Beach week

It's been all about packing, packing, packing (and laundering, too) at Chez Professor Mom's lately. If you were to walk through our front door you would find piles of bags, several milk crates filled with stuffed animals and books, a collection of assorted buckets and shovels, a bin of dog food, a beach umbrella, and a box of kitchen supplies, and an electric griddle. Why, you might ask? We're headed to the beach tomorrow. We haven't had a family vacation--just the four of us--in years. No expectations, no outside family pressures, no drama that is not our own, no organized activities we feel obligated to participate in, no need to explain L.'s lack of interest in interacting with anyone else (or eating with other people), no need to operate on anyone else's timetable except our own quirky one. And so we'll load up the dog, the rabbit, and the mountain of stuff by the front door and head off to the sea, just to exist for a bit. We'll also be unplugged: no internet. No cable. And while we're a little worried about how L. will make out without his daily fix of this site, or how T. will manage without her friends here, I have to admit I'm a teensy, weensy bit happy to unplug for a bit. I've been a writing fool lately, though, in preparation for this trip, so I'll still get some posts up next week--three or four I hope. Check back--I hope to have a virtual postcard or two to share with you along the way. Until then you can read last year's beach week travel truths here and catch some thoughts on past beach week experiences here and... Happy weekend!