Impromptu me

Wednesday morning I woke up, went on Priceline, named-my-price for a hotel by the beach and the bid was accepted. And considering Brooks was on call one day I knew we wouldn't see him too much anyway. So I sent the kids to pack their own backpacks (note: whenever doing this, PLEASE make sure they have enough shirts, because it could get ugly....and homeless looking) and I loaded up the Yeti and we were OFF for 3 days, 2 nights in Willmington, NC. (5 miles from Wrightsville Beach)

I felt like my parents. Loading up a car-full of kids, heading out w/o a GPS and w/o a cell phone and NO internet. I'm just crazy like that sometimes.

As soon as we got there (5-ish) we headed to the beach.

My boys are water MANIACS! They LOVE jumping in/through, karate chopping, flipping over and being knocked down by the waves.

And these 2.........well, um they're more.........sandy maniacs.

The boys DID come ashore while they were finding/catching little fiddler crabs.

Oh, here is one........right before Iris took it over. She may be scared of the water (and most things) but little creatures, she LOVES!!!!!

And Royce? Well, he spent time in my arms,

and crawling around and eating sand.

Guess he doesn't like it much.

Emerson kept going off and farther away then I wanted (mostly because the waves would push him down the shore) so I had to keep a close and I mean VERY close eye on him......because he thinks he's big and Bronson's size and well, he just learned to swim w/o the floaty this summer.

And we spent a LOT of time swimming at the hotel (which as it turns out, Iris likes......much to my chagrin. I liked her better just sitting on a chair steering CLEAR of the pool) and doing this:

(and don't worry, we didn't miss Wipe Out on Thursday night)

Royce crawled around but ALWAYS made it back to his new "shocker" of a girlfriend......he kept kissing the light socket no matter how many times I kept moving him!....look at his little farmer's tan.....guess I missed his arms.

The NC Aquarium was a little ways down the road too and I had a pass to get us in free.....so off we went.

(I took so many fish pictures, but here are just a few)

They actually got to pick up the turtles hanging around.....or maybe they weren't supposed to.....not sure, but there weren't any signs.

Anyone else ever seen an albino crocodile?

Once again, Iris loves her little creatures, she was all about petting the horseshoe crabs and starfish.

Royce would get so excited he would just grab the exhibit and pull himself up when he saw something he liked.

Now THIS picture is monumental, because this documents the last time Emerson was actually with me. That little kid just gets so excited and gets lost/left ALL THE TIME. I know, I know Mom, it's payback from all the times I ran away. I get it.

Running around w/ 5 kids looking for a 6th kind of made me look a little....um....silly, so I played it cool when the random stranger that Emerson was hugging brought him back to me. After that, THIS was Emerson's new job and he was NOT allowed to let go of the stroller.

I guess I don't think of my 6 kids to be "too much" or crazy-looking to some people. They just go where I go.....Mama duck style and I usually don't have a problem. It wasn't until I saw this picture that I can see why the guy taking it would've given me that look of "are-those-ALL-your-kids?" (trust me, I got that comment over and over on the beach).

I guess I'm a little out-numbered......which is why this (stranger) man rushed over to Aleeya to save her from the cactus burs she was walking through. Then comes me with Iris in one arm and Royce in the other saying loudly, "Aleeya just put on your shoes! I TOLD you to put on your shoes!" Wow, Mom of the year, right there......oh, and believe me, she MILKED it with that guy and was just fine when he put her in the van.

Just like my Mom always did, we stopped at Fort Fisher (site of a Civil war battle).......Mom ALWAYS stopped at EVERY plaque along EVERY road that had one.

They had these really cool, gnarly looking trees at Fort Fisher that lead to HUGE mounds of rocks (kid-magnet) and beyond that there was the secluded beach that we found.

They're in their normal clothes, but what the heck, why not jump in........or run, as the case may be.

Emerson proved that he is KING of the ocean. (look behind at these pictures, there was NOBODY there.....except one couple at one time.......it was incredible!)

And Iris (who always has a swimsuit on under her clothes anyway) is queen of the......um......shore.

Here she is, looking, maybe 5 months pregnant.

And Aleeya..........close to 8 months. What a silhouette!

Believe me, I took a gazillion wave pictures, but I'm sparing you the majority of them.

I love this picture of my sweet Camden. He's growing up so fast.

And Royce ended up falling asleep on my lap, just sitting there watching the waves. I'm pretty sure we could've stayed there all day.

OH! WHAT JOY! We found fiddler cracks here too! Oh, I mean fiddler CRABS here too. Silly me.

Iris thought the crabs were hungry and even fed/nursed them! How thoughtful she is.

Someone at Fort Fisher told us there was a ferry right by there, so we drove down and waited in line to go on the ferry in the Yeti. We ended up just feeding these seagulls(?) and turning around to make it back to the Burger King for an Icee and back to the hotel to watch Wild Kratts. (anyone else's kids LOVE that?)

Next day before leaving we went to the beach again and got caught in an AMAZING purple-clouded rain storm. SO AWESOME (and made for GREAT temperatures!)......well, except that now my van was not only FILLED with sand, but WET sand.

I'm happy to report though that we made it home just fine and even had Emerson with us. (added bonus) Sometimes it's just nice to go away and chill w/ the kiddos.............you know, eating Lunchables for lunch and Hot Pockets for dinner. Oh, and the fact that someone else was making my beds didn't hurt either.