Making My Own Sunshine

We are at the beach!!

I'll do a full post about today later, but i just had to share a little about today.  It is just comical.

Last night I was talking to a friend while I was packing and she said, "Have fun, I hope you have good weather."  I replied,

"If not, we'll make our own sunshine."

I really felt like I was so happy and excited that a little rain wouldn't harm my mood or spoil my fun.

All throughout today, that sentence has come back to haunt me and I'm having to really try to do it! (I have had moments where I haven't succeeded!)

This morning I was busily packing and trying to get out of the house by 11 so that we could be at Dan's work (which is half way to our beach destination) by noon.  I was rushing and distracted by the kids (who were being SO cute with this little superhero game they had made up), and in general, just not as organized as usual.  (Just wanted to add for my own memory ~ the kids were so cute and SO excited for the beach this morning that they had packed a bag of "necessities" before I was even out of my room.  Kaitlin and Andrew had filled a bag full of their favorite stuffed animals, blankies and around 5 pairs of Kaitlin's pajamas). :)

I finally got the car loaded up and was maybe 20 minutes behind schedule.

Not bad.

Triumphantly, I got in the van and there was a funny ding and my dashboard said to check the back right tire pressure.

Great.

A quick call to Dan confirmed, better safe than sorry.  So I went to Les Schwab who broke the news that it would be 45 minutes...(turned out to be a leaking valve stem so it was good that we went) we sat down and within minutes, or seconds, I became ringmaster of a three ring circus.  Matthew was grumpy and Andrew was bouncing off the walls.  Kaitlin was completely following suit and I got her to sit down, but Andrew was having a rough day.  Just all over the place and no impulse control at all.  It was bad.  Finally, about 30 minutes into it a sweet lady arrived and after listening to a stern lecture from me she got up and next thing I know she had searched out a remote control for the tv and turned it to the Disney channel.  I told her that she was my angel.  God bless her.

So we finally got on the road, picked up Dan and we were off.  We got to the hotel and I went to unpack and realized I left Kaitlin's bag at home.  Her clothes for the family photo I had planned...her sandals...her bows for her hair (gasp! Not that!!!) :)  Thankfully, I put some things in with the boys' bag and she has PJs and a swimsuit and literally two outfits ~ enough to squeak through the weekend but she can't get wet at all or we have nothing to change into (which I'm not sure how that's going to go as with one trip down to the beach she was a sandy, wet mess).  

Dan was so sweet and actually offered to drive home after the kids were in bed and get Kaitlin's things.   He knows how I love to do these photos at the beach.  It was such a sweet offer, but I couldn't let him do that...we'll still have fun pictures.  Just less high maintenance.   (Perhaps an opportunity for growth on my part?) :)

Since then, we've discovered that we forgot:

The kids toiletries (toothbrushes, no tears shampoo, etc)
The handle to Dan's razor
Matthew's underwear.  :(
Dan's glasses
My other sandals
My pajama top

Ugh!

Then we went to dinner and my dinner (which wasn't very good) was delivered cold, and we sent it back to be warmed up...which isn't normally a big deal but just funny in light of our day.

Then we were driving back from the hotel from dinner and had brought a cup full of leftover rootbeer (it was home made and sooo good) and the whole thing spilled in the van.

And mixed in between all of this has been managing Andrew today who's little body is just in overdrive.  (I'm wondering if it's the excitement of the day that made it so hard for him?)

So, here we are now.
Nearly 9:30.
The kids are bathed.
They've been read to.
And all is quiet from their room.
Dan secretly bought salted chocolate caramels from the candy store for me while we were down town.
We have a fire and the ocean roaring outside our sliding door.

So, we won't do a coordinated family photo.
Kaitlin won't have a matching bow in her hair.  
We'll improvise here and there.
It doesn't really matter.

We're at the beach.  The glorious, beautiful beach.
And we're together.
That's what counts.
There are sandcastles to build and waves to run from, and salt water taffy to eat.

So this weekend, I'm making my own sunshine....we'll see what surprises tomorrow brings!!  :)