The Sink Family!: #sinksinthesand2016

Sinks in the Sand 2016: our summertime beach vacation. Is vacation an appropriate term to describe our week? Maybe, maybe not. At any time during this post I do not want to seem unhappy about our time away or ungrateful for the house/food/ocean we enjoyed. The thing is, our week wasn’t as planned. And that’s a good lesson for me.. or a reminder. Things don’t always go as planned, and you simply make the best of it. I had pictured in my head that each day we would wake up (girls would sleep until 8ish, right?), eat breakfast, sunscreen up and go to either the pool or the beach (with a new bathing suit every time) until lunch and naps. During naptime, Daniel and I would float in the pool and drink booze. After naps we would go back out to the pool or beach and at the end of the week be relaxed, sun-kissed, and loving life. Instead at the end of the week we were exhausted, yet still loving life.

First, let me start off by saying that despite any bumps in the road, there is no “relaxing vacation” with twin-one-year-olds. Nobody ever really gets a break. You spend a lot of energy getting them ready and keeping them safe and happy and fed and clean and at the end of the day you’re just spent. Guess what? That’s perfectly fine. That’s our awesome and tiring life, and I love it. It was just an eye-opener, that’s all. Our bumps in the road really came from sweet Ella.

Saturday morning when the girls woke up, Ella felt warm. Insert thermometer into hiney, 101.1. Shit. Pump in Motrin, pray it’s teething. Before we hit the road, 98.6. Thank you baby J. Saturday afternoon when we arrive at “Anything’s Pawsible”, Ella felt really warm. Insert thermometer into hiney, 103.8. Try not to internally freak out, pump in Motrin. So yeah, there’s that. She didn’t feel well, cried a lot, and became a stage 5 clinger. On Monday she convinced us to visit the Outer Banks Urgent Care. After some tests and blood work, we found out she has a virus. To a parent, receiving a “virus” diagnosis sucks. That is basically a term for “there’s nothing you can do but wait it out”. So, we waited it out on vacation. Daniel took Syd, I took Ella. We were split up, and I hated that. I tried my best to enjoy reading my book on our large king-sized bed while Ella snoozed next to me. I tried not to get too sad when everyone kept telling me how much Sydney loved the ocean and I was missing it. I just really, really hated that we were split up. E&S weren’t on the same schedule much at all. They didn’t really nap at the same time, which meant I didn’t really float in the pool drinking booze. Ella finally started to feel better on Thursday afternoon. We took her out to the pool or beach in short bursts of time. She kept her head on my chest each day, and fussed if I left the room. Did I say stage 5 clinger? I really meant stage 15. But alas, we rolled with the punches. I enjoyed her snuggles. We were thankful for a king-sized bed when she slept in between us 5 out of the 6 nights. I liked sitting on the porch and breathing in salty air and reading my book and hanging out in the hot tub at night.

One more complaint: in-laws. I mean, I love them, we are all family, but sometimes it’s hard. The main culprit is my SIL who has an adorable two-year-old who hates being a mom, never asked for it, and doesn’t know how to enjoy the hand she’s been dealt. It’s particularly tough for Daniel and I, parents who have had the heartache of growing a very, very sick baby, and try hard to love our healthy girls fiercely. We are so lucky, and try to live life being grateful, and she’s just so grumpy and doesn’t have the same attitude. It’s hard.

So anyway, I’m sorry I’ve written a novel. And I’m extra sorry if I sound whiney, because I don’t mean to be. Despite Ella’s immune system failing at the start of our trip and her teeth having impeccable timing with the appropriate time to cut, we had a great time. We weren’t working, we were at the beach, we ate great food. We are exhausted, and have two beautiful reasons why. And I know what you really want to see, pictures. So let’s do it.

Saturday

little anchors & sunglasses, all ready to go!

Daddy and his girls

we stopped on the way and ate a picnic lunch provided by the house rental company.. it was a nice break from the traffic!

and finally, the beach! we made it

precious little behinds

post 103.8 temperature reading... snoozing on Aunt Annabeth

after a little nap, Ella perked up enough to sit on the deck with me

E & S

cousins

Uncle Matthew playing peek-a-boo with Ella

Sunday

playing a little water basketball

the girls are cheering

lunch break before naps

Ella didn't really do great on Sunday. She played a little basketball, then promptly laid on my chest while I was sitting in the baby pool. Naptime also didn't go as planned...

soaking up the Ella snuggles

then Sydney woke up sooner than she should have and assumed her position on my chest

going on a bike ride with daddy! for the record: this was the only bike ride of the whole trip, haha.

family ice cream date

the whole crew

Monday

morning snuggles at the urgent care

we waited, and waited, and waited. but look at those two <3

while we were with Ella at the doctor, Sydney was having a great time at the beach with Jacob and Grandma Georgia

we got home from the dr, I changed Ella's clothes and laid her on the bed, and she didn't move

Ella perked up enough to join everyone for dinner at Sam & Omie's for Georgia's birthday!

Daniel walking Ella down the bench

Uncle Matthew walking Sydney down the bench

Oh, hey Syd girl!

Grandma Georgia with her grand babies on her birthday

excuse the pacifier, we had a sick kid on our hands

<3 <3

Tuesday

Apparently Ella told Sydney how comfortable our bed was, and how much fun it is to sleep with Momma and Daddy, so Sydney joined us...

breakfast time!

the water was chilly, clear, and there weren't many waves

after having stage 5 clinger attached to me, Daniel took over so I could have some momma time.. my toes in the sand and a good book!

After naptime, Daniel brought the girls down to the ocean for a little bit to play

with my girls

holy moly that's cold! haha

what better way to wash off all the sand than to strip down and jump in the pool

Sydney has the tiniest hiney!

look who decided to smile!

Ella had enough smiling... back to being clingy she goes! The girls are watching Minions.. obsessed..

Ella Grace & Sydney Ann wearing the smocked outfits made by Grandma Stella

Wednesday
I was determined to go to the beach, since Ella should have been feeling a bit better. It was a disaster. We worked so hard to get the twins and their things down to the ocean, but Ella was unhappy, Daniel's back hurt, and it was hot hot hot... so we didn't last long.

beach babes

Ella is showing her emotions about the situation

can't forget about Jacob!

<3 <3

Then... by the grace of God (or some higher power).. the girls both napped at the same time, and we finally got to hang out and play some Olympics

The original Sink ladies

on our night to cook, we do it right.... Shrimp Boil!

Everyone decided to go and play putt putt after dinner. Since it was close to bed time, and let's be honest... two one year olds don't need to be getting in everyone's way while they try to enjoy putt putt... I decided to hang back with the ladies. First I took them on a walk in the wagon, which is one of their favorite activities.

bye, da-da, shoot a hole-in-one!

tiny divas

my heart <3

Then I was brave and took them into a little souvenir shop... bad move, abort mission. They wanted to pick up everything that was breakable (shot glasses, picture frames, magnets). So I snapped a quick picture of us trying to quickly leave haha

On the way back we found a cute little bench, then went home and went to bed!

loving the grass growing up through the cracks

Sydney's zest for life is incredible

Thursday
Ella had a pretty horrible rash, and Sydney's sensitive skin needed a break from sunscreen, so we did a little shopping! When we got home, the girls thought my legs were the perfect seat to watch Minions.

After a good snooze, we headed to the pool for a dip.

I tried to get a picture of both girls lounging on the pool float, and Sydney wasn't having any sort of relaxation, she wanted to swim!

had to get this screen shot of a video of Daniel & Matthew using Sydney has a baby volleyball, haha

After the pool, Daniel filled our huge Jacuzzi up with bubbles, and got in to play with them.

filled up to their chins!

happy, clean babies

Since we thought the ladies were teething, Grandma Georgia brought popsicles, so our Brew Thru babies enjoyed their very first popsicle out on the deck! They loved them and kept licking their lips, haha.

My First Brew Thru shirt cousins

haha, adorable

beach babies and pretty curly hair

Ella was finally starting to feel better... I looked down in the table and saw her laying there playing

E&S with Uncle Mop before he goes back to school

one of the very best uncles in all the land!

the real twins.. selfies before bed!

love our crazy life :)

Friday

typical vacation scene.. Ella snoozing in our bed

welcome, creepy blonde Sydney, to the party

Ella was doing better.. about 85% on Friday. We went out to the pool for a while, walked to the beach for some quick playing (and only took one bag of toys... score). After naps, we walked them down to the ocean for some adorable smocked-dress-photos <3