terrors at 4:45, and a car alarm that went off at 6 at...the kids slept through it all). 

We’re on our way to Ocean City now...late start, of course. It is vacation, though...

Cade has already remarked that he’ll miss our hotel. Ha!

Yesterday we thought it was so funny that the kids didn’t really know what a payphone was when we stopped at a rest area in MD. Here are a couple of photos. 

4 hours until we get to the ocean! It’s so fun to travel northward.

Northbound!

We’re headed to Ocean City MD and hoping to make if Morgantown WV today. The road trip has begun, after a long morning at home waiting for Daddy to awaken from his 6 pm shift. 

Kids excited and thrilled to be getting hourly draws from their “grapbag”. 

I’m hoping our floors get fixed while we’re away. 😬

More to come!