The Aftermath of Vacation

After the kids went to bed last night, I vacuumed roughly seven pounds of sand and Goldfish crackers out of our minivan.  Vacation is officially finished.


I'm proud to report that we experienced no incidents of sunburn, which is partially due to our vigilance and partially due to my husband's method of sunscreen application.  He'd be a wonderful father to mimes.  (Did you know how difficult it is to rub in titanium dioxide sunscreen?  It's like white tar.  Highly effective white tar, of course.)



As for me, I took the plunge and bought a floppy straw hat to wear at the beach.  I was hoping that the hat would make me look sophisticated and mysterious.  Incognito, even.  My children still recognized me, though, so my secret desire to have an afternoon where I quietly sat on the beach nearby them while sipping a cool beverage never materialized.


Am I the only person who equates cotton candy with house insulation?  It barely seems edible, yet there's this odd force that made me take not one, not two, but multiple bites before I could translate the thought that this really isn't any good into the action to stop eating it.  (I experience this same phenomenon with McDonald's french fries.  They're kind of terrible, yet I mindlessly eat them until my brain catches up to that fact.)

My kids loved the cotton candy.  Of course.



They also loved the water.  I'm in full agreement with this one.  There's something both calming and grand about the ocean.  Peaceful and powerful.  My thoughts always turn toward God when I'm near water, and I always make sure I swim -- really swim -- in the ocean at least once.


Right now my straw hat is hanging on a hook behind my bedroom door.


Months from now when the semester has begun, when I tell time by the arrival of the school bus, when the weather is crisp, and when my hallway is marked with jackets and boots instead of flip flops, I'll likely notice it.

I'll remember these humid lazy days.  It's good for the soul to have some days like these.

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A very special thanks to my brothers-in-law and mother-in-law who (unlike me) remembered their cameras and graciously took pictures for us on this vacation.

6 comments

  1. TheMomChefJuly 01, 2012

    Oh c'mon, you HAVE to like cotton candy just for the fact that it's cotton candy. What other thing can go from fluff to a gooey mess in the span of .01 seconds?


    Welcome home! I'm so glad your time was wonderful, even if you didn't get that quiet, drink with an umbrella in it moment. It sounds as though the memories you made are worth so much more than that.

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  2. The post-vacation hang-over/depression/recovery is horrible. I hate cleaning everything up, putting it all away, and attempting to get the kids back into their routines.
    But, on a much happier note, your floppy hat is delightful. It will be lovely reminder of a wonderful time.

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  3. Ah, yes, the clean up is a rather bleh. We're sorely in need of a return to routines, though. More sleep for the kids (and adults) will be appreciated.

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  4. Oh! And I'm glad that you liked the hat!

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  5. Yes, it was a great trip! Perhaps next year I'll have some relaxed time on the beach. One can dream... :)

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  6. i love my big floppy hat! we're just returning from vacation, too, and it's tough getting back to reality!

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