Monday, August 10, 2009

and reality comes crashing back...

so, as some of you may have noticed, i have not been around for awhile. that is because i was on the best.vacation.ever. and surprisingly, this vacation involved both my children and my in-laws. i know, right?!?! my husband's family and i spent last week in nags head, north carolina and it is a vacation i HIGHLY recommend. we started out last saturday at 6am (for real, yo) by loading all five children and way too much clothing into the car. we made great time until we reached north carolina where we hit mad shore traffic. however, everything worked out perfectly (we're good like that, haha) because, as we pulled up to the realtor, they handed us the key. even though we were half an hour early (it was 3:30 pm...you can do your own math figuring how long we were in the car) and even though most of the other people staying with us had been at the house since, like, noon (fools. they should take punctuality lessons from tommy and i). tommy (my wonderful husband who is the real life eddie haskell) was able to schmooze the key out of the dragon lady a little early.
from there we drove the seven miles to our house at mile post 11 (i sound like a real obx'er, now, don't i?). we had a seven bedroom (there were 13 adults and 9 kids in the house for the duration), oceanfront house with a pool and hot tub. it was the best set-up ever! we did not leave the grounds for the entire week. we woke up everyday and had a big breakfast (lucky for them, they had a "classically trained french chef" with them. me.), then suited up and went out to the pool or beach. at some point, someone would do something for lunch, even delivering it to those sitting on the beach). after a while, i would start dinner and when it was ready, everyone would come up and eat. sometimes, the kids would get baths and put on their jammies. a couple of nights, the guys lit a bonfire on the beach and we just went back down there. i think, there was maybe two days total that anyone in my family actually wore anything other than a bathing suit or pajamas (note to self...do not pack outfits for everyday in the outerbanks). it was a totally relaxing vacation, which is REALLY saying a lot with that many children in one house.
and because tommy and i can never do anything easily, we left nags head at 4am friday morning so he could come home and dj a wedding. friday night, my parents 9i have the best.mom.EVER.) picked up the kids and took them to the shore for "family day" on the beach (this is a day when all of my mom's cousins and their families go to the same beach to hang out and party...games for the kiddies...prizes...etc.). the theme this year was "rock stars" and my kids went as the jackson 5. they all had a t-shirt that said "we're the jacksons and we're bad!" along with glittery microphones and the mandatory sparkly white glove. apparently, they loved it (tommy and i had a wedding saturday night, so we missed this year)! hopefully, someone will send me some pictures soon (HINT, HINT). needless to say, saturday was a wonderful/crazy fun day for tommy and i. sunday, the children were delivered home.
this is where reality pokes her nasty head in. tommy got up and went to work this morning. at 8am, the rest of the family woke up and converged in my bedroom. in case you were wondering, 6 people in a queen size bed is too many. just sayin'. i have broken up more fights and screaming matches today than ever before. dennis has been carried up to bed twice in the middle of a crazy screaming fit and thomas and jack have been banished from my sight. i have been on hold with school for 15 minutes to see why my school loans have not been applied yet (if everything is not paid by tomorrow, they'll drop my classes). oh, and tommy got laid off. tomorrow will be his last day. welcome home, right? sigh. sometimes reality is a nasty bitch, ain't she?
anywho...vacation rocked and i am so glad we were able to go. as stated previously, i highly recommend a trip to the outerbanks. i even more highly recommend coming home from your vacation and having someone take your kids away for two days. haha. i kid. sorta. hopefully, i will soon have pictures of vacation to post (my camera is broken again, so i used a disposable. i took like 6 pictures or something. i know...rotten mother). so, in conclusion...no worries, folks, i have not abandoned you and now i am back to spread my joy and hilarity to all. ha.
ps - the picture is actually of the beach deck on the back of our rental home. how great is that view?

14 comments:

  1. AWESOME!!! I'm glad you had fun.

    Welcome back :)

    Reality bites, eh.

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  2. so jealous, but glad you had fun!

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  3. wow, i can't believe you came back to that sucky news. i am glad you had a good time. and that you are back.

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  4. welcome home!!! is sounds like you guys had the best vacation ever!! :) sucks that you had to come home to bad news though...hopefully it all works out!! glad you're back!!

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  5. You knocked the wind out of me when I read that Tommy got laid off. Damn!!! I hope he finds an even better job. My husband got laid off about 17 years ago!! He got the best job. The pay was not outstanding, but he met someone there who really took him under his wing giving him great life advice about job hopping and buying a home. I hope this also has a silver lining to.

    Your vacation was wonderful! Outstanding family time. I love that you had your own little bash with skits the last night. Cool!!!

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  6. Our place in New Jersey was way too expensive for the size, you get so much more for your money in the outer banks! We really need to reconsider our location next year. Your set up sounds awesome!

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  7. That was our EXACT view in Nags head too!!!! We must have stayed right near where you did!!! Did you go to the left just past the outlet mall????? Good things happen to good people.......I'm praying your husband finds something even better!!! keep up posted...no pun intended!! :)

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  8. Geesh. Nice welcome home. I hope something comes through for you guys ASAP!

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  9. Sounds like a great time.

    But that return to real life can be rough. Good luck.

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  10. How fun!

    I also just got back from the beach. It was awesome.

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  11. Oh what fun!! I so wish we could have afforded a vacation this year...Chad was laid off last Sept and we are still reeling from that. UGH!

    What a homecoming I tell ya...both nice and crap tastic all in the same. Well hopefully there is a silver lining! Glad you had tons of fun....I know I am way jealous! Stuck in 110 heat is a bitch! Glad you are back too!

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  12. OH man. Reality truly is a bitch at times, I'm sorry to hear of Tommy's layoff. Hope its one of those times that turns out to be a blessing in diguise! Your vacation sounds like it was fabulous...and definitely well deserved! OBX is about 2 hours from here, and yet we have not carried our butts quite that far yet. I want to, and soon! Welcome back to blogland, you were missed. ;)

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  13. I hate coming back home sometimes.

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  14. I hope your hubby has got his resume brushed up. I helped my husband a lot to keep him motivated. He didn't take the job loss well.

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