We at FDR HQ are a bit - ahem - frugal when it comes to family vacations. We've had a few subsidized by the government*, a few day trips that ought to have been overnights, and more than a few camping trips.
It's not as if we particularly like camping. We don't exactly wax poetic about the glories of nature, of waking up to hearing the song birds or waking up at 2 a.m. to catch a million stars twinkling in the dark night sky.
We appreciate those things, for sure, but mostly we like how cheap it is, especially when we're headed places with a bit of a price overhang.
That's partly how we found ourselves camping at Cape Henlopen State Park in the awesome state of Delaware.**
The beach portion of our trip was great. We found a shady place under the boardwalk that kept the kids from the summer sun so they could play in the sand and Thomas could nap.
Peter and Lucy were uncertain-to-hostile about the ocean. It was loud, yes, and for two children who make so very much noise I still don't understand why loud things cause such a problem. Yet, they do. Also, the ocean was rough, so there was none of that wade-out-to-your-knees business.
Thomas loved his first beach experience, often bucking his entire body the way babies do, trying to leap out of our arms and into the water. He loved watching the waves, he loved being in the water, and he loved playing in the sand. Bonus! So enthralled by the water, Thomas forgot to eat sand.
Lucy finally let Kevin take her into the water. I'm amazed, because she spent a good portion of her first moments on the beach afraid Kevin would be swept off to sea. She loved the water, as we knew she would, and - surprise, surprise! - both Peter and Lucy loved drinking the ocean water.
Peter spent his beach time looking for jellyfish and sand crabs, trying to avoid the water, and finally making a grudging peace with the ocean waves that just kept coming up.
Oh, and there was jumping in giant holes!
The camping part of our trip was eh. We'd do it again with some major modifications. Bug spray, for one. Holy cow, were those bugs out for blood! I have the image of poor Thomas with three mosquitoes on his tiny little baby face. Kevin sequestered the children in the safety of our tent while I drove into town for a price-gouging can of hard-core bug spray.***
Also, we made the mistake of bringing the air mattress we found in our attic. Five people + one air mattress = not a comfortable night.
Also, unrelated to camping, but there was another SUPER CRAZY AWAKE BABY night, made slightly easier because the threat of him falling out of bed was removed, made much worse because he was attacking his brother and sister with his cute-baby antics.
After packing up our gear, we headed in the car and onto the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.. And what adventure awaited us there? You'll have to wait and see...
*Fancy research grants. I'm pushing Kevin to present in Europe next year.
**Absolutely no sarcasm here. Delaware, I got your back!
***So conditioned against things that spray (sunscreen, especially), and also serious bug spray, Peter was properly nervous when I started spraying him. Then, a giant fly bit him, and it took his mind off the endocrine disruptors and the chemical inhalation.
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