A Vacation of Wonder-Ment

Our vacation was wonderful...it truly was. It certainly had it's low points, but as sundown approached on Friday evening, we were still in our bathing suits, finding seashells, making sand castles and riding the waves in our boat. We got back to the condo with only a few minutes to spare until the crab hunters arrived with their flashlights on the beach. Chip and I concurred, we were very much not ready to go home. However, as wonderful as our trip was, it was filled with lots of other things to wonder about:

* I wonder what it feels like to be 2 1/2 and wake up in the middle of the night throwing up?

*I wonder when we'll take a trip to the beach again without someone throwing up (we're on year #2 now).

*I wonder where this virus came from to begin with...was it like the movie Arachnaphobia, where the spider (in this case, the stomach bug) attached itself firmly to someone's suitcase and travelled from far away lands (Tennessee)? Or was it already there, waiting our arrival at the "beachhouse"?

*I wonder why we can't get ourselves organized enough before the trip to find a way to spend less than $800 on food and supplies for the week. I vowed on the trip home to come up with a menu and grocery list prior to next year's trip.

*I wonder how much SPF 50 was used last week.

* I wonder, without truly wanting to know, what the actual contents are of the pool at the condo, with dozens of children, the above-mentioned sunscreen applications, and too many swim diapers to count. Not to mention, random stomach bugs hanging around.

* I wonder what the 368 people thought of me when they saw me continually "wipe" Cooper's nose with my fingers at the beach and rinse them in the ocean or on his bathing suit? (seriously, the beach is the WORST place for a runny nose).

*I wonder how long we will have to bribe our children with candy to get them to take ONE (1) photo together?

* I wonder what causes people to be walking on the beach late at night and decide to pick OUR tent to steal out of all on the beach?

* I wonder if I'll ever get back to the days when I would read at least 3 books while at the beach for a week? I did actually finish one...although technically I was somewhere in Alabama when I finished it in the car.

* Speaking of Alabama, I wonder what that state has against Tennessee tourists? Or Tennesseans in general? Or tourists in general? We were met with more complications while travelling through that stupid state than all other trips combined...closed bathrooms, bathroom lines 12 people deep, 3 traffic jams, 45 minute wait at the restaurant we choose (of course), and the list goes on...

*I would love to know the actual number of pounds of sand that Sam consumed. That kid loved the sand.

*I wonder how many loads of laundry, dishes and garbage 13 people accumulated in 7 days. How many soft drinks were drank, half gallons of ice cream eaten, popsicles devoured. Although, to be fair, I don't really care...I know it was a LOT.

* I wonder what makes Kendall refuse to walk in the sand with the "bugs?" And what makes her think they are bugs? Something convinces her they are bugs to the point she doesn't believe any stories we tell her about NOT being bugs. For the record, they aren't bugs...it's just that dirty strip of sand at the top of the beach that she hates to walk through. D I V A!

* I wonder what is in store for us next year...I know we'll have even more fun...all the kids will be older, more self-sufficient (not that I mind carrying a 32lb little girl in addition to my 27lb beach bag, 3 beach towels and a bag full of sand toys), Sam will be running around and creating more "firsts" for his beach memories...Regardless of what happens, I know it will be WONDERful and fun and memorable, as always.