Myrtle Beach arrival

Thanks to our wonderful and dear friends D and W we get to enjoy a week in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Check out the digs!

The kitchen and dining area

The living room (yes, that is the ocean outside) Our bedroom (one of four total, and the second "master" bedroom) The view from our bedroom The view from the condo balcony

Once we got unpacked, the dads decided to take the kids down to the beach. I stayed upstairs to rest a bit and let my ibuprofen kick in. As I stood on our balcony and looked down, I realized that I could see my boys ...

Did you notice the woman in the pictures above? Well, she started flirting with Brian ... to the extent that she did the "wife-check." After some idle talk, she said to Brian, "So is your wife at the pool?" Brian was horrified (she was quite a bit older than him, and let's just say that a bikini was probably not the best look for her).

A and E are D and W's kids. A is almost 10 years old and is very into dinosaurs; E is four and loves horses and dolls. Almost immediately the three kids sat down in the living room and began sharing and exchanging toys. I overheard Alex educating Allen on dinosaurs and then quizzing him on what he'd taught him ("is somedinosaurus a meat eater or a leaf eater?).

W had given Allen his dinosaur board book at my baby shower a couple years ago because Alex loved it so much when he was little. So we suggested that Alex read it to Allen. They sat next to each other and looked at the book. After A read to Allen for awhile, Allen put his hand on the back of A's neck, and said, "You are my friend."

Being the ridiculous sap that I am, I ran to get the camera ...

E and Allen have had some differences this evening, being that they are closer in age and Allen's not used to sharing toys very well or recognizing "personal space" quite yet. But after dinner, they shared some M&Ms while watching Ratatouille on TV.

Of course, a little while later, Allen smacked E in the face (I don't think it was really intentional; rather I think he was trying to knock some toy out of her mouth that he had just put in her mouth). So their relationship may need a little more work ...

Allen is looking forward to making sandcastles and playing in the pool this week (at least that's what he says); and I'm looking forward to helping him build sandcastles and splashing in the pool and ocean with him. If this evening is any indication, I'm sure I'll have tons more to post this week.

xoxo,