About five minutes down the road, just as we neared the CVS Pharmacy, we were still trying to figure out where we were going. I said, "I kinda want to go to the beach." And Mike was like, "Well, okay then." And he turned around at the CVS and we headed back to the house.
Back at the ranch...
Mike and the boys waited in the car while I went in and quickly -- in less than 10 minutes! -- packed up for our little one-night getaway.
Pack-and-play for Ollie...Check.
Change of clothes, clean underwear, and PJs for everyone...Check.
Toothbrushes...Check.
Bathing suits and sunscreen...Check.
Stroller...Check.
Merrit's bunny...Check.
Diaper bag...Check.
Set the timed cat-feeder and scratch the little rugrats under the chin...Check.
And we were off! We love it that Wilmington is less than an hour-and-a-half away. We didn't know where we'd be staying, but we decided that since it's the off-season, we'd just take our chances and see what we could find once we got there.
We arrived in Wilmington at about 4:00, and then stopped at Mellow Mushroom for a hot, delicious pizza.
Merrit was our server.
We sat on the patio because the weather was just perfect.
Daddy gave Ollie a taste of lemon.
We ended up choosing the Holiday Inn Sunspree, which is right on the beach.
We checked in and brought our stuff up to the room, then went to explore the hotel.
We walked down to the beach.
All of us took off our shoes and waded into the surf.
Needless to say, Merrit got soaking wet!
We were flabbergasted when Merrit found a ten dollar bill in the pitch dark!! How in the world did he manage THAT?
Rinse that sand off!
We hung out in the rocking chairs on the open deck and listened to some live music. I swayed Ollie back and forth in my sling and Merrit danced around.
Finally, it was time to head back up to the room.
Ready for bed, Dad?
The next morning's sunrise was beautiful! The beach was so quiet and serene. Only surfers were out there. And there were a lot of them! We could see at least 15 or 20 guys in wetsuits catching early morning waves.
Mike and I had coffee on the balcony while the boys slept in.
But the peace and quiet didn't last forever. First Ollie woke up...
...Then Merrit.
What a view!
Downstairs, we helped ourselves to the breakfast buffet. Well, all of us -- except for Ollie. He had babyfood. Soon, little guy, you'll be able eat all the Belgian waffles and fresh strawberries you want...I promise!
Merrit listened to some tunes while Mike went up and fixed a plate for him at the buffet. Pancakes made to order, yogurt and fruit, and scrambled eggs. As you all know, breakfast is Merrit's favorite meal of the day!
The polymer decking wasn't hot at all (amazing!) and didn't have any splinters, so Ollie crawled around a bit.
But, mostly, he stayed in the shade.
I like the shade, too. So that worked out fine. :-)
Merrit worked on some of his swimming skills in the three-foot end of the pool while Mike looked on.
After a while, we decided to hit the beach.
It's a big, big world out there!
We love our sling. It even has a long "tail" that's perfect for shading Ollie's head.
This is what it looks like, from my vantage point, to "wear" a baby in a sling. :-)
Check-out time was at 11:00, but we had access to the hotel's pool/beach showers as long as we wanted so we stayed out on the beach most of the day. Around suppertime, we rinsed off one final time, changed into dry clothes, and headed inland.
Oh, and in case you were wondering. Merrit spent his $10.00 at the hotel gift shop. He bought a pirate toy (came complete with a peg-legged and behooked pirate, a cannon, and a treasure chest, all in their own carrying case) and a plastic ball that changes colors when you throw it up in the air.
What an absolutely perfect mini-vacation this was! I don't think we could have planned it any better. In fact, maybe part of what made it so great was how spontaneous it all was. In any case, WE LOVE WILMINGTON! We had an awesome time!
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