Postcard for Mr. Clean [Ocean City Spring 2012]

Dear Mr. Clean,

The little guy and I sure missed you on our trip with your family to Ocean City.  He did really well on the drive out (minus the two outfit changes necessary from some super blowouts), which, as  you know, I had been pretty nervous about.  We got there in good time and it was a very nice hotel with a beautiful view.  Here is what we saw from our vantage point on the 9th floor. 

 Beautiful!

Your family wished for warmer weather, but for your uber-pale wife, conditions were perfect.  Cool, stormy and overcast.  We even saw lightening out over the ocean before breakfast.  So cool. 

The little man spent a lot of time in the sling and the pack.  Sometimes with me, sometimes with your mom (so I could walk around on the beach unencumbered - so kind of her to think of that).  He did really well.  He seemed to enjoy watching the water and hearing the sound of the waves.  He did not, however, seem to care for the wind. 

He fell asleep while facing in, and looked all around while facing out, as usual. 

I couldn't keep an elastic in my hair while walking the beach.  The wind kept slipping it off of my ponytail, no matter how tightly I fastened it.  That made for some cousin it moments.  Guess I should have gone with a braid.

The little guy wasn't so hot on the bucket hat at first.  Luckily it has a chin strap so he couldn't remove it.  Bwah hah hah.  He warmed up to (or forgot he was wearing) it after a while.   

I couldn't believe how many shells were just lying around everywhere on the beach.  Somehow I had the idea that they were difficult to find.  I (nerd alert) proudly identified some of the varieties of clam, oyster, and mussel shells from prior cooking adventures (I brought you home a razor clam shell).  :) 

I also found something else in the sand.

Hmmm.  How did that get there?  

We walked up and down the beach.  I waded in up to my knees at a few places and your sister jumped in and out of the waves as they hit the shore.   It was a little chilly.  Or very chilly, depending on your perspective. I liked feeling the sand sort of disintegrate under my feet as I walked through the waves.

 

Your dad played the part of the resident photographer.  

This is what the view up the beach looked like. Your mom and dad are the little specks in the distance.

And the other direction - 

We saw a sneaky little sand crab!
 

Your sister and your dad played with him a bit and picked him up while he did his best to pinch their fingers.

I guess I understand now why people love the beach so much.  Though I am pretty sure I will always be more of a beach-in-spring person than a beach-in-summer person. 

It was a lovely trip and I enjoyed spending time with your family, but I missed you terribly and wished you could have been there to share it with us.  The little man missed you too, in his own ways, giving me a crazy look when I dried him off after his bath (because somehow you snuggle him up in the towel the best) and fussing through his bedtime song and prayer.  He is always happiest when daddy is nearby. 

The drive home was ok.  The little guy desperately wanted out of his carseat (you know how he hates that thing) and had a couple of decent crying jags, which gave me anxiety since your family had to listen to him too.  Of course, they were very understanding.  :)  Near the end I pulled up Pandora and played him some music to calm him down.  The song that seemed to do the trick was (of course) Pachelbel's Canon in D.  I thought you might get a kick out of that.  For once I didn't skip it. 

We sure miss you!  Hope you are enjoying yourself and not working too hard in the mile high city. 

Lots of love from your little family.