The Simple Life

Before I begin my unnecessarily long ramble, let me warn you that weekly update blogs are not my forte. My normal daily blog tends to miss the mark on wit as it is, but these longer ones are definitely less organized and harder to follow....good luck!

Lehr, Eli & I spent the last week living as beach bums in Watercolor, in Santa Rosa Beach Florida. (Seaside, which was the set for The Truman Show, is a neighboring community.) Watercolor is such a neat place to visit; it's quite a step out of the hustle-and-bustle of Atlanta life. One of my favorite aspects of Watercolor/Seaside is the amount of bike traffic. Most people make their way around town by foot or bike. Unfortunately there are still vehicles (due to new construction, mostly), but the general feel is reminiscent of a more simple time. I found myself going for several bike rides a day, often while Eli napped. I felt like a kid again; guiltlessly coasting down hills and then peddling like hell on the inclines (only one gear!!). Also, there is no need to lock up the bikes when you park them to eat dinner or go to the beach; it's a pretty crime-free area. (That being said, Lehr's bike was 'borrowed' twice, but we believe it was more a case of mistaken bike-identity than intent to steal.) We were able to enjoy the beach and pool every day since we had unbelievable weather the entire time. Unlike Central Florida (where Lehr and I went to high school) or Tallahassee (where we attended FSU), there was no humidity or intense heat from the sun. Instead we had cloudless skies coupled with a constant breeze: breathtaking.

Eli hasn't been in the pool since his swimming lessons, but he didn't miss a beat. He loved getting in the pool and swimming, or floating around in his yellow floatie. (The best $2.99 spent to-date.) It probably didn't hurt that the pool felt more like a hot tub. As for the beach, Eli loved the sand. He loved to dig his fingers in it and he loved to eat it. We figured the desire to consume would fade quickly, given the face he made after every bite, but it didn't: he continued to eat until the last day. The ocean scared him a bit in the beginning; the water was much rougher than we anticipated due to unseasonably strong winds. However, by day three we was laughing and smiling everytime the waves crashed. And his favorite water activity was 'kicking' the waves as they crash. Of course this was aided by Lehr or myself holding him under his arms and swinging his whole body into the waves.

Back to the bikes: I loved riding around on the rickety old, one-speed bikes (that's right: pedal back to break!). The coolest thing about them was the little kid-caboose you could rent. We attached it to the back of Lehr's bike and zoomed around the whole area on the first day. Eli seemed skeptical in the beginning, but he never fussed. Most of the time he was cooing or yelling at the birds or other bikers. Speaking of which...

Fathers: lock up your daughters now. Eli is a shameless flirt who will stop at absolutely nothing to gain the attention of women young and old. I am not exaggerating when I say that each and every woman who came within 20 feet of Eli got sucked in by his smile. Regardless of what he was doing, he would stop as soon as he saw a new female and flirt by smiling or talking until their eyes met. At which point, it was all over. The women would play peek-a-boo with him, or rush over to talk to him, or smile and flirt back....it was ridiculous! We were unable to go anywhere without getting bombarded by cooing females. The day before we left, one of Eli's victims commented on this behavior. She said he locked in on her as soon as she stepped foot in the pool. Dads, don't say I didn't warn you...

For months now Lehr has been threatening/warning Eli that he was going to bury him in the sand. A man of his word, he did just that. Twice. Lucky for him, Eli didn't' seem to mind at all. In fact, we think he enjoyed it because the sand cocoon made it impossible for him to tip over, regardless of how much he would reach for toys, water, etc. We nicknamed his sand seat his beach-bo (after his bumbo seat at home).

We had an amazing time. Lehr and I have been looking forward to this first family-only trip for several months. It is our opinion that this is the best type of trip to take with kids: one that offers good, cheap fun. Our week of clean living proved to be much more rewarding than any trip to Disney or Discovery Cove, or any other over-priced family vacation. No need for loud music or bright shiny lights, nor long lines and expensive gift shops. Quality together-time is the best: Ahh, the simple life.