Packed.

We're about to embark on a four day trip to the beach. From the looks of the sardine packed minivan (rented!) and the random tote bags of extremely necessary stuff, you'd think we were going on a cross Atlantic journey for 14 weeks.

Here's a taste of my packing list:

snacks for the 2 hour car ride
Deal's blankie, plus a spare
Deal's special star light that plays lullabies
toys
books
beach towels
swim rings
iPod and speaker
sunblock
Delsym and Tylenol Meltaways
Bird's special Spiderman travel size toothpaste
shorts, jeans, t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, windbreakers
wipes, Pull Ups, hand sanitizer
beach bag
sand toys, including two giant shovels so Bird and Deal each get one
hats for all of us (a kicky little brown floral number pour moi!)
DVDs, lest the car ride be a whine fest

And that's not even counting my stuff. Mac Daddy must fend for himself. He's only got himself to blame when he realizes he forgot boxers like the last time we took a trip.

Ah, the days of tossing a weekender into the car and lollygagging our way through the New England scenery are gone. But I must say, the bliss of children frolicking in the sand, hunting for hermit crabs, running from the waves, building moats and castles, all the while laughing so hard their jaws, and ours, hurt, is so worth it. Everything we do is just a bit sweeter as we see the old experiences through new eyes.