The Jersey Shore

Now that we have lived here over 10 years we have finally succumb to actually using the phrase "we are headed down the shore". You see this is what native Philadelphia area people say as they pack all their gear and drive the hour to two hours across the bridge and to the beach. I am not sure why in Jersey it is "the shore" and in NC it is "the beach". And I really don't know why we go "down the shore". Not "down to the shore" or "over to the shore" or even just "to the shore". Nope "down the shore" is how it is always stated around here.

My friend kindly lent us her shore house for the week and we dragged every thing we could imagine with us. The kids had a great time digging big holes to play in. They found shells and made sand castles. Andy lived in the holes we dug. Unless he so sweetly said "Mama you swim with me?" And I would take him out to bob over the waves.The big kids gave me a heart attack for a week straight. The waves were really strong. Gabi and especially Evan usually enjoy boogie boarding, but the waves kept flipping them over and dumping them in the water. So they took to diving under the waves as they were crashing in. As they would dive thru they would get deeper and further down the shore line so I would have to keep after them to come back. They loved every second of it though and kept at it for hours every day.

Speaking of strong waves. The first day we were there Andy asked me to take him out. We stepped out into the ocean not even knee deep and while I was watching the big kids a huge wave came crashing in. It was too high to jump and holding Andy I didn't think to dive thru so I tried to hold my ground. Hahaha! That wave obliterated us. I held on tight to Andy while I crashed against the rocky ocean bottom. The waves were rolling these large rocks in. I held on to Andy and we came out OK. My arms were covered in little scratches from the bottom (still over a week later) and my sunglasses were lost forever.

But that is not all the ocean stole from us. The next day we went to the bay where the water is calm. Although calm it was also very shallow and murky. The kids kept going further and further out trying to get deep enough to swim. I was so nervous they would reach some cliff of an edge and disappear in the ocean forever. They were literally 100 yards or more from the shore. They had brought their little kid fishing poles and were casting out into the ocean. At one point Andy let go of his. And it was gone. No real current took it, but the water was so murky we never found it. And later that day when we went back to the waves Evan tried to wear the goggles out and got creamed by a wave. And the goggles were now gone too.

We had a great time and finished the week at the Wildwood boardwalk. The kids got water park and ride passes for the day. They had an absolute blast. The water park was really fun. And the kids of course loved all the rides. They even did better on the roller coasters! I think they went on all the ones they were tall enough for. There were even some medium sized coasters that Andy could ride if I went with him. He loved every second of it. Arms up yelling "WOO HOO!" the whole time. Man do I have my hands full with that one! Good thing he is cute and can sleep on a boogie board in the shade of a beach chair!