It’s been a little quiet here because we went away this weekend on an exciting beach getaway to Jamaica! Well, not exactly exciting, since it’s sponsored by F’s employer and he had several functions to attend, but it was a nice escape for us softies who had started to grumble about the “frigid” temperatures here in the Bay Area.

In honor of the occasion, I bought these sunglasses for Bee that I dug out of the bottom of the bargain bin at Gymboree. Glad they were a bargain, because this was about as long as she would wear them. I still get a chuckle every time I see them, though. They are covered with sparkles.

wearing her shades

Otis, who has loved the beach in the past, complained about it relentlessly this time around: the sand was too dirty and sticky and the ocean too full of seaweed. He didn’t like having to be carried out to sea, but refused to float around on his own. He preferred to float around in the swimming pool. Unfortunately, he required a chaperone and around-the-clock entertainment while doing so.

chasing the waves

But he was eventually coaxed back to the beach yesterday, our last day. F had no commitments, so we had a good couple of hours all together before we had to head to the airport. We let the waves wash over us, got sandy in places you don’t want to know about, and built a nice big sand dam. It was a nice day to start what ended up being an extremely long and exhausting day of travel, finally ending at home at 1am.

building a dam

And I have finally discovered the secret to a good night’s sleep! It requires 5 of 6 of the largest, fluffiest Down pillows you can find, encased in nice crisp white pillowcases, piled in an inviting heap. And a turn down service with a few little chocolates doesn’t hurt either. If only Bee didn’t wake up a million times every night but the last…

It’s amazing what a bit of sun, bad TV and room service can do for your morale. I feel energized enough to face the rest of the holiday season now.