Beach Trip -- Thursday

Don't worry, this is the last post about Wrightsville, since we didn't do anything (just packed up and checked out) on Friday.

Thursday:
Sunshine, woohoo!  This was a busy day, so this is going to be a loooooong post.

We went out again early in the morning to the beach.  We did buy a tent so that we could be out during more decent beach hours, but this actually worked pretty well for us.  Easing us into being "those people" that bring six armloads of stuff out onto the beach.  Plus, we didn't know how keen Tyler was going to be to the beach, so why bring all that stuff and have him become "over it" in 15 minutes?

Tyler's memory may not be great, but he remembered the sand.  Yay!  And the ocean.  Oh no.  We tried getting him to sit or walk along the edge, but the memory of Wednesday's waves was too much for him.

"Ok, I'll tolerate this"

"Wait, what's that?!?"

"Not the waves, Daddy.  I don't like the waves!"

"I'm gettin' outta here"

"Phew!  Safe with Daddy."

"Hmm, I still don't like that we're so near the water"

Yep, not too happy.  I gave up on photos and walked back up on the sand to put up my camera and get in the water with them.  Thankfully, I turned around just in time to capture these precious moments.

*heart melts*

After this, we sat on a beach blanket and let Tyler play with some of his toys.  He's getting really good with putting stuff in a container.  You can even point to a toy, ask him to put it in the bucket, and he'll do it (well, most of the time).

After the beach, we went to a restaurant called Causeway Cafe that my neighbor Jodi recommended.  It's a tiny little restaurant that apparently everyone knows about!  We had to wait a while for a seat, but they have a nice covered porch and free coffee for people waiting.  My kind of place!  The food was yummy, plentiful, and cheap!  For $5.29 (I just went back and checked the online menu), I got two eggs, sausage, hashbrowns (which turned out to be made out of baked potatoes), and biscuits.  Take that, Cracker Barrel!  I maaaaaay have also ordered some fried green tomatoes.  Not because I wanted more food, but because I never pass up a chance to eat fried green tomatoes.  They did not disappoint.

After brunch, we went to the arboretum Jason and I visited last year.  It was pretty warm, so Tyler and I stuck to shady spots while Jason took photos.  I did manage to take a few shots.

There were chicks inside that had just hatched.

Do you think Tyler liked them?

We went back to the room to relax, and then Tyler and I went to the indoor pool while Jason took a nap (he was still recovering from what the doctors guessed was walking pneumonia).  Tyler was a fan of the pool!  He was a bit apprehensive at first, but once he figured out that we were going to stay along the walls and that this water didn't have waves, he calmed down and began to enjoy himself.  It helped that his toy duck was there with him.  

Jason came down a bit later and took some photos.  He also blew up Tyler's float, and Tyler seemed pretty relaxed floating around in the water.  Score!

Thursday evening, we went to the Bento Box for some sushi.  We don't usually take Tyler to fancy restaurants (a little boy "ay yee yay"-ing and smacking on the table with glee doesn't particularly add to the ambiance), so we went early and sat outside.  Tyler had a great time, giggling while watching Jason eat edamame, and even eating some of the beans himself!

We got back in time to walk along the beach at sunset.  Tyler was a wriggly worm, so he spent a lot of the walk sitting on the sand, playing with it, or walking along while I held his hands.  On the way back, our exhausted little guy fell asleep on Jason's shoulder.  

I can understand, since Thursday was such a busy day!

Beach Trip -- Wednesday

Wednesday:
Wednesday morning was cloudy and dreary.  We all got up early and headed to the beach, not to really "go" to the beach (we knew the rain was going to start up soon), just to introduce Tyler to it.

One word: love.

Sand?  Sand was this awesome stuff that he could push out of his way while walking through it, hard enough to sit on, small enough to pick up in his hand, tasty enough to put in his mouth... NO!

"We don't eat sand, Tyler!"

How many times did I say that this trip?  He also liked finding little shells and either trying to eat them (*sigh* at least we had been warned by a fellow mom about this) or handing them to Jason or me, almost in a "can you give me eating approval on this?" kind of way.

Water?  He walked along the very edge of the water (with me holding his hands, he's not a free-walker yet), and seemed to like the water rushing over his feet.  We sat him at the very edge of the water, and he seemed to like that, too.

We were only out for about an hour, but it seemed like a good adventure.  I brought my camera, but since I was on don't-eat-that-SAND duty, I put my camera away and let Jason capture the moments.  I'll share those pictures as soon as he's finished editing.

Quick sidenote: I've never been much of a beach-coverup person.  I've always just worn tshirts and shorts.  I'm so glad I splurged on some coverups this year, since I don't know how keen I would have been to have a lot of pictures with me in a bathing suit posted online for all the world to see.  Ok, sidenote over.

We went back upstairs for showers (we got Tyler this inflatable tub for the trip, and as if bath time wasn't fun enough, bath time with "duh!" (duck) just put him over the edge).  So, it's a dreary, cloudy day at the beach.  What shall we do?  Oh yeah, go to the Fort Fisher aquarium.  Great idea!  Too bad half of North America had the same idea.

Seriously, folks.  We got there around 10 or 11 and had to park in the overflow parking... and wait 15 minutes in line for tickets.  Tyler loves the fish tanks at school and church, so we had some high hopes for the aquarium.  Though I believe he had a good time, he didn't has as good of a time as we had expected.  Sometimes I forget how little he is.  He looked at several tanks of fish, but other times, he was more interested in his reflection in the glass (dude, you and your reflection need to get a room!) or with Daddy's camera strap or Mama's backpack straps.  The aquarium was really really dark, so my camera (even with adjusted settings) wasn't really able to capture any of the moments.  Jason's camera did a much better job.  Here's the few shots I was able to manage.

The rest of the afternoon was pretty unremarkable.  We went to lunch and then back to the room.  By the time of the housekeeping issue (mentioned in the post about Tuesday), it was rainy, Tyler was cranky (but refused to nap), and we were out of ideas.  So we hopped in the car and drove around until Tyler slept.  A typical parent maneuver, just not one we've even acted upon.

Wednesday evening, the rain had stopped again, so we took Tyler out to the beach for real this time.  My beach-loving kid from that morning did not do quite as well once we actually got in the water.  Waves?  Unpredictable and scary.  The water he had loved earlier?  Icky, salty, and splashy in his face.  He didn't cry, but he did. not. want. to. be. in. the. water.  The only remedy was some sand therapy.

That was pretty much it for Wednesday.  Not the best day, but it's ok, there was sunshine on the horizon (or at least, there would be Thursday morning).

Beach Trip -- Tuesday

For a quick overview of the trip, read this post.  The next few days are going to be the long drawn-out, millions-of-pictures versions.

Tuesday:
We were up, packed, and loaded into the car at 10:00.  I am thankful for summer vacation and being able to do a lot of pre-packing in the days prior.  Otherwise, 10am would have probably been more like 10pm!

Tyler did ok on the trip to Wilmington.  In previous road trips, he's slept the whole time.  He didn't this time, but distractions like a brief walk around a Dollar General parking lot or Mama/Daddy renditions of "Old McDonald had a Farm" (where Daddy provided the animal... or vehicle... or inanimate object... and Mama sang and provided the noises) seemed to keep him two notches below meltdown.  He was even giggling during Old McDonald.  What can I say, Mama is hilarious.  We had lunch at Smithfield's Chicken N BBQ.  Tyler is definitely a fan of hushpuppies.  Who can blame him?

Our first stop was Wilmington.  It was weird -- the wind was whipping (I look like Cousin Itt in Jason's pictures because I just couldn't keep my hair out of my face), but when it stopped, it was downright sticky.  We found relief in some air conditioned shops, and when we went back outside, we were greeted with black clouds and blowing sand stinging our faces.  A storm was brewing, and we booked it back to our car in the parking deck!  Once safely sheltered, we did stop to take some pictures.

wind chimes -- great way to keep a fussy kid preoccupied

storm's a-brewin'

"Mom, I'm not so sure about that thunder"

We stayed at the Shell Island Resort.  We chose to stay here for two main reasons: it was oceanfront and at the end of the island.  We knew we were going to be in the room more than we would have been previous years with a napping or sleeping baby, and we wanted to be able to at least enjoy the views.  Jason also liked being able to take pictures of the marshes as well as the ocean.

This blog isn't a Trip Advisor website, but I do want to talk a bit about the place we stayed.  It wasn't bad, but I would not stay there again.  When we got there at 3:00 (check-in time), our room wasn't ready, along with about 5 other families waiting for their rooms.  With the downpour outside, there wasn't anything for us to do but sit in the lobby and wait.  It was a bit chaotic, since several of the families had kids that had been cooped up in cars for several hours who weren't terribly happy about the wait.  The lobby is awesome and gorgeous, but the walkways and rooms are your typical beach rooms that you would expect at a must cheaper location.  Our room had a bedroom, 1.5 baths, a kitchenette, and a living room with the world's most pathetic couch.  Seriously, Jason and I wouldn't sit on it.  Tyler, however, was head over heels for the giant mirrored walls.  My kid's a little narcissistic and loves his reflection.  As in, tries to make out with it in any reflective surface he can find.

"Hey, that guy that looks like me is here at the beach, too!!!!"

Our other main problem with the resort was housekeeping.  We heard them next door on Wednesday, so we left our room (even said hello to the housekeeper in the breezeway) and went for a drive (because we couldn't think of anything else to do) to give her time to clean.  An hour and a half later, we returned and saw that they had not cleaned our room.  I called the front desk and they said housekeeping was still working on rooms for check-in.  This was at 5:00.  I guess later-than-promised check-in is a regular thing for them!

Other than that, it was fine.  There was a tv in the bedroom, so we did a lot of lounging in there to avoid the saggy couch in the living room.  The views were great, and we enjoyed the pool and excellent beach access.




Ok, enough resort review.  Let's get back to Tuesday...

After playing in the room for a while, we ventured out to buy groceries for the room.  A lot of groceries.  We had decided to buy stuff for PB&J sandwiches to cut down on restaurant expenses, but the Oreos, ice cream bars, and fudge rounds?  I have no idea how they got in our cart!  Oops!

Another band of the storm came through, so we broke open the PB&J and had dinner in the room.  Between exploring the new place and finding out that some of his favorite books and toys also made the trip, Tyler had a blast!

not promising for a beach vacation

Next up: Wednesday, cloudy day at the beach

Beach Vacation -- Overview

Last week, Jason, Tyler, and I went to Wrightsville Beach.  Many firsts for Tyler this trip -- first multinight stay away from home, first non-grandparents destination, first time to the beach.  Because we took a bazillion pictures (and because Jason still has quite a bit of editing left), here's an overview of our trip.  More detailed posts (and pictures, oh so very many pictures!) to come...

Tuesday:
Our first destination was Wilmington, but that was cut short by an abrupt and rather icky storm.  We drove to our hotel at Wrightsville Beach, unpacked, and traveled back out to get groceries for our stay.  The rain (and thunder and lightning!) were so bad at that point that we decided to stay in for the rest of the night.

posing in front of the battleship (honestly, we just stopped to get some shady relief from the sun!)

these weren't even the most ominous clouds, but we didn't pause to take photos until we were safely under the cover of the parking deck!

Wednesday:
Wednesday morning was cloudy, but not raining (at that point, at least).  We took Tyler out to the beach early in the morning (around 7:30) to let him experience the sand and water.  He loved it!  After breakfast and showers, we (and half of North America) went to the aquarium at Fort Fisher because that's what people do on cloudy days at the beach.  We ate lunch and then headed back to the room because it was rainy, we couldn't think of what else to do, and we had cranky/sleepy baby.  Wednesday afternoon, we took Tyler back to the beach to actually get in the water.  Um, he was not as in love with the ocean as he had been that morning.  I don't think he is a fan of waves.

Um yeah, he definitely likes sand!

"Mom, mom!  Look, it's fishies!!!!!"

Thursday:
Thursday morning, we woke up to sunny skies.  Hallelujah!  We packed in as much activity as possible on Thursday to take advantage of the great weather.  First up, back to the beach.  I think Tyler remembered Wednesday evening's trip, because he was not so happy about being back near the water.  He did enjoy the sand, though.  After showers, we went to Causeway Cafe, a place my neighbor had recommended.  Apparently everyone knows about it, because it was packed!  Definitely worth the wait, though, because the food was delicious, plentiful, and fairly cheap.  After we stuffed ourselves, we went back to the Arboretum Jason and I had visited last year.

Not a fan of the water

Sand, however, is awesome!

one of the few non-Tyler pics I took at the arboretum

We went back to the room so Tyler could nap (which of course didn't happen... *sigh*).  Tyler and I then went to try out the indoor pool.  This was his first time in a real pool, and he loved it!  No real smiles or giggles, but I think he had a really good time.  Then, we went to Bento Box, a fabulous sushi place Jason took me to for our anniversary dinner last year.  We went to an early dinner a) because we'd disturb the least amount of people at this fancy restaurant and b) Jason wanted to walk along the beach at sunset.  The walk must have exhausted Tyler, because he conked out on Jason's shoulder on the way back to the hotel.  Who can blame him, we had had quite a busy day!

Friday:
No plans for Friday, just get up, pack up, and head out.  That's what we did.  We were back in Raleigh by lunch time, exhausted from the wonderful trip!

sunrise at the beach

In case you're curious, here's a rundown of mine and Jason's trip to Wrightsville last year.  What a difference a year makes!

Roommates

I had my fair share of college and post-college roommates, but my favorite year was 2006-2007 (first post-grad year) because I lived with three of my best friends -- Shannon, Melody, and Kristen.  I don't get to see these girls nearly often enough, so I was thrilled to have a Girls' Day with them last week.

We got together for lunch, then just spent the rest of the day hanging out.  Love these girls!

I'm too Sexy

When Tyler is crawling from room to room, he'll often stop, sit up, and turn around to make sure you're coming/following him.  Innocent enough.

What it looks like, though, is that he's striking a sexy pose!

Oh dear!

Water Day at Daycare

I cannot say enough good things about Tyler's daycare.  At first, I was bummed that he was going to go during the summer, but he absolutely loves it!  Besides, he's been sick so much this summer, I've gotten plenty of days home with him!

On Wednesday, his class had a water day.  They had a little sprinkler going, a water table, a few containers with water and toys, a collection of dinosaurs, and a blanket with shakers and rattles for the more hydrophobic kiddos.

I volunteered to come in, lend a hand, and snap photos.  I got some really cute ones of Tyler's classmates, but I can't share them publicly.  What I CAN share are photos of my cutie patootie!  I particularly love the one of him crawling through the land of dinosaurs.  Did I mention that his teacher brought in those dinos specially for Tyler once I told her how much he loves dinosaurs?  That's some quality childcare, folks!

One Afternoon

People have asked me before about the limited time a day that I get to see Tyler.  Trust me, this kid can do quite a bit in a short amount of time, so I always feel like we have full afternoons.  What do we do?

We play "smack box."  He loves the wooden chest at the base of our stairs.  He loves to smack on it and have us smack back the same beat.  (He also likes to show off his door knocker look).

We crawl around downstairs, finding other things to smack.  He also loves the footstools in the study, because they're the perfect height for smacking.

We play cars and play in the curtains.

"Where's Tyler?"

"There he is!"

We walk around with our "piano."

We have awkward photo shoots with Mama.  I love all the colors of his toys.  He, however, was not feeling it.

That's a little better.  At least he looks less petrified.  Well, a little less...

We also do a lot more, but at a certain point, I put away the camera and enjoy the afternoon, just playing with my little fella.