Myrtle Beach

Today swept me off my feet: surprising, unexpected, effortless bliss.  But the story doesn't begin there.  No, no.  It began in a hotel room, with JJ wedged between me and Jonny.  There was also a throbbing head ache pounding in my brain and a smell of pee wafting through the room.  I followed it to the bed of my sweet Aaron, where he was awake, glaring at me defiantly.  Especially when I asked him to go get in the tub.  A question that was dully difficult to ask because I also forgot to put his cochlear batteries in the charger the night earlier.

For a moment there, I thought about giving up on the adventure.  We wanted to have fun.  We drove four hours to the beach with the Priors who sacrificed a lot more time and money to be there with us.  But in that moment, with all the morning mess and mayhem to transport nine individuals to a beach side paradise, I really didn't know if it would all be worth it.

It was.  We ate a "free" breakfast.  Amber and I banished the husbands to the hotel pool with the rowdie (that's the way we spell roudy) crew while we packed up the rooms.  I quickly curled my hair, for no good reason, other than to cast a spell of optimism over me.  I said my prayers.  things picked up.  The lobby said they wouldn't charge for the soiled linens.  The luggage cart helped us make one trip to the cars.  And, the boy Aaron had a surprise to show me in the pool.

I walked into the echoing pool room to find Aaron at the shallow end of the pool, smiling up at me.  Jonny hopped into the deep end and Aaron took off toward him, paddling like a frog with all his might.  He swam.  By him self.  Sans flotation device.  For the first time.  I jumped and screamed and laughed and kicked and horrayed with all my might.  I may have even teared up.  Then he did it again, and I nearly jumped in to give him a huge hug.  My boy, Aaron.  He decided to swim--on his own--and that was all that it took.  He didn't even tell Jonny.  He just paddled into the deep end, where Jonny quickly saw what was happening, and jumped in to cheer him on (and reach out an arm if he needed it).  When Aaron puts his mind to something, he does it.  I love his determination, even if it does get the better of me at times.

Then, we walked through a giant shark's mouth into a store that held the wonders of the beach tourist world.  We let Aaron and JJ pick a trinket to remind them of their beach adventure (that hadn't actually happened yet).  Aaron chose a model shark and JJ chose a ball.  It was his choice, so we didn't protest.  And, I couldn't help but by Aaron a shark tooth necklace. It was only three dollars, and he grinned from ear to ear when I put it on (especially because he technically walked away with two souvenirs).

Then we made a b line for the beach.  As soon as we emerged from the pay-for-parking lot, the scent of the salty air and roll of the waves put me in a trance.  The sun was a welcoming mid 80 haven and only a few other groups spotted the sands.  Like magic, I knew that nothing was going to ruin that day.

Aaron bounded toward the waves as fast as his legs could carry him.  He hit the break on the shore, ran in the froth with Eva, Zach and Ryan, then ran back up to the towels, and then back down again.  He repeated the ping ponging up and back until he ditched his cochlears in a water proof bag.  After a good sun screen spray, he frolicked on the shore break with his cousins for hours.  He was in paradise.  So was I.

JJ didn't even want to get his feet wet.  He was content piddling around in the sand, and I loved helping him build castles, dig divets and burry body parts.  His favorite moment of the day, however, was probably when  Uncle Drew broke out the candy bag, and they sat there on the towels, downing a bags of skittles, chips and chocolate covered raisins.  Drew was his favorite babysitter.  I watched him enjoy his uncle while I joined Jonny and the body boarding crowd.  The water was a little colder than comfortable, but Jonny quicly remedied my hesitant approach by tackling me in the crest of a wave.  I acted annoyed, but he knows that I love it when he does that.

Time seemed to slow while we played around on the sand.  Amber and I talked.  We burried the kids a few times, up to their necks in the sand, and then carved mermaids and mermen and pizzas for their bodies.  Zach wanted the pizzas.  Evan wanted the mermaids.  Aaron wanted whatever Zach and Eva wanted.  We laughed and broke out of the sand piles and then did it all over again.  The husbands threw the football around on the beach, showing off occasionally by diving into the waves to make a brave catch.  I joined in a few times and didn't do too bad.  Amber and I talked and relaxed on the sand until I made her get into the water.

Then, the sun suddenly started to take on an orange glow and the day was ending.  JJ was so tired--not whiny, cranky tired, but "I'll lay myself down on the towel" tired.  I came over to snuggle him and he said to me, "change that!"  which meant that he had pooped.  In his diaper.  Filled with sand.  But it didn't matter.  There was only one thing to do: give him a bath in the ocean.  So, that's just what I did.  I took his diaper off, wiping most of the mess in the diaper, then rushed him to the waves, dipping his dirty tush into the waves.  Yes, sort of gross, but definitely there are worse things floating around in the ocean.  And it was awesome.  he laughed and I laughed as I splashed him, washing off as much sand as possible.  Then, I wrapped my naked baby in a towel and headed for the car.  He laid in the towel, as happy as could be, saying, "I took a bath in the ocean!"  "Yes," I responded, smiling, "Yes, you did JJ."

We ate at the surf diner--a yummy seaside tourist joint that was completely vacant except for our table.  I love off-tourist season beach time.  The cousins had the time of their lives together.  And, Amber and Drew are the best company.  I loved every minute we spent with them.

I think I floated away from Myrtle Beach that day.  I hope heaven is just like that day at the beach.