When we went to the beach two weeks ago I saw a field of sunflowers growing at the Ft Fisher Ferry port. I also saw gigantic huge bloodthirsty horseflies buzzing around all over the place. I didn’t go get the photos and I regretted it. I beat myself up a little every time I don’t stop for a shot I know I want. I am currently training myself to stop no matter what.
My family has laughed at me for a very very long time about getting in weird positions, climbing into areas I shouldn’t be in and injuring myself for a photo. I am sure none of them would be surprised if I die in some freakish photography incident. I would be very proud to go out that way, I think.
When Alex & I went to the beach this past weekend we were just doing what we wanted, no kids determining the schedule. So if I wanted to tromp around with sandals on in a sandy field of flowers with blood sucking insects, by golly I was going to do it! So I did.
I very quickly went over to said field, literally danced around in a sandy field with sandals on trying to fend off mosquitoes and giant horseflies. I am sure all the cars waiting to board the ferry got a rather amusing show as I crouched, kicked, flailed, dodged and otherwise made a fool of myself for the photo. I took 7 frames, probably a record low number for me, and ran.
The icing on the cake was when I held still for a second and felt some searing pain in my ankle. I assumed it was a horsefly and smacked at the spot full force. Turns out it was 3 sand spurs that became embedded in my hand and ankle with the force of the smack. It is still swollen and itchy.
7 mosquito bites, one horsefly bite to the forehead, and about 15 puncture wounds later I had these to show for it. I like them. So happy I got a second chance at a missed opportunity. One is not usually so fortunate.
The kids and I spontaneously went to the NC Zoo in Asheboro yesterday because there was less than 99% humidity and the chances of that happening again this summer are pretty slim. We have a family membership so we need to make good use of it. By the way, those are the best deals!
Yesterday was the first time we went and didn’t have to take a whole bunch of junk either! We were free from diaper bags, strollers and all the like. Just my camera bag with a diaper shoved in it. We just took our time and relaxed running around the zoo where we wanted.
We spent an extra long time at the sea lions because, well – they are awesome.
A little snuggle time while we were waiting for the tram, err train, sorry Nate.
So glad that motion blur came out. 
By the end of the day they were totally exhausted. I love those quiet drives home after running the kids ragged. Daddy was home so we got pizza for dinner and popped in a movie. A great day!
This weekend I was a happy girl indeed. I asked my mom and dad to take the kids for us for a weekend sometime a few times and we just never made it happen. This past weekend that changed.
We logged over 800 miles within our own state, North Carolina. It is hard for us to find places in our state that neither of us had been but we checked out lots this weekend together. Some places (umm Sealevel & Cedar Island) we will not be taking a second visit to unless we are just there to catch the Ocracoke ferry (book ahead) to the outer banks.
We slept in a tent under the stars on Friday night at the Carolina Beach State Park, very nice place and I did not have to shower in front of anyone which was a concern. We went to see a movie together, we ate when and where we wanted and even got to eat the crackers that came with our salads. We are used to surrendering those to the kids.
Saturday we had planned on staying at this campground in Sealevel, NC. We got there, scoped it out and while it was not in any way fancy or upscale it was quiet, the tent area was empty and secluded and it was cheap. We went and paid for the site, drove back over there and got out to set up. Then I realized what I had done wrong. I had not gotten OUT of the car when we looked at the site. As soon as Alex got out the state bird of NC attacked him, the mosquito. They usually pass over him but he was dancing around smacking himself. They got me next. We left to get bug spray but later decided we would not be returning there. So we were homeless.
That night we went fishing till 1:00am and then were going to drive the two hours back to where we were going to camp. Alex and I were very tired at that point and he decided to park so we could sleep instead of driving off the road. We went to one of our favorite beaches in NC, Topsail Island and tried to get comfortable to sleep in the car. I guess maybe one of those mosquitoes followed us in the car because around 4:00am one of them started buzzing around my ear.
I learned another important lesson. Never ever, in a fit of tired uncomfortable rage at 4:00am, decide to spray bug spray in an ENCLOSED vehicle. After fumigating myself, my husband and my dog I jumped out of the car hacking and spitting and decided forget it. I grabbed the sleeping bag, threw it down in the parking lot, realized it was a gravel parking lot, moved it to the bottom of a sand dune, crawled in, flopped over, coughed and flopped over some more. Then I saw it. The sky.
I have not seen so many stars in my life as I did that night. It was amazing and so comforting. I fell asleep to the sound of the ocean and the sight of the stars. So serene.
I also slept through some rain apparently because when I awoke my sleeping bag was wet on the outside and the sand had droplet prints all over it! I was tired. We had waxed poetic about sleeping in but we were up at dawn both mornings. There was much to be accomplished like hand holding, photo taking, fishing, kissy face, eating grown up food, exploring and just generally remembering why we like each other.
We had fun with the “camping” part of it even though really we were just using the tent to sleep in over night. We will do it again and we think the kids will love it. We might be camping people. We are not “camping in the summer in NC” people though. Those people are insane.
Did I mention we went without our kids? Haaaaaaaaaaalleluiah!!
Thank you baby! I had a fantastic weekend. We will do it again, sooner than later I hope.
Topsail Beach, NC a little after dawn.
Queen Anne’s Lace, one of my favorite flowers from my childhood. We used to take long hikes when we lived in the Netherlands and these grew everywhere. Elegant and simple.
Investments. Alex and I make all sorts of investments. Four years ago we bought a house. We have invested quite a bit of blood, sweat and money into this house, more his blood and sweat but I was helping replace windows while I was quite pregnant and I wore my sexy old Italian lady costume. We invested into our house to make it better for ourselves as well as hopefully getting a return on our investment when we sell our home. We now, finally, have a 401K plan. Even though I know very little about the stock market and try not to look at how much or little is in that account we are investing in our future. We invest in our education, tools, and experience. We have two monkeys, not real monkeys, our kids. Man how we invest in them! There is one thing we haven't invested in much, our relationship.
Oh yea.
This weekend Alex and I are headed to the beach, alone this time. My parents are taking the kids for us and they will also be at the beach, just not with us.
See Alex and I have had a hard half a year here. It has been challenging to say the least but we are pushing forward. We have not been investing much in each other over our relationship. By investing I mean a lot of things but he and I have the same love language, quality time. Quality time is short to come by in our lives between two kids, multiple jobs and life's endless little things. I miss him, he misses me. We used to go away a lot together, we would run to the beach for the weekend, take a drive to the mountains to relax, head off to Charleston for a little romance. Since we have had kids we have had exactly two nights together without the kids, one was so the kids wouldn't be in the house while we fought, the other was the night before a yard sale (just try selling the kid's stuff with them around). Neither nights were romantic. We also don't have a babysitter.
So how do you get time away from the kids and still pay the bills? We are camping! I say that with an enthusiastic and optimistic exclamation point, you know, so it won't all go horribly wrong. I really have no idea what we are doing this weekend, I really don't care as long as we are doing it alone. I told my mom we could go to the dump and as long as I don't have the kids I will be happy. We wont be doing that but I will be pretty easy to please.
I am very thankful for parents I trust who love to watch my kids for me on occasion.
I need to go get an air mattress so we can sleep. Isn't it great that air mattresses are perfectly acceptable camping accessories now? This aint yer daddy's campin!
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