The Cottage

We spent the last couple of days in Ocean Shores at my in-law's "cottage." It's about a mile from the beach and a comfortable little place. I learned a few things from that experience.

First of all, I have to be more diligent about protecting my children's schedule while we're on vacation. If I'm not careful, they end up grumpy and extremely unpleasant, which makes for a miserable experience for all of us. When I make sure they have their naps at the usual time, bed at the usual time, food at the usual time, etc. Doing that in an earlier time zone makes for some interesting situations. (Yes, my kids WILL be tired at 6:30-7 p.m. Yes, they want lunch at around 10 a.m. Yes, they will be awake around 6 a.m.) It really seems like an obvious lesson to learn...but I guess it wasn't SO obvious to me.

The other thing I've learned is that I'm not a huge fan of the beach. The wind, sand, and salty air just do not appeal to me. I'd rather spend my time at a quiet cabin by a lake in the middle of a forest where I can hike, fish, enjoy the wind in the pines. I don't mind a little dirt, but I hate the sand! It sticks to you like a parasite clinging to life--and no amount of baby powder, water, or soap will remove it all.

Now, I've realized it sounds like we probably had a horrible time. We didn't--in fact, we had a great time! I enjoyed walking on the beach. I don't think I've ever walked in sand as smooth as that in Ocean Shores. The sand was also darker than other beaches I've been to and had little black flecks. (Maybe from volcanic activity nearby?) We also went to a sand castle building contest. It wasn't as spectacular as I thought it would be, but it was interesting. We enjoyed spending time with Ryan's brother's family--and the kids couldn't get enough of digging in the sand. So, all things considered, it was a good time.