We have such good memories of last summer's trip to Point Beach State Park that we had to do it again this year. Here's 7 quick things I want to remember about this years trip.
1. It takes us about an hour and a half to drive over to Lake Michigan. The kids can get a little restless (except Coraline, who is constantly sleep deprived -- her own fault -- so she naps). Reid kept requesting Star Wars songs and when that came to an end he started pestering Nell. Near our destination the GPS told us to turn right on County Rd PP. That's when Reid lost it. There was no controlling him the rest of the way to the beach. "Street PP. Nell, we have to turn on street PP." Giggle, giggle. "Where are we? We were just on street PP?" Giggle, giggle. And on and on and on. Our kids always use the correct anatomy, so I don't think he was thinking PP as in penis, but rather just urine pees. Either way, he thought it was hysterical. We did not.
2. Once we set up our spot on the beach we started eating our picnic lunch. Simultaneously, the flies started eating us. We do not remember any flies (or bugs period) from last year. They were horrible this year! One local told us he thinks it is because of the heavy rain. We did enjoy ourselves and we will go back next year, but the flies definitely had us packing up earlier than we'd planned. They were that bad.
3. The other thing that was not as picturesque as last year: the water temperature. I remember it being a bit chilly last year, but I'd describe yesterday's water as ice cold. We consulted our random local friend about that as well, and he said it has less to do with the weather and more to do with the current. So though it was a nice hot day, the water was not very tolerable. That didn't stop Coraline though. I always want to remember her laughing as the waves of ice cold water hit her chubby little thighs. She thought those waves were the best darn thing to ever happen to her. Unfortunately for her, she insisted on holding my hand -- and no one else's -- in the water, and I just wasn't willing to go as far into the lake as she wanted. She screamed and screamed at me to go further, but I just couldn't. The water honestly hurt my shins. It was painful, that's how cold it was. Ben tried to take her out further and Nell even offered to appease her as well, but she wasn't having it. So as much as I'd like to remember her sweet giggle, it'll probably always be paired with her scream of frustration. She did both equally.
4. Good thing we took a lot of beach toys! Without them our trip would have been a total waste. I took the kids to target the day before (to buy Coraline a toddler bed) and we picked up a big bucket of sand toys. They all loooooooved it. However, my favorite toy to watch them play with was our big squirt soakers. Nell tried to act so casual before any attack. I'll never forget watching Ben whisper something in her ear, and then fill up his own soaker. She excitedly said "Okay dad!" and then ran over to the beach and reassured me "Nothing to see here, mom. I'm not looking for anything. Just playing in the grass, mom," and then "Oh!" once she spotted her pink soaker near Reid. She giggled as she ran off to pick it up, fill it with ice cold water, and then proceed to attack me with the help of her father. Oh the giggles. She was so happy with her trick! "Nothing to see here, just playing in the grass mom!" It still just cracks me up. The grass, really Nell?!?!
5. Reid loved our sand toys the most. He dug and dug and dug. And then he asked Ben to dig for him. And then, he ended up buried in the big hole. He was all giggles, even as Coraline poured sand over his head and Ben followed that with ice cold water. He was also a really good sport about getting himself out. Once he'd crawled out he used the left over sand pile to make a bed. I should have snagged a picture (earlier today he asked me if I had one), because he sure loved that sand bed. He kept telling us how comfy it was, and he didn't want to leave because it was so nice, "the flies don't bug me while I'm here!" I doubt that, but he certainly didn't notice them once he was in his heavenly bed.
6. After we loaded all our stuff up we headed over to the Nature Center to clean up a bit and buy some ice cream. We ended up in line behind a father with two young kids just about Reid and Nell's age (he was the local guy I was referring to in #1 and #2). Reid and Nell struck up a conversation with the little kids and it quickly turned into this: "I'm almost four and my brother is almost six. He's really big and strong. He can pick me up, want to see? Show them Reid," and then Nell flung her arms out toward Reid and he hoisted her off the ground with the help of no small grunt. She was so proud of her big brother for picking her up right in front of her new friends! That girl cracks me up!
7. Reid and Nell picked out their cones first, and as I was debating whether or not to get Coraline her own (or make her share with someone else), she waltzed right up to the counter and reached her tiny hand over the counter to try and find hers. It had worked for her brother and sister, surely her own was coming next! So I caved, and paid a small fortune for her to have her own special cone. Boy oh boy was she proud! That girl is just too independent and too darn grown up. We sure love having her around!
1. It takes us about an hour and a half to drive over to Lake Michigan. The kids can get a little restless (except Coraline, who is constantly sleep deprived -- her own fault -- so she naps). Reid kept requesting Star Wars songs and when that came to an end he started pestering Nell. Near our destination the GPS told us to turn right on County Rd PP. That's when Reid lost it. There was no controlling him the rest of the way to the beach. "Street PP. Nell, we have to turn on street PP." Giggle, giggle. "Where are we? We were just on street PP?" Giggle, giggle. And on and on and on. Our kids always use the correct anatomy, so I don't think he was thinking PP as in penis, but rather just urine pees. Either way, he thought it was hysterical. We did not.
2. Once we set up our spot on the beach we started eating our picnic lunch. Simultaneously, the flies started eating us. We do not remember any flies (or bugs period) from last year. They were horrible this year! One local told us he thinks it is because of the heavy rain. We did enjoy ourselves and we will go back next year, but the flies definitely had us packing up earlier than we'd planned. They were that bad.
4. Good thing we took a lot of beach toys! Without them our trip would have been a total waste. I took the kids to target the day before (to buy Coraline a toddler bed) and we picked up a big bucket of sand toys. They all loooooooved it. However, my favorite toy to watch them play with was our big squirt soakers. Nell tried to act so casual before any attack. I'll never forget watching Ben whisper something in her ear, and then fill up his own soaker. She excitedly said "Okay dad!" and then ran over to the beach and reassured me "Nothing to see here, mom. I'm not looking for anything. Just playing in the grass, mom," and then "Oh!" once she spotted her pink soaker near Reid. She giggled as she ran off to pick it up, fill it with ice cold water, and then proceed to attack me with the help of her father. Oh the giggles. She was so happy with her trick! "Nothing to see here, just playing in the grass mom!" It still just cracks me up. The grass, really Nell?!?!
6. After we loaded all our stuff up we headed over to the Nature Center to clean up a bit and buy some ice cream. We ended up in line behind a father with two young kids just about Reid and Nell's age (he was the local guy I was referring to in #1 and #2). Reid and Nell struck up a conversation with the little kids and it quickly turned into this: "I'm almost four and my brother is almost six. He's really big and strong. He can pick me up, want to see? Show them Reid," and then Nell flung her arms out toward Reid and he hoisted her off the ground with the help of no small grunt. She was so proud of her big brother for picking her up right in front of her new friends! That girl cracks me up!
1 comment:
Just a little chilly -- no?!
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