We just got back home from going on a mini family vacation at the Jersey shore. My husband and oldest son didn’t want to come back, but all good things must come to an end.
It’s amazing how bonding it is to get away from everything and everyone for a few days and just focus on the family. My oldest son Michael was joined at the hip with his Dad while my baby Sean and I were able to get some one on one time for us. Michael is a (relatively) well mannered kid anyway, but while we were away, he was like "superkid" – no meltdowns, sharing with his baby brother, clearing the table for everyone, etc. (My husband and I kept asking, "Can we take this kid home with us?") It was also fun to see Sean’s little personality coming through. He’s a little dance machine. He kept turning the dial on the radio and every time that it actually landed on music, he just threw his hands in the air and moved his whole little body all over the place (so cute!).
Our favorite parts of the trip were:
-The Boardwalk: Michael was able to play the live versions of some of the Wii Carnival games that he loves. I was also able to introduce him to the "ancient" game of Pac-man.
-The Cape May County Park and Zoo: This place was by far my favorite family-friendly zoo. All of the animals were so near (yet safe) that the kids could see them up close. It’s also easy to walk around and see everything without exhausting the kids. My husband and I were just as excited as Michael and Sean. They also had a reasonably priced cafe area to eat lunch. After, the zoo and lunch, we went to the park (which was equipped for young toddlers to older kids). This place was so great and did I mention that it was free/donations only?! My husband and I kept saying, "It would be so great to have something like this in the city". Of course we have the Central Park Zoo (much smaller), the Bronx Zoo (much bigger – impossible to see everything in a day), etc. but they don’t compare.
-The food: It may just be that everything tastes better when I don’t have to cook it. Everything tasted so fresh and flavorful. It’s probably good that we’re back so that I can go back on my Weight Watchers plan!
In any event, a great time was had by all and it is good to be back.