seaside

When the Little Darlings were mere babes, the days were full of humble lists. These I attended to with gusto and sweet intent, accompanied by nursery rhymes and Sunday School songs. But one day, I felt an emptiness in my chest that took a number of quiet mornings to define. And with two rambuncious toddlers and two teenagers to tend to, these don't come every day.

I needed the sea.
The glorious sea: that wide expanse of gray-green, the punch of salt air, the elusive sand that carves castles beneath my toes: the whole nine yards. Yessir, that's the ticket, I pose convincingly to Hubby.
"All well & good, dear, but the sea lies a five hour drive east of us."

So we plan a Cape Cod vacation and I begin checking off the days. I remember my family's curious delight in my wild dash over the dunes and unrestrained joy as I plunged into the frigid waves. Basically, they thought I was nuts. After all, I was MOM and as such, needed to show a bit of restraint and proper decorum.

Yeterday we completed a ludicrously long loop of the Outer Banks to visit my "little" brother and his wife. They are the proud new owners of the Cape Pines Motel in Buxton, North Carolina. It was totally worth the gas money. We ate grilled pizza, seafood, and peaches. We played with Twiggy (adopted greyhound) and Heidi (bulldog puppy). We invaded two motel rooms, no charge, thankyouverymuch. We saw the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, very pretty. But before we left, WE VISITED THE SEA.

For all who need to know, Mom continues to defy the laws of Restriant & Proper Decorum. At least when it comes to the sea.