Mis Tres Hijos: Back it up: Cape Cod: Day 4

Cape Cod is neat in that they've made a point to make it feel "small" even though it a very popular tourist destination. Vacation homes are interspersed between residential homes. All roads are two lanes. There aren't any big box stores to be found. After we got back I read that in the '70s the government was subsidizing sewer systems but the Cape didn't want to participate because they feared it would "lead to an influx in people." Very understandable. Unfortunately, because of all the septic tanks the environment is now being affected and it is hurting both the plants and animals in the region. It's such a sad situation and I hope that they're able to correct the problem because the Cape is definitely a gorgeous part of our national landscape.

Not knowing all this, we went to the beach the next day (not that it would have affected our decision!). Got there early to get a parking spot and to get a spot on the beach. Another piece to the "keeping it small" idea is that only locals have parking stickers for the beaches during prime time hours. It wasn't a big deal, though, as we found a spot just up the street from the beach.

Along with Grandpa, the boys tried out boogie boarding with boards that came with our house. Poor Louie. First time and he gets flipped by a massive wave and never went back in the water. Instead, he came up with a really great rock collection from the shore that (some of which) now is a rock garden in our backyard! He spent a good deal of time making sandcastles, which is what the Christmas ornament is that I bought to commemorate our time there.

Meredith and Charlie came for the snacks. I was afraid of Baby Meredith's skin in the oh-so-hot sun and Charlie is a grazer who would prefer getting some R & R under an umbrella than do anything strenuous.

Benny is a determined young man. Whether it be riding a bike or boogie boarding, he's going to figure it out.

I was thankful that Meredith didn't have any desire to take a handful of sand and place it in her mouth.

Charlie and Louie did enjoy posing with Benny for this picture, though!

Later that evening we went to see the sunset. It was the perfect place for Kodak Moments and the boys hammed it up for the camera.

Strangely, everyone started scratching their heads. For me, even though I took a shower after we got back, I was thinking that a day at the beach irritated my scalp. Not so. Charlie, who at almost three-year-old had no patience for anything, started screaming about his head. I went to rub on it, looking at his scalp to see if he had sand in it or something. Instead there were tons of these tiny white bugs! I'm assuming that it's a common occurrence, just as there are many mosquitoes at home at dusk. That may account for the many, many parking spots by the beach. (My head is itching as I type this memory!)

We decided to hightailed it out of there and head home. But before we did, Kevin and I took the kids to this quaint "general store" that also had a great ice cream shop.