Before I get to the main topic of this post, I would like to thank my mother for the text that she sent me the other day. It said, (and I quote), "How is the blog coming?" She knows full well that I haven't updated my blog since the 16th of July, so it gave me a little bit more motivation to post something. However in my first post I did make it quite clear that I am lazy and often find it easy to fall into a pattern of inconsistency when it comes to writing. But anyway, thanks mom for being an avid reader of my blog. I know you spend your days hitting the refresh button on your computer waiting for my next post.
Since the school year is quickly approaching, we decided to take a trip to the beach. Nothing too long, just a couple of days to enjoy the salty air. Since Jonas is only 2 1/2 months old we left him behind with Imma and Poppa. He probably would have enjoyed himself, but the potential for fun at the beach is somewhat proportional to one's ability to walk.
At about 8:30 on Tuesday we loaded up the van for our little getaway. It is common practice for anyone going on a trip to complete a mental checklist to ensure they have packed everything. That is exactly what I was doing, except I didn't really know what we needed, so I just loaded what Jen gave me and double checked with her on the rare occasion that I thought we had forgotten something. Everything seemed to be in order, so we drove off.
The trip was going great until about 2.3 miles into the trip. From the back of the van we hear Caden say, "I want my flip flops please!" Naturally we assume his flip flops had fallen off of his feet and they just needed to be picked up off the floor of the van. Of course we were wrong. I don't exaclty remember how it all unfolded, but we realized that Caden was put into the car without any shoes. My fault! Luckily we were right next to the Family Dollar. This is signifcant because in my last post I made fun of the Dollar General, and here we, are at their mercy, hoping that they had some shoes that would accommodate our little boy. (You see, backtracking 2 miles when you have already started your trip is nonsense).
If you have ever had the privilege of riding in our Nissan Quest, then you know once it reaches 65 mph it begins to shake with incredible force. Being inside the van is truly a memorable experience. We drive while holding our drinks in the cup holders so they don't bounce out. Our poor children are in the back watching a movie on a DVD player that is moving up and down so much that I had to velcro, tape, and bungie cord it in order to hold it down. Fortunately, this all falls into the category of a normal ride. That is how our drive went until we reached our destination.
On a side note, I developed another habit that only fathers seem to have. The infamous road trip language. This is when you tell your children, "Five more minutes," or "Almost there," things of that nature. While making those comments, I was reflecting on how much I hated it when my dad said it, but there I was feeding my children false notions of how much longer we would be on the road.
We finally arrived at the Blockade Runner Hotel and checked in. As we unloaded our bags and gear, there was a young man who loaded them onto a cart. I don't know his official title, a bellboy mabye? Anyway, he was responsible for taking us and our luggage to our room. In my head I began thinking if this service requires a tip, and if so how much? Do I have any cash in my wallet? As we were in the elevator I inconspicuously (just kidding it was packed and I was in plain sight), checked my wallet. As I ruffled through the receipts, I found $3. That would have to do. After the young man unloaded our luggage, I placed the money in his hand and bid him farewell. I am almost positive he saw the look of confusion on my face as I was still thinking about his official job title, and what a respectable tip would be. He is probably laughing it up with his buddies right now. I guess this tells you how often we have someone carry our luggage for us. Anyone with knowledge in this area feel free to comment.
After unloading we got ready for the beach. For our family this isn't a quick task. Most of you know, we are as white as they come. My family can empty a bottle of sunscreen in one outing. After liberally applying the sunscreen we grabbed our bag and ventured out to the beach. Jen and I both had sunglasses on so we were able to see perfectly despite the burning sun. Our boys on the other hand were blinded by the sun and they used their sandcastle buckets to get some relief. So there we were, the Miller family walking out to the beach. Mom, dad, and two kids with buckets on their heads.
We had a blast on the beach. The boys enjoyed running in the water and getting hit by the waves. We also dug holes and Caden even made hot chocolate out of sand and water. There was only one slight issue during our fun filled afternoon, that had had to do with my cell phone. You see, just to keep track of time I placed my cell phone in my suit pocket. Here is my question, why would they make swim trunks with pockets? It seems like a recipe for disaster. So there we were diving into the waves, when I realized I had left my cell phone in my pocket. I pulled it out like I was rescuing a person drowning. I quickly assessed the situation. It is kind of like when you don't know anything about cars but you still lift up the hood and pretend that you will be able to come up with an explanation of why your car broke down. I decided to take the battery off of my phone and set it on the towel. Here is the really bad part. A couple hours before we arrived at the beach, Jen and I had a great talk concerning our budget. I voiced how I would like to purchase a new "smartphone" with a data plan the next time our contract was up. Since I confessed that idea, I have a notion that Jen thinks that I may have purposely drowned my phone. I assured her I did not do it on purpose, but I don't think she bought it.
Overall it was an extremely fun visit to the beach and we thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the boys and relaxing. The trip back was uneventful, (except for the moment where I had to climb up in the McDonald's play place to retrieve our children )and we arrived home without any problems. School and responsibility is quickly approaching! Until next time....
