Mommy Meltdowns: Spring Break beach bound

Our Spring Break this year has been relatively mild and very easy-going. On Monday, we packed up our friend's minivan and headed to Ocean City, MD. Our group included 5 kids (my 2, her 3), me and Susanne, and their 5 month old puppy, Bernie. We are always up for a good adventure, even when we are on the beach with 50 degree, very chilly weather. This might not be everyone's idea of a good time, but the beach is my happy place. And, I have a feeling for our friends too. We are not wimps when it comes to enjoying the beach while being bundled up.

For 3 days we did all the touristy beach town type activities without the scorching heat or the summer crowds. Ocean City. MD was pretty much deserted but that didn't stop us.

The kindness of Keith:
Keith is the guy who runs the Boardwalk Bike shop. What a nice guy! What a great find!
Ian got super excited when he saw a surrey go by on the boardwalk. He loves when we rent a surrey in Ocean City, NJ during our summer beach trip with our cousins. He was thrilled when he asked the guy who operates the bike and surrey business if he could be the one to drive it and Keith said it was up to me and Susanne. The surrey places in OC, NJ require you to be at least 12 years or older. It made Ian's day to be the one to steer all 7 of us, plus the dog as we made our way down the boardwalk. We had that surrey packed like a can of sardines. I don't believe it is recommended to have 7 humans and one large-sized puppy, but we did it! Once we figured out the best spot for Bernie was in the basket up front, it made for a smoother ride.

When we returned the surrey, some of our kids were sitting in these recumbent bikes (called a Banana Peel) that were parked in the store front. Keith said the kids could take them for a spin and try them out. The kids LOVED these bikes. It was like we let bugs loose on the boardwalk. It was so funny and adorable. I think Keith understood the need for these kids to burn off some of their excessive energy. 40 minutes later, we returned the bikes and headed back to the condo we were staying in.

Calling Madonna!
For lunch on Wednesday, we happened to find a restaurant called "Fat Daddy's" to eat. It was the kind of place where you put the order in at the counter, find a table to sit at, and then they call you over the speaker system to come pick up the food. As the guy was asking me what my name was so that he could announce when my order was ready, I told him "Robyn". However, I followed it up with a quick story to Susanne that whenever we went to a place like this as a kid, my mom would have some fun and give the name "Cher" or "Madonna". Of course, the whole restaurant is going to look up when they hear the name "Cher" being announced to come get their food.

Susanne and I each put our orders in and joined the kids at the table. Approx. 10 minutes later, I hear "Madonna" on the speaker system. Susanne's order got announced as "Beyonce". It definitely put a smile on our faces and made us giggle.

Go-Karting for the win!
Our kids love a good go-kart race. We managed to find one where everyone could drive their own go-kart as long as they were 8 years old and 52 inches. Unfortunately, Sam fell short about 2 inches and was able to ride in Dagan's car.

Bernie's first time at the beach
Due to Ocean City being off-season, we were able to bring Bernie on the beach with us. It was his first time experiencing the sand. He loved it!! He had a great time digging and running. It was neat to see him have so much fun being free.