Back to the Beach

For some reason, my dear friend Jaclyn thought it would be a good idea if my kids and I joined her with her kids for a few days at the beach during the week while the daddies were working. Apparently for the same unknown reason, I agreed.

Before I cover all the fun we had, allow me to illustrate the sleeping situation.

8:30pm: Seemed like a good time for Jaclyn and Co. to retire to their bedroom, leaving Hailey, Keelyn and myself to the pull-out in the living room.

8:35pm: I pull out the sofa, and Keelyn loses her mind. What I mean by this is...she climbed up and began running a muck and refusing to listen to reason. She was squealing with laughter and delight. Her arms were in the air. Her head was bobbing side to side. It was like some sort of spare energy had been released. Energy that had been saved just for this very moment...her first chance to dance on a pull-out sofa. Apparently she thought a pull-out meant a party.

8:45pm: Hailey begins falling asleep, while Keelyn perches happily across the back of the couch, intermittently diving across Hailey's pillow in attempts to annoy her.

9:00pm: I remove Keelyn from her party bed, and begin pacing the floor to help her find a calm place. I wish I'd remembered my Ergo.

9:05pm: Keelyn begins picking my nose. And laughing. She's right up in my face. Forcing eye contact. She's teasing me. Trying to get me to laugh too.

9:10pm: Keelyn practices her counting skills on my ears. "One...TWO!!!" (which happens to be as high as she can count). My arms begin to feel tired, like they might not be up for this.

9:15pm: Keelyn decides pulling my hair would be more fun than nose picking, and does so with a vengeance. I get frustrated and contemplate driving home. She laughs at my threat.

9:20pm: Keelyn begins resting her head on my shoulder and breathing heavily.

9:21pm: Hailey loudly asks me if Keelyn is asleep, and Keelyn responds with a "NO" loud enough to wake the neighbors, followed by a desperate and frantic attempt to climb back into bed with Hailey in order to pull her much longer, more interesting hair. We start over.

9:30pm: I have to pee. Rookie mistake, I know. Keelyn comes along of course....laughing all the way.

9:31pm: We start over.

9:45pm: Keelyn is finally making a home for her head on my shoulder with more permanent intent. I am staring at the clock. I am certain my arms will fall off now. I envision them hitting the floor. She would laugh at me. Then she'd run in the corner dragging them behind her and hiding so I can't get them back. And I won't be able to get them back, because my hands are attached, so I have nothing to grab them with. She'll be counting them, "one, TWO!"

9:46pm: Hailey asks another question. I snap at her.

9:47ish: I feel horrible. I sit beside Hailey to rub her tummy and help her fall asleep. Keelyn leans over and pulls her hair. I stand up. We start over.

10:00pm: The kids are asleep. I lay down.

3:00am: Keelyn awakens. She immediately stands up and attempts to run across the bed.

3:01am: See 9:00pm...and repeat through 9:21pm until 5:45am.

5:45am: She's finally back asleep.

6:20am: Hailey wakes up, and we begin our day.

At nap time, I opened the aforementioned party bed, and Keelyn immediately jumped up, accompanied by a devilish giggle, ran full force into the cushions at the back, went air born, and landed in the middle of the bed on her back. This was followed by uncontrollable fits of laughter. I'm not exactly sure where this came from, but apparently this bed was just the best thing she'd ever known...and also my worst nightmare.

Except not.

She did take a nap. Eventually. And the next night, I began my pacing later, left the TV on longer, and found us all sleeping peacefully earlier, and through the night. The kids even cuddled each other all night, which was breath taking for me...really. It's a wonderful feeling to share a bed with your children I think. It's a wonderful thing to feel each other sleep.

Jaclyn and I had a blast with the kids. The kids had a blast with each other. We got some time to have real conversations that weren't rushed to fit into a one hour play date, and the kids got so attached there were tears when it was time to go. I was proud of us for getting by without the daddies, and for giving our kids an experience that reminds me of why it's so special that I am home with them right now. We are so lucky to be able to take off and head to the beach on a whim for a few days mid-week. And we are so lucky to have such wonderful life-long friends.

Jaclyn and I held both of each other's babies within 24 hours of their births. We've known each other since middle school, and it's just wonderful to be sharing this amazing part of our lives together...and to see our kids growing to care for one another too.

And so, I know that was a lot of detail, and then a lot of sappy, but that was our trip. We had so much fun. I'd do it again and again, hair pulling, couch bouncing, and all.

Here's Keelyn identifying her perch on night one...already drunk with laughter.

Night two: Shown here, Hailey, sound asleep. Keelyn, wide awake.

Keelyn, Elizabeth, Hailey, and Connor, after a long morning on the beach. See how tired Keelyn appears? It's a trick. A mere minutes later she would stun masses of people with her skills as she ricochets off the couch cushions and lands not-so-gracefully, but ever-so-gleefully on her back.

Loving their beach time.Apparently the most fun to be had is in the act of repeatedly filling large buckets with ocean water, and taking turns dumping them on each other while completing various poses in the sand. This occupied hours.

Two beauties posing for a photo.

And, me and my girls!