I'm Baaacckk

I'm back. And I'm really too tired to write. But I thought if I would just start...something interesting might roll off my tongue. Gulf Shores was beautiful. White, fine sand. The ocean was in pretty shades of green. The days were warm, the nights were cool, and it didn't rain a drop the whole time we were there. Yes. We were blessed.

The ride down started rough. Mary and Ben cried for the whole first hour. I think Ben was having morning poop cramps but didn't want to poop in his carseat (in a diaper of course). Mary was crying and we didn't know why. She had a cold so maybe the drainage was affecting her stomach because all of a sudden she puked up phlegm. I caught it with her blanket. Mom's are always ready...even from the front seat. After she puked, she was happy as pie. Ben mysteriously cheered up too. Even though he never pooped (his and Mary's poops are very predictably in the mid morning). The rest of the ride was very peaceful with only minor disturbances. The ride home was just as good. This was my biggest concern! 750 miles is a lot. We broke it up into two days on the way there and did it one trip on the way home. I'm so glad we did. Sometimes staying overnight just makes the whole trip feel longer.

We camped at Gulf State Park which was still recuperating from the damage caused by Hurricane Ivan. We think of Katrina...but there...it was Ivan. That was two years ago, but the trees and vegetation are still suffering. Our area of the state park looked like a wasteland, with many dead, leafless trees, but it still hand newly paved roads and brand new full hook-ups. We didn't enjoy the ambiance of our surroundings, but totally enjoyed the beauty of the beach. The first day I stayed back at the camper with Mary while she napped, while Ted took the kids to the beach. However, after that day, we just brought them all with us. The beach would put Ben to sleep! Think about it, the white noise of the ocean, the breeze on your face (he always sleeps with a fan) and the shade of the umbrella. He slept on the beach 3 of the 4 times he went! Mary fell asleep too the time we went during her naptime.

We went into town and stuck with safe places to eat like Cici's pizza. When the kids get older, we might enjoy a nice restaurant, but I would never enjoy it with Ben and Mary right now. We checked out Tanger Outlet Mall and Shakes Frozen Custard. We also hit a few surf shops. Other than this though, our time was spent at the beach. It wasn't fun lugging kids who wouldn't walk (mainly Ben...Mary walked, but not necessarily at the desired pace) along with a cooler, umbrella, beach bag, boogie boards, etc. But once we got there and set up shop, we relaxed and soaked up the sun.

Overall it was a great trip. As a mom, though, it just doesn't really feel like my vacation. It was the kids' vacation. I enjoyed the beach time, but the time before and after the beach was often high maintenance. Ben is really a homebody and doesn't settle well in other places. Mary is just your typical young toddler with fit throwing whenever our decisions didn't suit her. Living in the cramped quarters of a trailer for 9 days can be hard on your nerves with the needs of two toddlers. Ben was often needy and there was no time for a book, game or anything except TV watching. In fact, our new dual screen DVD player was a GODSEND!!! I'm telling you, a definite must for the kids. It entertained them during those times when we just needed to settle in the trailer. I wish there was a playground or something there. I took the kids for rides in the trailer pulled by our bike, but there was nothing to see because we were on a vacant end of the campground and the scenery was lacking. They said that business has suffered since the hurricane... which is sad.

Once a big trip is over, we start planning the next big trip for next year. Sometimes you need to reserve 11 months out to get a good site. We are looking at Door County next year. The State Parks out there are really lacking on the hook ups (mostly dry camping...meaning no water or electric or sewer), so we are considering a private campground like Tranquil Timbers (formerly known as Quiet Woods North).

Anyway, overall it was a good trip. Ben was a lot better than he was last year. Mary has stepped up to the plate and adds much more to the chaos now that she's older. This makes things a little harder...but still overall, it's more enjoyable than last year, I'm happy to report.

Our next camping excursion is over the Fourth of July weekend at our annual visit to Eminence, MO. We have many friends meeting us up there and family's we've camped with since I was 9 years old, so it should be fun. The campground is on a river with a rocky beach facing bluffs. Ben should enjoy throwing the rocks. This one will be shorter in length of stay and travel time, so less stressful overall. We'll leave on June 28th and come back July 2nd. Until then, I'll hopefully enjoy some down time with the kids.

Blogger won't let me post pictures...but I'll post when I can.