12 (vacation) Steps (and one bonus trivial fact)

1.  It sounds a bit exhausting, and maybe terrifying, but you can, indeed, vacation at the beach in one house with 10 adults and seven kids.  Even when it rains.  Even when there are five different nap schedules.  Even when one kid is actually a six week old baby.

2.  There is nothing more wonderful than the Carolina shore.  Except sharing it with people you love and who love you.  And who embrace Drink of the Day.  Because let's be honest, when you vacation in one house with 13 other people, drinking is a necessity.  Particularly if the drinks are pink.  Or include PopRocks.

3.  Having a friend who is crafty is awesome.  The rain dampered about 1.5 of our days...while I hid on the porch reading some mindless young adult literature. There were masks and coloring pages.  Tattoos and coffee filter art.  Scraps of paper, glue, sand, shells, markers, crayons and so very much patience (mostly exhibited by the craft coordinator).  Having a family member who buys glitter tattoos is not as awesome, unless, of course, you are turning six.

4.  Dads + Kids + Beach = super cute.

 



 

5.  Ladies Day at the beach from now on will always include a cooler that contains a box of wine, a bag of blueberries, tons of ice and a few lemon-lime sodas.   A big shout out to the newest mama for lugging that cooler to the beach.

6. While five-year-olds can be a bit exhausting, they are also wonderful babysitters and entertainers. (Also, Miss H loves TV. V & B's moms are jealous). Thanks Addie and Evan!

7.  It is totally possible to have fish for every dinner.  Tuna steaks.  Shrimp Jambalaya.  Grouper.  Fish Tacos.  Shrimp Tacos.  Clams Casino.   Just awesome fish awesomeness.  To be fair we had pizza the first night, but after that it all came from that lovely ocean we were swimming in.  (Precisely why I don't swim in the ocean, by the way).

8.  Mornings are earlier when you have a house full of kids, even when you are Andy.  There was one morning that all 17 of us were awake before 7 a.m.  Before 7 a.m.

9.  When the entire house is awake that darn early the beach beckons.  Walks and chats and kids.  And then home to pink drinks.

 10.  These kids, our original beach babies, are growing up far, far too fast.

 

11.  And these two maybe sourpuss soulmates.  But I have no doubt that they are on their way to total world domination.

12.  Finally, it turns out that most families can take adorable beach shots together -

But us?  Not so much.

 

 *13.  Spume is gross.  Spume was everywhere.  Spume makes for a great photo of a walk on the beach.