Full Day at the Beach

Wednesday, July 26, 2006
10:07 pm

What a full day! We had a terrific time on the beach this morning. Someone (not mentioning any names) woke up at 6:30; I made her stay in bed until about 7. We went to the beach around 9 – after a really crummy breakfast. Since there’s no use complaining about it, I’ll just let that part go. Anyway, she LOVED the beach! We’re actually parked on the Chesapeake Bay, not the Atlantic Ocean, so the waves are much calmer, and where we are, there was a big rock formation that kind of blocked a lot of the incoming waves. The water was pretty shallow, and she was able to kind of just do her thing in the water without worrying about a big undertow or big waves. There are crabs EVERYWHERE on this beach though – Brian actually got a pinch from a mid sized one. Melanie wore her water shoes most of the time; I didn’t want to deal with a crab bite.

We built sand castles. We looked for seashells. We buried Daddy in the sand. We buried Melanie in the sand. (Notice who did NOT get buried in the sand – I’m no dummy!) We walked up and down the beach a lot. And basically just had a great time.

We came in about 12:30 or so because we were all starting to get a little bit crunchy. The sand was pretty hot, and we needed to hydrate and get a peanut butter sandwich. We were quite a picture trying to get back to the hotel with all our paraphernalia – 75% of which we didn’t even need or use, I have to admit. I took a sheet to sit on the sand, some magazines, some music, ya know – the basics of what we USED to take to the beach. I sat on that darn sheet one time – when Brian took Melanie in to go to the bathroom (number 2, as we told her she could go number 1 in the ocean – she found that rather interesting!!) I didn’t ever open a magazine or play any music, because I built castles and looked for shells and – yes – actually got in the ocean (or bay, whatever….it was still salt water). The water actually felt terrific, it was not at all cold – because I am a big chicken when it comes to water temperature!

So, after our peanut butter sandwich, she laid here on the bed with both of us – a double bed – and fell right asleep. All of us slept a little over an hour and a half, and boy – that was a great way to spend a vacation afternoon at the hottest part of the day. Got up, got dressed, and drove down to Virginia Beach. It’s so pretty there – but it was crowded. There are nice parts of it though, and I wouldn’t mind spending a few days there if we come down this way to vacate again. There were umbrellas everywhere, and one of the nicest things was that they had public rinsing areas. That turned out to be really nice.

So at Virginia Beach, we parked at a parking lot, and took the stroller down. We had come with the intention of just scoping the beach out, but not getting in the water; we were going to go eat first and then come back to the beach if we had time. Didn’t work out that way. Right away, Melanie and Brian both wanted to check things out. So, we parked the stroller behind the lifeguard stand (another plus for the big public beach), and changed Mel into her suit real quick. She and her daddy went in – just up to their feet – but she was fairly freaked out. The undertow was much stronger, and the waves were a LOT bigger. He had to hold her the entire time they were even near the water. I sat on a towel, as I had my dry clothes for the restaurant on. I was pretty far away from the waves – or so I thought – on dry sand. Well, wouldn’t you know it…Melanie brings a shell for me to look at, and I wasn’t paying attention. Big wave. Wet pants. Sand in the whoohoo. And so I went the rest of the afternoon/evening looking like I didn’t make it to the potty in time. Not my best experience.

We rented a surrey on the beach – which is basically a little car with bicycle peddles on it. At first we had Melanie in this little basket thing in the front – and she looked darn cute! But she wanted to steer, so we brought her back and sat her in the middle so that she could pretend to steer. We did have a good time, but those things are not so easy to peddle. And the sand in my pants did not feel so good on the bicycle seat. I told Brian that I did not choose the exfoliation treatment here at the beach, and I’d like my money back. He didn’t laugh.

We went to Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant for dinner. It’s this huge, famous buffet here, and man…we ate way too much food. Our server was named Ryan – and Melanie kept calling him “Brian” – like her daddy. When we’d correct her, and try to get her to say “ra-ra-ra-Ryan” – she’d repeat – “ra-ra-ra-Brian” every single time. Had us all in stitches. Ryan was very good at his job; come to find out that he’s a middle school science teacher who works at Captain George’s during the summer. Brian said he looked like a model/surf dude – and he’d probably make more money doing that than teaching. But he spoke to us a bit about his job, and he really seems to love it. I think that has to be a calling, working with junior high kids – especially the boys! Anyway – had too much seafood. Brian ate soft-shell crabs – which I’ve never had – and said they were delicious. I just about got sick watching him eat those – I had to leave the table. He also ate a crawdad – I couldn’t even stay at the table for that either. Melanie had a TON of popcorn shrimp, some broccoli, and dipped bread into clam chowder. She ate really well, actually. I had crab legs – about a million on them – and then something called “Norfolk Special” – shrimp, scallops, crab meat – all done in this scampi type sauce – and that just ROCKED! It was way yummy. Brian and I had peach cobbler and baklava for dessert. Melanie ate all the icing off a piece of chocolate cake. We shouldn’t have to eat again for a few weeks after this evening!! It was way worthy.

So we get back to the hotel this evening, and I’m telling Melanie stories to put her to bed. (This of course is after I discovered that I left her toothbrush and toothpaste at home – so she had to use mine. This is something I swore I’d NEVER do – it’s amazing what having a child will do to your nevers.) So, we normally tell stories about Penny the Pig and Mildred the Skunk. Tonight, our stories were about contentment, and kindness. She loved them (and funnily enough, I love making them up. Even Brian stays awake for those stories). So anyway, one of the characters in the Mildred stories is named Wilbur – he’s a woodpecker. Another character is Billy – he’s a toad. Now, neither of these fine young gentlemen were in the stories this evening, but after I had finished my stories, Melanie wanted to tell Daddy & I a story. So she starts a story about Mildred going on vacation, and how she came up to a path and saw Toad and Pecker taking her bucket!! Well, forget the rest of the story. Brian was laughing so hard he about fell off the bed, and I was laughing so hard I got the hiccups. Then of course, Melanie is laughing, although she has no clue why – and she gets the hiccups too. It was a funny way to end the day, that’s for certain. By the by, Penny has a driving license for circle vans. I’m not exactly sure what a circle van is, but she is allowed to drive one.

Tomorrow the plan is to go to the beach in the morning for a few hours, then be out and on the road by checkout time. We’re off to Grammy & Poppy’s house – and the zoo and the museum too. That will be really fun! Can’t wait to take more pictures – I got a TON of keepers today!