Brain dump

I'm back from a week of vacation.  I went with my family to the beach in New Hampshire.  After taking two weeks to go to Australia in May, J couldn't get more time off, so I took the kids by myself.

Some general observations:

• My family has been going to the beach on the Outer Banks of North Carolina since I was 8 or 9.  I loooooove the Outer Banks.  But I have to admit that I love the beach in New England in summertime more than I love the Outer Banks.  It feels blasphemous to even think it.  But the weather is better, the nights are cooler, and the beach and the waves are just as good.  The water is colder, but I got used to it (and that's why God invented wetsuits).

Our first morning in the house, going for a surf with Emma at 6:30 in the morning.  I'm wearing the wetsuit that J gave me as an engagement present.  That's Lola, my old board - she now lives with my brother Josh.

• I don't miss living in Hawaii, but I sure miss living near the beach.  Our house was a 5 minute walk from the beach and it made for extraordinarily fun and pleasant days and nights. One evening before dinner the kids were fussing and getting on my nerves, so I took them down to the beach to go for a walk.  It was cool but comfortable, and just beautiful.  The kids immediately perked up and started laughing and running around.  If we end up moving to Australia, we will be by the beach again, which definitely will not suck.
• There are few things cuter than little kids frolicking on the beach.

This is a happy, happy girl.

I love how he's wearing his shoes on the wrong feet.

• On the other hand, there are few things more horrible than traveling with small children.  Everything about the experience -- lugging ridiculous amounts of gear, getting everyone through security, dealing with Josie screaming her face off because she's tired of being strapped in the car seat, the two of them both bursting into tears because they didn't both fit on my lap at the same time, the jet lag -- sucks huge, hairy smelly balls.  But as the nice man on the plane said (and seriously, the one benefit of traveling with unruly children is that people take pity and are so fucking nice to you), "it gets better."  His children, who looked to be about 5 and 7, sat quietly in their seats the entire time and amused themselves with books and videos -- the prospect of my children similarly behaving themselves makes me weep. 
• Even when they're being good, vacations, while fun, are not particularly relaxing with small children around.  For 8 days, they were on me.  Asking for (or demanding) food, toys and attention.  Wanting to sleep with me.  "Mama, I want to snuggle with your face and your boobies and everything," Zeke said.  Before I could even absorb that outrageous statement, Josie yelled, "Snuggle!  SNUGGLE!!" 

But they were awesome.  Josie's language is exploding -- she is suddenly learning so many new words every day and is talking in sentences.  Zeke taught himself how to swim.  The cousins had a great time together.

So it was wonderful.  I got some surfing in.  I hung out with my brothers and my parents and my nieces.

But of course, as ever, I'm so tired.