Around Town

The Boardwalk of Virginia Beach is lots of fun--everyone walks around in their bathing suits--there are restaurants and shops everywhere, statues, parks, stages for summer shows--the works. It is quite the night life for people who do things other than sleep during the night. Oh, that might have been us once in the very distant past?? But if you are traveling with kids and you aren't staying right on the beach (we are actually about 2 miles away), it is a bit of a hassle. Parking is expensive and you still have to walk, carrying all the towels, boards, food, gear etc. that you need for the day. It is hot and crowded and there isn't shade unless you rent an umbrella or you are lucky enough that the baby stays asleep in the sling the whole time and you don't die of Baby/Mama Sweat Suffocation Syndrome (B/MSSS).
We were lucky--Simon loves the sound of the waves, so generally would sleep every time we went. By timing it right, we could go on days that weren't too hot, and I even found a beach further north, out of the boardwalk scene, with free, close parking. And we discovered if you make a day of it and park in the mini-golf parking lot the cost of parking is equivalent to two games of golf. And we never exactly came down with B/MSSS because if I waded in the surf up to my thighs and soaked up the breeze I could stay just cool enough.
But to be honest, a newborn at the beach is kind of a nightmare, and I am surprised I pulled it off without other adults around as many times as I did without incident...The kids loved it. Actually, I should say that it isn't just the newborn factor, it is the combo of other kids who don't exactly get that really, if you get sand in your food you don't get anything to eat, if you tromp on the blanket with wet sandy feet there is no clean place to put the baby down, and if you get sand in diaper or neck cracks? Well, that just isn't coming out anytime soon.
So we also spent a lot of time here checking out the other things to see--there are lots of museums. The Virginia Living Museum, The Air and Space Museum, The Virginia Beach Aquarium and the previously mentioned miniature golf. Not just Jungle Golf, but Pirate Golf as well. We tried to visit the lighthouse at Fort Story, but it was one of my more ill-fated excursions of the summer. After being so thoroughly inspected to get on the base--all car doors, trunks, hoods, glove compartments etc. had to be opened, I had to show all sorts of I.D. and get out of the car, they slid mirrors under the car to check for suspicious "cargo"--this would have been OK except that it was over a hundred degrees, I had to search for the Registration, the turned-off car woke the baby (who screamed the entire time of the inspection). It would have been nice if the 7 guards checking our car told me that they would not allow the baby to climb the lighthouse. The guy working at the lighthouse giftshop suggested he take Maya and Jonah up, but he was a scary guy, and Maya and Jonah, with big eyes declined his offer. So all that inspection for nothing. Luckily this trip was salvaged by a great afternoon at the beach, where we all regained composure by the perfectly uncrowded beach and gentle waves. Later, I found out that one of the reasons for so much security here is that the Navy SEALS train in the area...all sorts of mystery and intrigue goes on here.
Jonah lost his third tooth. The tooth fairy, in her infinite wisdom, and with her very close access to Target, left Star Wars action figures instead of money. The tooth fairy had to work very hard at pulling this off 5 minutes before the store closed. Have you ever been in one of those big box stores when they turn out the lights to try and get you out? Scary. We have been watching Star Wars this summer--they are fun movies for all of us...Have seen 3 1/2 of them. The Phantom Menace was too badly scratched, it died in the middle, and we couldn't find another copy at our video store. Hopefully Netflix will deliver a fresh version upon our return to NYC.