Beach Blanket Plan B

Sunday was rainy, as predicted.  And cold, also as predicted.  And though we did venture out to the boardwalk a few times – growing boys need pancake breakfasts, and arcade games, after all – we spent a good portion of our late morning and early afternoon cocooned in the hotel.

Our hotel is situated right on the boardwalk, and is an excellent value for such a prime location.  It’s decidedly low-frills, but we really don’t need much.  The point of a weekend at the shore is not to spend it in a hotel room, anyway.  We intended to be sitting on the beach, reading, digging, coloring, and relaxing.  As it turns out, a wet, 55-degree day does not lend itself to such things.

After all of the work I put into our special beach blanket (Neil says I cursed us by making a quilt that required good weather), I hated to see it languish in the bag alongside our towels, sun block, and bubble-blowing paraphernalia.  So I spread out the blanket on one of the beds, and decided we would enjoy it in the dry warmth of our room. This could be our Plan B.

Aidan had bought himself a new book earlier in the day, so he began to read aloud from it.

I found that I enjoyed his narration, and so I set aside my own book, and took up the colored pencils instead so that I could listen.

Eamonn sat with us, too, filling in the pages of his Doodle Book with giant squids, copper treasure, and jellyfish.

I relearn this lesson often: it is far better to re-invent your expectations, than it is to lament their failure to be realized.  In other words, relaxing indoors on a cozy quilt, sure beats moping around and cursing the rain!