Bring On the Babes! Our Trip to the Coast: Part Deux

After four days without the big boys, we were reunited with our little darlings once again (see how after five days without them the terms of endearment flow so much more freely?). We were actually very excited for the kids to come out to the Washington Coast and see what there was to be seen. It's so different from the So Cal beaches they've been to, and great for exploring and beach combing which I was sure they'd love! And oh they did! We brought buckets of rocks and shells home to Colorado all the way from the Pacific Ocean. Grandma and Grandpa Conlin were kind enough to drive them out to Ocean Shores to meet up with us. We stayed in Ocean Shores for two more nights with the boys. And Dan and Nicolle were able to spend the evening and part of the next day with us before heading back home.

The second they arrived the boys were eager to go to the beach. They instantly began seeking out the most beautiful rocks and shells. There were a ton of crab shells on the beach, which was absolutely thrilling to them. Ben took to digging a big hole. He was so busy, he didn't notice a big sneaker wave come in with the tide that knocked him over. He was soaked and sad and we headed inside to change into warm clothes. Zach and Josh, on the other hand, purposely waded into the freezing water and were pretty bummed about the no-deeper-than-your-knees rule. But riptides and sneaker waves are abundant on the coastline, so that was that.And they kept themselves happy by outrunning the waves as they swept in. Watching the boys enjoy the beach (before Ben's drenching) was like taking a perfect picture of childhood: carefree abandon, outside in the world God gave us, filled with innocent joy.

The two days in Ocean Shores with the boys were mostly spent playing at the beach. We walked along the water, explored the driftwood and rocks, found sea snails and starfish, flew kites, did a little wading (well, Josh and Zach did at least), and dug holes. My sister contracted some kind of stomach bug the day after the boys arrived, so, sadly, we didn't see her or Jason, who was taking care of her, much at all on our last full day in Ocean Shores. But aside from the beach, we took a little time to go into town and made sure to hit the local candy shoppe for gummy frogs, chocolate-coated sea foam, saltwater taffy and sea salt caramels.

The afternoon of the last day, the sun finally burned through the clouds. It was the first time we had seen the sun in five days, and was surely a sight to behold! It made the air a little warmer, the kite flying all the more scenic, the beach sand sparkle, and the sunset stunning. Not that we didn't love our cloudy days, but it was like a different beach with the sun out and I am glad we got to see it both ways.

Our last night, while flying kites, Adam and the boys met a nice family who invited us to share in their beach campfire for roasting hot dogs and s'mores. It was the perfect way to spend the last night on the coast. Like a grand finale.

The morning of the next day, before heading on to the next short leg of our vacation, Lake Quinault, we stopped by the Ocean Shores Interpretive Center to ask for directions to a shipwreck we had heard was nearby (actually it wasn't, it had been cleaned up after some bad storms a couple of years ago). But while there, we picked up some interesting information about the history, ecology, wildlife and sealife of the area. And the boys picked up some magnifying glasses that they later used to unsuccessfully start a fire with on the beach. We weren't planning on making the stop, but it was really interesting, and I am glad we did. Afterward we ate at a little cafe on the beach (ooh, fresh crab cakes, so good) and got in one more dose of Washington ocean in the sunshine before leaving.

Parents' Time Off (Well, Mostly). Our Trip to the Washington Coast Part Un

The last week of our trip in Washington took us away from our usual haunts. We dropped the four older boys off with Aunt Sara and Grandma and Grandpa for a little Chaos-sharing, and took off to Ocean Shores on the Pacific coast with Tommy, my parents and my sister and her boyfriend (who we met for the first time on this trip and love as one of our own already!), Jason. We had three little condos in my parents time share place, all stacked one above the other.

This summer we were supposed to take a family trip to Ireland, but the plans ended up falling through. Traveling with Tommy wasn't going to be too fun, that and other reasons, we changed plans. But we didn't want to give up on the "mostly grown-ups only" trip, so we picked something much closer to home.

The days without the boys were pretty lazy. The weather did nothing to inspire us to do much. It was overcast and cool, a fine mist hung in the air at all times. By the fourth day I was beginning to wonder if there still was a sun beyond all the cloud cover. But it was nice to have an excuse to do nothing. We strolled along the beach, took in a movie (Inception, brilliant! Although Tommy woke up and started babbling during the last 20 minutes so I took him out of the theater and haven't seen the end, just got the summary. But the rest, FAB!), and ate at every "hot spot" on the Ocean Shores eatery list. YUM! One of them was Apollo Ohno's favorite restaurant, Ocean Crest, another was an Irish Pub, in honor of the trip that wasn't.

We did get a wee bit active and went for one little hike around the Weatherwax estuary. It was beautiful. The dampness spurred all kinds of crazy growth. Some of the trees had moss strands hanging off of them six inches long (although later in the week we would see monster moss that dwarfed our little Weatherwax moss)! We were very proud of our effort to leave the condos to do more than eat and walk on the beach, so to celebrate we went out to dinner.

Adam also picked up a stunt kite. Having flown the two my dad bought a few years back a number of times, he decided there was no better place to get one than Ocean Shores. He, my dad and Jason flew the kites whenever there was a strong enough breeze, and for a stunt kite that doesn't take much! My dad only considered the day "great" if the wind picked up enough to fly, otherwise it only got "good" status.

It was so relaxing and so nice to have a bit of time off from parenting my five. Thanks to Mom, Dad, Sis and Jason for such enjoyable company, and thanks to Aunt Sara, Grandma and Grandpa for providing our big boys with love and entertainment! There is something so snuggly-gloomy about the fog and mist blanketed coast. It makes me feel like autumn and cuddles, warm, delicious food and blankets. I loved being able to enjoy the time with just the adults and our wee little Tom.