365 RANDOM DAYS OF TEAM ZYBKO

DAY # 147

MAY 29, 2012

UNDESIRABLE ITEMS FOUND AT BEACH

 Memorial Day celebration started early on Friday morning. Only 12 minutes past our ETD of 5:00am the prison van backs out of the sleepy dark driveway of our house. Despite the early-ness every one is excited to get the show on the road. 6 meals, 11 people and 2 full activity days planned. Yikes. That's a lot of  mouths to feed and money for food. 4 of which are teenage boys so that's a whole other kinda multiplication problem. In efforts to keep costs down and stay within our holiday weekend budget, I packed food for our travels. 

The specifically planned meals looked a tidy tad better on paper. I suppose that's true for anything. Timing, weather and unexpected mood swings due to low blood sugar shifted the dinners and lunches around on the menu.

After spending hours on the tall sand dunes we find ourselves hot, tired and hungry. Behavior is going in the toilet as we look for a beach front parking spot and a legal place to grill our burgers.

Tick, tick, tick. Like a time bomb.

Even in a the 15 passenger van the sitting quarters are tight with all the necessary packed gear. The air conditioning knob turned to high is thankfully working properly, blowing full blast from all 12 vents. Despite the refreshing heaven sent air the temperature inside remains muggy and irritable. Me thinks we might have overdone it with the first fun adventure of the day. Several of the kids behind my seat, the ones with out armpit hair have now officially turned into pumpkins. Their juvenile short legs repeatedly running up 100 feet of soft sand dunes was quite a workout. Over and over again.

Mom, he got sand on my arm.

Dad, she is touching me.

He took my pillow.

She is sitting on special blanket, that's nasty.

He looked at me not nice.

She pooted.

Baby Daddy and I glance at each. A non verbal conversation quickly takes place. A parental rolling of the eyes and huge huff we somehow communicate with out words and agree to change plans. We gotta get the kids out of the van and fed.

STAT

Everything works out fine in the end. No one kills each other before we find parking and lug the snack/food bin out over the walkway to the surf. 20 minutes later all is well again in the world. Life is good with bellies full and a game of  hacky sack well underway. I look at the kids playing and the unique combinations of food sitting helplessly in the hot sand. Not the idea types of goodies one would dream of out here in the elements.

 All sticky or greasy. All sand magnets.

Interesting enough for a picture.

I feel a tiny bit successful as the shutter clicks. Success knowing we saved some $ by not caving and swinging through a drive-thru. Just yet anyway. I'm thinking ahead and admitting a little selfish. Premeditated if you will. I can hold out a couple more hours though. This worn out momma plans to look at baby daddy just right and with no words spoken ask him to swing by Starbucks on the way home. With an extra sweet kiss I may even be able to up grade and score me a venti. Extra hot. 

 I'm confident it will be in the budget.

;)