Vacation, rest

Ok, I just spent 15 minutes trying to find my notes from the rest of vacation and couldn't. So I am just going to have to wing it based on memory and hope for the best.

On Monday we rode bikes to Sheep Pond (we saw no sheep, I don't get it). Well, Emily and Jack rode bikes, I worked with Kate on riding without training wheels for half an hour before we got in the car and drove to the pond. I am not optimistic she is ready, granted we have only worked at it twice. She is resistant, and I can understand. Jack was a year older and a lot bigger when he finally learned. Sheep or no, the pond was awesome, Kate did her steamboat swimming and Jack and I tossed a ball around (and I tossed them, too). I think that was the night we had dinner at Guapo's, which was fantastic. Margaritas and the best fish tacos ever. I have absolutely no idea what the kids ate, probably cheese quesadillas, whatever.

On Tuesday we were pretty sun-weary and kind of took it easy. Went to batting cages and bumper boats in the morning (Jack had fun, Kate sort of sulked even though she could have done both herself), hung at the pool the rest of the day. There Kate was in her element; she loves the pool.

Wednesday we went to Nauset beach, which is on the ocean rather than the Cape side, and which had big waves and big undertow. Emily was a little nervous about the kids, but they were awesome; I won't soon forget the grin on Jack's face when the waves lifted him up on the boogie boards we bought. They hadn't really swum in the ocean before; it dropped off quickly, the waves were big, and it was pretty cool. I pulled Kate out on her board and she jumped off, said "Bye!" And swum into shore. Lots of fun for all; we stayed most of the day. The occasional scary moment with a powerful wave was part of the fun, as I guess was the big sign warning us about sharks.

Thursday was our fishing trip, where we and a bunch of other families rode out with Cap'n Kid so kids could get a taste of fishing. I don't know exactly how it was rigged, but let's just say that if fishing were this easy and bountiful all the time, well, whatever, it isn't. Jack caught 7 or 8 in an hour; so did "Kate" (in quotes because Emily and I did all the fishing, with her encouraging us). The only limit to the number of fish you could catch was the length of time it took you to remove one fish and bait the hook again. Fish-calling devices underwater? A big fenced-in area? Or perhaps a barrel? I dunno, but the fish sure were biting. And oh yeah, the kids had a total blast and beamed proudly throughout. Jack also got to hold a lobster and a crab of some sort, and swab a deck. If he put as much enthusiasm into picking up his room I wouldn't have cut open my foot on a beyblade last week.

We went to a Cape Cod League game that night. Jack watched the game with us for about 15 minutes  before finding a group of kids chasing foul balls and hanging with them the rest of the evening. He was properly respectful of how fast the pitchers were throwing the ball, at least, as was I. Impressive.

Friday we finished up at "our" beach, the more sedate Cape side one with calmer water. Nobody really wanted to leave, so for 6-7 hours, we didn't. We swam, the kids made sand castles, and then found a bunch of other kids with nets and built their own little aquarium of crabs and fish, some of whom probably survived the experience. Jack and I threw the ball around the water for what seemed like, I don't know, hours. We played whiffle ball, because as Jack said, "it's not a beach trip without whiffle ball." I floated on Jacks board with him, Emily helped Kate stand on hers.

We finished the day at Cobie's, with seafood and ice cream and some hilarious attempts at a family self-portrait -- worked great two years ago, not so much this time, though we did get a nice one at the beach. A nice family time.

I forget a lot already, I suspect. I don't remember which afternoon Kate and I went to the pool alone, but she jumped in a ton, and I tossed her around just as much, with her bobbing up like a happy cork each time. Jack and I played catch most nights, and watched an awesome display at the Home Run Derby one night...possibly the only time I have ever been really into it.

So, a lot of fun. I think we will do things differently next year -- Jack missed too much baseball, we and our "big" vacation will probably be something else. But I don't think we will be able to give up the Cape entirely. Too many good memories. And the margarita and fish tacos.