Day #6: Crab Bag & Peaceful Nights

*Sigh* our last full day. Our last day at the beach. Our last night out on the town. Oh thank goodness it was a perfect end to a fantastic vacation.

My aunt's family came over from the cute beach town to spend the day with us, which was an awesome surprise! I missed them a lot quite frankly & their company added to the wonderful people who were already here just made the day that much sweeter :)
We spent the day at the beach again, soaking up the sun & enjoying life together. My step dad even came & he hates the beach (who the heck hates the beach!?) we dug for sand crabs, dived in and out of waves. I love the ocean. I really freaking love the ocean, I'd rather swim in the ocean than my own blue back yard pool (if I had one) I love feeling the sand beneath my feet, I love the waves..gosh I love the waves..I even like getting wiped out & how hard it makes every one laugh. I love the freeness of being in the open water. I love it all and I'll say it again: I wish I could do this every single day of my life.








Dinner tonight was at the Crab Bag. Worst.choice.ever. Kind of. Our waiter was nice, but sucked & hit me in the head with a full size beach umbrella! Our food took well over two hours, my little brother was over tired & starving, Abby was sick of the high chair & the only thing keeping her happy was her cup of water which I'm pretty sure would of make her sick if she had anymore...but it was a good time, I guess you could say. We all laughed & joked about how crazy the whole situation was. It was an outdoor place, picnic tables in the sand type place which I usually love but the tables were so crammed together it was just ridiculous. We were constantly bumping into other customers..but at least we could all laugh about it. They didn't have a kids menu, so the only thing that was suitable for Abby was a giant $12 plate of macaroni & cheese, but hey..she loved it. Our food finally came & it was delicious. I got snow crab legs which were just mouth watering, and the waiter I guess felt bad and brought us a whole platter of grilled corn on the cob which was just to die for, he didn't charge Jake for his clams casino, either. Abby was done & luckily the place we were at was only a couple blocks from our house..so her & I headed back home before every one else. Turns out after I left the bus-boys threw away Jake's not even touched half of chicken which he was waiting for a box for. He was pretty mad, to say the least.





We all went down to boardwalk afterwards & let me just tell you...the time spent there made up for the crazy dinner. I knew Abigail was tired and worn out from earlier..so I kept my fingers crossed that she'd make out okay. She did wonderfully. Since I knew she was so sleepy, I clicked her infant carseat in her full size stroller, like we did when she was a newborn..and she was so comfy looking I wanted to crawl in with her. With her big pacie mouth & warm bottle, a nice warm-but-cool-enough-for-summer blanket, and huge heavily blinking eyes..just trying to stay up so she could take it all in. She held out for a good 45 minutes, and I was half way tempted to take her out to ride some mini rides, but its a good thing I didn't because the next thing I knew I looked down & she was sound asleep..such a sweet, sweet girl. She slept soundly and comfortably the rest of the outing, it was so peaceful.

Later my cousin some how convinced me to get on the Slingshot ride with him. It's a little ball that gets shot 225ft into the air over the beach and ocean. I've done it twice before, once with my friend Jessica when I was 15 & once at senior week when I was 17..but for some reason this time around I was so much more nervous. But, I did it. & It was fun. I'm glad I still have a little bit of a wild streak in me ;)
We got home & I knew Abby needed a diaper change & I really wanted to put some more comfortable clothes on her, so i awoke my sleepy girl and let me just tell you..I've never sen her so sleepy. She didn't even want me to put her down. She laid back to get changed and went to sleep mid diaper change. I think this whole week has finally taken it's sleepy toll on her, as it has us all.

Goodnight sweet baby girl. Mommy loves you so incredibly much.

Day #5: Beach days & Boardwalk nights

We spent all day long at the beach today, and it was perfect.

This morning around 10am I sneaked out, all by myself. I walked over to the ocean, beach chair and the new cosmo and star magazine in hand...and got a whole two hours of tanning and toes in the water all to myself while Abby played with her Daddy & Grandma. I sat my chair right at the coast line & let the waves roll up on my legs..it was beyond relaxing and I wish we lived some where were I could do this every single day. Ahh, the dreams of moving to Florida.

I headed back for lunch around afternoon time & Abby had just laid down for a nap. Jake and I got iced coffees & had a nice lunch (m&m cookies and white cheddar popcorn, that is :p) and pretty much vegged out in front of the tv for an hour or two. While in past vacations I would of done anything outside before I chilled out indoors...but let me tell you, vacation is just not what it used to be. I'm not complaining..I've had a great time. Its just hard work when you have a 10 month old with you. So I was more than happy to have a relaxing morning and afternoon :)

Once Abby woke up around 3 we went back to the beach with my mom and little brother, and we stayed until late evening. It was so much fun. Jake and I swam and dove in the waves while my little mini me watched from the sand in her baby pool with Grandma. She splashed and dug her little hands into the wet sand. We had a blast. & Like I said before..I wish we could do this every day.

We had dinner at BJ's on the bay tonight..which is by far, Jake and I's favorite restaurant in the city. Its a cute little place that always has a band, its right on the water..and we always sit outside. Jake always gets the clams casino, and I always get a BLT or a crab cake. It's always just as good. We always take tons of pictures, and my parents are friends with the owners & we always get a free round of drinks. It's always a great time there & we look forward to it every summer. Abby had spaghetti (again) and I think its probably her new favorite meal. Spaghetti and water out of a straw. What a big baby!









After dinner my mom offered to take Abby home & put her to bed so Jake and I could head down to the boardwalk with my step dad and brother for a couple hours. We ate caramel popcorn, Jake played in the arcade, we went to candy kitchen & got chocolate covered pretzels and swedish fish. There was music blasting in the background, kids laughing from the carnival rides, the salty air was breezing through our hair, men were playing guitar & reading fortunes just hoping to score 5 bucks. Its so summery, I love it.



I love this. I wish we didn't have to go back home..back to reality.

Day #4: Repacking, Ocean City, & Fussy Babies at the Boardwalk

This morning around 10am we packed our cars back up (thank god mine wasn't as packed this time, we had Jake's truck for extra storage) kissed my family goodbye & hit the road towards Ocean City. Bye cute little beach town, I will be seeing you again..I do promise you that.





It was about an hour long drive to get here, down lots of quite country roads which made for a long boring trip with just myself and a sleeping baby in the car. But we made it here, and while I do absolutely love the country scene of my Aunt's place..I must say, its pretty exciting to be in the vacation resort city.




We got settled in, and then headed down to The Marina Deck for dinner, a place I've gone to with my mom and step dad for as long as I can remember. We walked the docks and ooh'd and ahh'd over the million dollar yhats, we sipped wine and green tea, we tried to catch lobsters out of a live lobster claw machine, I ate steamed shrimp & Jake had hot wings & cheese fries (so typical) and little Abby had her first real 'out to dinner' meal. & By that I mean we actually ordered her a dinner off the kids menu, and she ate it. She's getting so big. She very much enjoyed her kids spaghetti and applesauce on the side. Oh, and she knows how to drink out of a straw! No idea how she learned it, but she was just sipping away my ice water right out of the sraw like a big girl! She was so funny while we were there, even the other tables close by were cracking up when she was playing "where's abby?" with her dress. Such a classy girl.

After dinner we headed down to beloved boardwalk.




I've been excited to go there since this whole vacation got started, but my little one had other plans. We spent about 20 minutes in the arcade before she decided it was about the right time to have a melt down. I should of expected it, really. It was late, and it's been a long few days. Jake won her a ball out of the claw machine, which kept her entertained for a little bit, but not long enough. & On top of her sleepiness, we forgot her stroller so we had to buy a little tiny one in one of the shops & she was not feeling it. Neither were we, no place to put our bags or lay her back & give her a bottle while we pushed her around..honestly, our night probably would of been much better if we had our normal stroller. We had just enough time to stop at Dumpsters Dairy Land & get Jake a chocolate dipped ice cream cone & a mint chocolate chip milkshake for me before Abby literally was basically hanging off her stroller screaming bloody murder. Jake was frustrated, I was frustrated..we had a million bags to carry & not enough hands and poor Abby just wanted her bed.

Needless to say we got home an hour ago & little missy hasn't even left her car seat yet because she's in such a deep comfy sleep I just can't stand to wake her. When she's uncomfy or wants to stretch out, she'll wake up..right? In the mean time I'm enjoying sitting on the deck with a glass of sweet tea people watching off Coastal Highway. Jake's in bed..and I believe it's about time for me to join him. Night y'all :)

Day #3: More Beach, Southern Hospitality, and The Wizard of Oz

Another morning and afternoon spent at the beach today. Seriously, I could do this every day. Especially now that I have Jake here with me. We all laughed and loved and just enjoyed each other. This time Abby decided to take her extra long nap at the beach. Which was quite convenient for mama, I got to work on my sun tan! The tide was way out today, making this weird but perfect little pool at the coast that my Aunt and I sat our sun chairs right in and sunk our toes in the wet sand. We squealed like little girls when a big wave would come & almost knock us over, and then laughed so hard at each other trying to not float away we almost peed :p Abby woke up & her big cousins dug her, her own little pool to play in..which she just loved, of course. & Can I just say how much I love having Jake here with us now? I really really love him.




















After we all got cleaned off Jake and Abby and I decided to head down to main street to check out the town. I want to live here. I want to live here. I want to live here! It's so cute & small and it's always what I dreamed of myself raising a family in. A cute, small, every-one-dies-famous-in-a-small town type place. This is it. And it's on the beach? Even better. I want to live in an old, but nice and big southern house on main street. A street where American flags are hung by every light post, where you can just stroll the streets and see pictures and crafts for display..rather than a man in a suit fussing into his cell phone. Where people park their tractors in their driveway, where there's cute little beach shops filled with paintings and funky t shirts and cowboy hats and old used books, where your local movie theater looks like it was built in 1950 but is still up & running and showing two shows a day at 3 and 7, where there's adorable little southern tables set up outside coffee shops with warm welcoming smiles from your friendly neighbors, where there's an old ice cream parlor..an ice cream parlor that's run out of someones house, where you can walk in the streets with your baby because no cars will come zooming by..and if they do, their going slow enough and just kindly go around you, and smile and wave as they pass. This is the way life should be. The city life is not for me. I'm a southern girl at heart and this little town has just amped up that inner Dolly Parton more than you could ever know.











We belong here. & Clearly Abby agrees ;)

Later on the whole group headed out on the town & went down to the local arcade. They had go karts, games, moon bounces, climbing walls..every one had a great time..besides my little one. I think the sun has gotten to her these past couple days, and she's just really freaking exhausted. We've been doing so much & she's just not used to it. She was super sleepy the whole time we were there, I felt so bad for her. I snuggled her up and followed the crowed around as they won prizes and zipped up the climbing walls like they were spider man. There were times here & there where she'd laugh and giggle and point and have fun..you could tell she really wanted to have fun but she was just too tuckered out, poor baby.






Every one was headed to go get ice cream afterwards & my little cousin Joey decided he was with Abby - sleepy and fussy. They were all on bikes, and the line for the ice cream shop was super long and Jake hates long lines..so he offered to ride Joey back home so he could get Abby in bed..and I would just ride Joey's bike home. Well, yeah. I haven't rode a bike in about 5 years, and it was very entertaining (to say the least) when I was first getting started. People laughed and pointed as I waddled across the intersection because I was too afraid I'd tip over if I tried to cycle across. Once I got going..I loved it. My aunt and I fell behind the crowd and were just wheeling around under the summer stars. I did pretty good I must say! The only times I almost crashed were because I was laughing so damn hard. It was so windy and I made some comment about how I felt like I was in the wizard of oz, and we both burst out into huge, hard, belly laughs as I hummed the "witch on the bike scene" music and she shrieked out I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too! It was extremely hilarious & I'm still laughing thinking about it. It was fun.

The fun ended quickly once we got closer to the house. We noticed that every one was still outside, and I thought it was really strange that Jake, Abby, and Joey were all still sitting in my car. It wasn't long before we realized that we were locked out. Thank goodness there was an after hours on call service that was able to bring us a key. But in the mean time while we were waiting, I stood outside of the car while Abby and Joey sat inside in the AC..sweaty with frizzing hair & getting eaten alive by 1000's of mosquitoes..because that's whats moms do.

It's been so much fun spending time here with my Aunt's family, so I'm kind of bummed to say we'll be leaving in the morning to go another island close to here to spend some time with my mom & step dad for the rest of the week. I'm bummed, but excited at the same time. & really hoping they have some sort of wifi hook up :)

We shall see what adventures tomorrow brings :)