more from the beach trip...

We opted to stay at a resort this beach trip, and WOW did the kids love it!!! Thank goodness, it was overcast most of our visit, so it was just right for some pool splashin fun!!!

Above... little J waiting anxiously for his big brother to come down the gigantic slide...

Below: Big E diggin the slide bigtime!

we snuck away...

For a much needed trip here....



And we're enjoying our view.... from the 20th floor at the resort in a cozy suite.

We needed this!!

last day at the beach!!!

This morning we woke up early, with the plan to head out to the oceanfront one last time w/ the kids and let them do whatever they wanted!! They had fun at the beachfront, and again at the pools. The night prior there was a HUGE party out at the pools ocean front and evidentally there was alot of disrespectful people who really trashed the place. The maintenance crew told us to hang out while they finished cleaning, we were out there around 845am, and the poor maintenance guys were having to clean the pools, bleach the poolsides, etc., because I suppose graduation weekend was REALLY about to begin!!

Thank GOODNESS it is our last day!!! No way I could enjoy and relax while that chaos was going on every night. Both kids were immune to the noise overnight, but I was awake most of the night and decided to read a ton of blogs.... played a little online scrabble, and then went to bed.

After some playing at the pool, goofing off for a bit, we went BACK TO BROADWAY AT THE BEACH!!! It was such a big hit with the kids, and we REALLY wanted them to enjoy and remember their special time at the beach!! We had one last ride for the boys, they rode their favorites one more time and then they rode the race cars again together. The video quality STINKS but it was such a fun time for them both!! I should have stood somewhere else to get the video. Either way, the boys had a blast!!

We decided our lunch would be at Joe's Crab Shack - and WOW it was SOOOOO GOOD!!! The entertainment was great also!! They danced the 'train', had fun music playing, and even had a outdoor play area for the kiddos while we waited on our food!!

day 3 - beach trip

For our 3rd day at the beach we decided to just kick back and go with whatever, whenever, and however! No specific plan, no itinerary, just - enjoying.
We spent the morning out by the beach and at the oceanfront pools at the resort, the kids played and played. Little J met a friend at the toddler pool area, and they played together for a while. I enjoyed talking with her parents, and found out that they were just married -literally that day!! The husband had the little girl that little J was playing with from a previous marriage, and she was 5. The couple has a 15 month old little girl together! They were adorable and such a nice family to talk with about general 'stuff'. Big E also met some fellows in the lazy river area and they ended up hanging out and playing water games for most of the morning!!

We ordered in for lunch, super greasy NY style pizza.... and WOW it was greasy. I had to use a paper towel to sponge off the grease. We never get yuck like that, but we decided on a whim - why not try it and see how it is.... eeekk!! Big J and I only ate 1 piece each, I think big J started to eat a 2nd one and we were both like -ugh- we'll pay for that later!! Little J ate 1.5 pieces and can you believe that big E put away FOUR PIECES of that stuff?????

When little J woke from his nap, we decided to go back out to Broadway at the Beach because both boys had such a good time and kept asking to go back. We just figured, why not?!? They loved it, had a blast and we wanted them to enjoy their vacation....

We settled on Tony Roma's for dinner just before a storm came in, the food was yummy!! Big E was the only one who had their famous ribs... he said they were yum. I stayed safe with chicken and big J had some blackened salmon....all in all we've decided that his (at home) grilled salmon can't be beat. I'm not just saying that to boost his ego or self esteem, his blackened salmon really IS the best I've ever had!!

After dinner we decided we'd go back, wait on the rain to pass and maybe go for a walk out on the beach. Little J wasn't a huge fan of the ocean water this year, he liked the sand, but had a bit of anxiety with the ocean itself. Not sure why, I guess that big big ocean is alot to understand for a little fellow! We picked our battles, held him and reassured him that daddy and big E were just fine if they were in the water. He didn't have tantrums, or panic attacks, he was just uneasy. He and I played in the sand alot, collected shells and pulled a little wagon along the sand while big J and E splashed a bit in the water. We saw a beautiful sunset!! What a perfect way to end our last night at the beach!!

beach day 2, part 2

I posted my earlier post during little J's nap, I laid beside him while he napped for 2 hours... while I was here, big J and E went for a walk and bought a boogy board. After nap we decided to hit the Ripley's Aquarium and then grab dinner while we were out. Little J wasn't too excited about all of the creepy sounds they had playing in the dark creepy tunnels in the aquarium, so it took a little while for him to adjust. We ended up going out to the open play area a few times while big J and E were checking out the sharks. After a little time to feel safe, he was good to go...

After the aquarium we decided to go get dinner, at Tripps and it was YUM. Even though it's a chain and there's some in NC, we've never been. We had a shrimp appetizer that was awesome. An Asian style shrimp over rice with wasabi seeds, and oh my yummy.... I loved it! The boys also enjoyed their meals!! Little J flirted with the waitress every time she stopped by. Once we finished up with dinner, we still had a walk to the car so we took some pictures along the way. Big E loves surfboards, so when I saw this one it looked like it matched his shirt... fun picture. The board was gigantic!

Below is the ride that big E chose, most of them were really for little kids, but this one was decent and he had fun! He had some random stranger ride along with him.... While he was riding the airplane ride, little J and big J were on the carousel.

And of COURSE you can't forget the train... if there's a train to ride - we WILL ride it!! Little J had a BLAST !! I rode along only because I had too, but it was fun watching the boys sit together for this one.
We headed back to our place, and changed into our suits for one more splash in the pool(s) and the lazy river! Then back up for a snack and off to bed... and that is where I am right now, beside a sleeping toddler who's worn out from a fun filled day!!

More tomorrow...

Beach day 2 - photos

Turns out - I had my camera on crappy settings, so this is the best I have and I even made them into hokey collages and postcards because - well, they're not the best I "could" have done.... :-( *tear* I'll play with my camera settings while we're here, and I may even run to get a different filter...

Little J had a little bit of a fear of the water this trip...

So after about 45 min at the beach this morning, we ended up at the lazy river and the various pools and sand play areas at the resort ocean front.... both boys are having A BLAST!!

bassackwards beach trip day 1

...check in around 4pm, so we left the house around noon and headed on our way! The weather proved to be gorgeous for our trip!! Not to hot, no storms, and traffic was really light too. All the way there, little J said "holy crap" and "b&%$#" .... makes me sound like a terrible parent, but his version of "beach" really sounds like "b&%$#".... the holy crap came in when I had to hit the brakes pretty hard. I ignored it (seems to be the only real way to make it go away in the long run) but my 10yo busted out laughing, and then started a 'holy crap' song by little J. WOW..... I'm TERRIBLE for having said it, and toddlers remember E V E R Y T H I N G that you don't want them too!!! I have to say that for being two really excited boys, and to be 7 years apart (10 and 3) they were MARVELOUS (no yelling at each other like I remember doing as a kid w my brothers) in the car and we didn't have to stop but once for gas and a stretch.

4pm on the nose, and we arrived, we're staying at Myrtle Beach for the first time in 5 years. I had vowed I'd NEVER return, but the hubs wanted to come for novelty's sake with the kids and they DO have alot of putt putt and Ripley's attractions that both boys will enjoy. We're staying as South Myrtle as possible, because it' really is like a teenage brothel up here...which is why I prefer Folly Beach or Charleston in general. But we're excited none the less!! Checked in at the place, and headed up to our room. It's a neat setup, you drive inside the building center where the parking deck is built in on each floor and you can park on your floor and basically you're right there at your room. We have a 2br suite and it's really nice... although I do miss my bed from home. Nothing is as cozy to me ever!!

After we unpacked we decided to find food, and we ended up at Murrlles Inlet at the Divine Fish House, it was a little pricey for my preference but the she-crab soup was DELICIOUS!!! Big E had the kids shrimp and it was an adult size portion, little J had the PB&J w/ fries and berries, and I had shrimp with steamed veggies... their rice seems rather odd - it had cinnamon in it??? Anyway, big J had the salmon and we both agreed - his is better (that he grills at home).... I was reminded of my former eastern NC life when we were driving back toward the place we're staying. I stopped at the grocery store to get some milk and OJ and when I walked in the sky was normal, when I walked out it was the most ugly storm I've seen in a very long time!!! Papers were flying everywhere in the grocery parking lot, and the lightening was insane!! I remember growing up and those types of storms sneaking up out of nowhere often!! We got back to the room after driving through flash flood type rain, and we decided to stay in.... It was 845pm by that time anyway, which is already past little J's usual bedtime and he was going on no nap as well. So it worked out I suppose.

Little J is sleeping with us on this trip, it's just easier and everyone stays happy that way. Big E has a huge room all to himself with 2 queen beds and a TV, he's so excited. Little J and I laid down at 930, and he was sound asleep by 933. HA. Here's a picture I snapped of him with my cellphone very shortly after he fell asleep....