{SQT} Quickest Takes From the Shore

Greetings from the beach! It’s been hot, humid and generally, the perfect weather for sitting or standing in a large body of water. So, these have to be some pretty Quick Takes since wi-fi is spotty and staying somewhere other than our home means the boys have approximately 2,928 more requests than usual.

1. Getting ready to do ANYTHING takes me a bit longer than most families, and since we have to do ALL THE THINGS when we’re on vacation, I can get tired. But let me tell you, BIG KIDS ARE THE BOMB DIGGITY. The older three actually volunteer to help with the younger boys in the pool, willingly take turns helping them at the beach and can now be turned loose on their own to entertain themselves on the boardwalk when I just CANNOT. EVEN. WITH ALL THE THINGS anymore. Somebody, remind me of these perks when it’s November or February and we’re all arguing with each other and I want to ship them off to boarding school.

A photo posted by Kelly Mantoan (@kellymantoan) on Jul 27, 2016 at 8:14am PDT

 

2. It’s hard being in a new place for a week. There’s that Onion article about a mom on vacation that is spot on. Thankfully, we’re staying with my mom and she’s gladly taken on meal planning and dish duty, but trying to stick to the boys’ routine while traveling is driving me nuts. I keep forgetting things that I do without thinking at home (don’t worry nothing life threatening) or finding myself needing to carry them a lot more than usual because WHERE DID I PARK THAT CHAIR??? You’d think losing a power chair in a small condo would be hard, but I can assure you, it is never where you think it is. It’s always on the opposite end of the dwelling at an awkward angle that you don’t discover until you’re already standing there with a 45+ lb child in your arms who wants to drive NOW.

3. ALL CAPS LOCK ALL THE TIME THIS WEEK.

4. Naturally, I thought this week would be a great time to lead the first retreat based on my book ‘A Worthy Reception’. It’s going great except, I need to update through my phone in direct sunlight a lot which means all the cursing is probably negating all the grace.  If that sounds like a spiritual bandwagon you’d like to jump on, join here!

5. Y’all know I have what could probably be called a phobia/ paranoia regarding bats. What I haven’t really shared is that I also have a fear of heights. It’s not insane. I can usually work around it however, I HATE FERRIS WHEELS….and what do you think is one of the few boardwalk amusement rides Fulton and Teddy can still enjoy??? The ginormous wheel of terror, a.k.a. the ferris wheel. Of course, Tony and I ride in a large car together, each supporting one of the boys. Tony spends the ride snapping selfies with Fulton and scenic vista shots while I hide my terror filled eyes behind my sunglasses  and stare at the floor. On the descent, I can usually shoot a quick glance over the side of the car to agree with Teddy that, “Yes, the ocean looks beautiful” before we rise in the air again and I resume my steady stream of Hail Marys.

 

6. After managing to stick to mostly decaf since Lent, I’m back on full caffeine which is probably contributing to the amount I’m yelling while “vacationing”.

7. In the plus column is the fact that I’m meeting my fitbit goals most everyday even though I need to take it off when we go to the pool or beach. Usually, I keep walking with Tony on the boardwalk at night until my wrist vibrates, then I know it’s time to celebrate with dessert.

How was your week? Write it down then link it up below. Be sure to include a link back to this post so your readers can find the rest of the Quick Takes. I look forward to reading your posts!