Vacation's All I Ever Wanted

Just got back from a lovely vacation with my family in Ocean City, Maryland. I KNOW what you New Jersey-ites are thinking: "Blech! Why go to Ocean City, Maryland, when you can enjoy the fruits of Ocean City, New Jersey?"

Because I like the 9-mile long carnival that is Ocean City, Maryland. Also, I know where everything is there. I don't have to worry that we're going to an iffy restaurant, or that a mini-golf joint isn't kid-friendly. I wanted a totally non-thinky vacation, and that is what I got.

Plus, it was nice just to spend time with my kids. I don't think I realize how little time I actually get with them during the week, and to have that much interrupted time to do whatever struck their fancy was pretty wonderful. I had a lot of those moments when I realized that whatever we are doing to raise them seems to be panning out. The Boy and the Girl are both funny, sweet, and can occupy themselves with crayons and trucks when needed. The Little Guy isn't quite verbal, but he makes his thoughts known. His thoughts are usually, "I want to PLAY. You there, you come play with me!" He 'tells' you this by thumping toward you, grabbing a fistful of your shorts, pulling, and shouting "Mweh!"

Some of my favorite quotes from the kids who can talk were:

The Boy: I'm just a little bit evil. (Said at the top of the Ocean City pier's ferris wheel while admiring a demon painted on the side of the Haunted House.)

The Girl: Her name is Dolphiny! (What she christened the pink dolphin she won at the dart game at the pier. The Dolphin is pink and named for the Scooby Doo character, Daphne.)

Okay, so there were probably more than that. And there was more than that to the whole vacation. But then we got back home and life got in the way of me finishing and posting this little record of our time at the beach. So, it's incomplete and doesn't even acknowledge that my parents-in-law came with us, and nobody wounded each other in the whole time that we shared a three bedroom condo. Victories all around!

Bored Games

Whilst in Deep Creek, MD, there was very little external entertainment to be had, so our fellow vacationers suggested we play some games. Me, I'm all about the board games because I have a huge non-athletic competitive streak. Seriously, when dice or spinners are involved, you'd best keep one eye open when MCV is in the room. (Balls and goal posts, however, render me powerless). By night two of the gaming, though, we'd run through the options we'd brought with us. I thought about raiding the in-laws' rented pad, but they had the same variety of Milton Bradley escapades. With one exception:

Since none of us belong to Clan Flanders, this game would not have been our cuppa tea. But I had to share this with you because of the quotation marks around the world "Trivia." That's a subtle indicator that naught about the Bible is, in fact, trivial. 'Cause we all know how important the cubits and the dress codes and hair braiding are.

Aw, man, I've gone and blasphemed again, haven't I?

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

I didn't fall off of the face of the Earth. Well, actually, I guess I kind of did. For the past week, the family whiled away our time in picturesque Deep Creek, Maryland. The town is actually McHenry, Maryland, but who's heard of that? (Okay, not a lot of people have heard of Deep Creek either, but it sets the scene a little better). Here's what it looks like:

Pretty, right? We rented a place with three other couples, two of which have three children among them. Shockingly, all of the kids got along pretty well (the Boy was calling the little girls his "sisters" by the end of the week). I expected way more meltdowns over some of Playskool's finest, or some tussles about watching TV. So, I was pleasantly surprised that way.

My only quibble? I'm clearly completely ridiculous when it comes to my clutter threshold. It's as low as a limbo pole. But man, toys, shoes, cups, beer cans, and cigarette packs were EVERYWHERE. It drove me bonkers. That's right. Bonkers.

How bonkers? One of my most satisfying mornings was the one where everyone went to a playground and I spent an hour putting stuff away. Since I was the only one compelled to tidy up, I recognize that I must have a small obsession. Still, though, I think leaving steak knives on end tables might not be the best child-rearing technique.