Some of my most treasured childhood memories are from summers vacationing down the shore (a.k.a. going to the beach, to you bennies and shoobies) where we'd spend the day jumping thunderous waves, or - especially, those times when the tide was just too rough - my brother and I would tumble around in the foamy breakwater and search along the surf for hours, lost in the hope of finding buried treasure; a cache of gold coins and jewels from a sunken ship, the remains of a great white, or some hideous skeleton yet unknown to modern scientists, would serve as perfect examples of prize-worthy boardwalk fodder!

I hate to sound old and crusty - yes, years of having sand rubbed in places where it ought not be will do that to a person - but, I can't help and think that summertime was so much, you know, easier.

Then, I had kids.

Dragging them - not to mention all of their baby paraphernalia - and trudging through miles of sand, already crowded and filled to capacity, beach umbrella-to-beach-umbrella, just didn't seem as much fun, anymore.

Okay, I hated it.

But, I am a Jersey Girl - trust me...I had good hair, but a mouth like a sewer - to hear the ocean and feel the sand in between my toes, well, it's kind of hard to get it out of my head.

This year, we accepted an invitation to spend a few days in Cape May and I decided to breakdown and buy Little Man a boogie board. I enjoyed just sitting on the beach and watching him surf the waves like, well, my brother and I used to...um...without all of the cuts and scrapes, of course.

Thing Two got one, too and had a blast keeping up with her brother, as well.

Yep, the surf was definitely UP at This Full House of salt, sand and crusty...well...everything and the kids and I didn't even seem to mind the fact that the weather turned a little punk.

Neither did the hubs. He was more than happy to spend his summer vacation with Mini-me's godparents and not at a resort, or a posh hotel on some overcrowded boardwalk.

In fact, it was Uncle John who taught the kids how to fish and helped Mini-me catch her first flounder!

And Little Man his first...um...oh...my...doG...is that what I think it is!?!

Yep, that's definitely a sand shark and - though, it may not be a great white I'd been looking for - we actually caught two and I wish that you could have heard their screams. Okay, mine was probably a lot bigger...and louder...but, the look on his face is one that I will always treasure!

We squeezed in A LOT of fun and driving home from our vacation, I asked the children each to share their favorite part of the 4 days we spent in Cape May.

[silence]

Oh, crap.

I shook my head and regretted the fact that I may have to reconsider summer vacations and that my childhood memories as just too old and tired for kids, today.

[whispering]

"They're all asleep!"

Or, maybe not.