"First Week" 2011

When I was in high school, we would take a trip to the beach the first week after school let out. The goal was always to get to go to Myrtle, but most didn't earn the right to spend "First Week" at Myrtle until their junior or senior year. You worked your way up through the smaller, quieter, not-so-rowdy beache towns first. So I thought I would start referring to our annual trip to the Beaches beach house as "First Week" again, since it defintely is the prime beach location, especially in my adulthood.

The trip this year started a few days early for the kids as they hit Charleston/Mount Pleasant with Nanny and Papadad three days before me while I was still wrapping up my classroom swap. Mt. P was spent mostly enjoying pool time and yummy local seafood and also a fun outing to the Museum of the Lowcountry followed by lunch and cupcakes one morning.

Every year, there is something significantly unique about our week in Myrtle Beach and this year was no different. We were blessed with the presence of Peter and Kara, who have never been to the beach house and I have only seen a couple of times in the last decade! What a wonderful couple they are and the littlest cousins had so much fun with the two of them. Also, cousin David, who I've never shared beach week with, was there for the last couple of days.

Hanging out with cousins (my generation AND my kids') is definitely one of the best highlights of our little reunion week each year. We usually try and plan a big cousins' night out but because of a cranky, whiney, or sick kid or sheer parental exhaustion, it usually never pans out. This trip however, I managed THREE outings which were all wonderful. One lunch on the boardwalk complete with fruity frozen beverages, a night out at Mellow Mushroom with TONS of catching up and soul-spilling, and a fun, last-minute nighttime ride on the new SkyWheel--the southeast's largest ferris wheel.

In addition to the cousin time, I always love the time with Nanny and Papadad--especially the water slide and putt-putt, which we got to do both again this year. We tried a new water park since Myrtle Waves wasn't open for the season yet, and we LOVED Wild Water & Wheels. Max was just a centimeter tall enough (WITH water shoes on) to ride just about every slide. His favorites were "Dark Hole"--a tube slide that resembled Disney's Space Mountain on water and the Speed Racers, where Kinsey, Max, Papadad and I could all race head to head on straight slides laying on mats. Both kids improved at putt-putt this year, although Max's attention span only lasted the front nine and he was DONE when he noticed the pretty teenage gal in front of us on hole 11! Kinsey, however hit TWO holes-in-one!

Other highlights were of course Krispy Kreme morning, kite-flying with Tom, Colin and Whit, running with Peter and Kara and my beach run with Catherine, watching all the little boys play in the yard, "surfing" with sweet little Graham, reading of The Lorax, napping in the hammock with Kinsey, and the kids watching movies with Melissa.

The end of the week is always so bittersweet. Ready to get home after being gone close to two weeks and treasuring every memory made with aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, especially those so far away, but also longing for more time to let our kids continue on the tradition that our parents started so long ago raising us as close cousins. As I unload and unpack, I am glad to see my own bed, but will miss our little bunkroom tonight and the sounds of all the little feet waking up and greeting the day tomorrow morning. Heres to memories and family--love you all!!!

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