Pawleys Island 2017

It hurts me how much I love Pawleys Island.

I'm not even kidding.

The caption for my final Instagram post of our fourth annual Stultz Family stay there read something along the lines of "This is the only place I'm never ready to head home from."

And I mean that.

If I could only convince Jeremy that South Carolina coastals need insurance, too ...

Anyway, the trip was AMAZING. The boys were AMAZING. Unlike their early wake-ups in years past, they slept until at least 7 every morning (one day, Freddie slept until 9:06, which is the latest he's ever slept IN HIS LIFE), and Jones only pitched two fits in 7 days. Y'all. The salt air obviously agrees with him.

As they always are, "the Kids," as my boys call them, were incredibly helpful, though my boys are getting to that glorious stage where they require less and less help, which likely means more and more travel for me, because, as you know, I was, years ago, bitten by a go bug.

The truth is, however, there's no place I'd rather go than Pawleys Island.

Here are a few quick-hit favorite memories from the trip:

1) The boys had a BALL playing on the beach. At one point on our second day there, I looked and saw Freddie laying down, making snow angels in the sand.

2) Jeremy bought the boys their first sets of "real" golf clubs. As he does most everything else, Jones hit left handed. We played mini golf - the boys' first rounds - at Inlet Adventure in Murrells Inlet. They'd pretty much just hit the ball - whether or not it was on the tee - and then they'd pick it up after that first stroke. To his credit, though, every time he teed (or not) it up, Jones grabbed the grip like Jeremy had shown him to before we left the beach house, and he'd also try to swing his shoulders like his daddy had taught him.

Freddie's approach was more Happy Gilmore-style.

3) After the boys were in bed on Sunday nite, Jeremy and I went out for a date. Remarkably, we got a table at Drunken Jacks - with no wait! It felt a little bit like wining the lottery. A storm blew through while we were eating, and the Holy Spirit seemed to whisper to me, "Better warn your mom, in case this makes it to Pawleys and wakes up Jones."

So I called Mom and told her that the thunder may wake up Jones, and if it did, it'd probably scare the you-know-what out of him. Thank God I'd made the call, because when we got home, Jones had indeed been awaken by the thunder - and his screams had indeed awaken Freck, who, of course, was soundly sleeping in the bathroom (I've mentioned, I think, how in the weeks leading up to the trip he repeatedly said, "I can't wait to sleep in the bathroom!" He got his wish).

As soon as I got in their room, they laid in bed with me, and I sang about 20 minutes' worth of hymns. After awhile, Jeremy said, "One more. Sing 'Old Rugged Cross.'" Because it's Freddie's favorite, I said, "Do you want me to sing 'Old Rugged Cross'?" He thought for a split second before saying, "Hmmm. How 'bout 'Good Ole Rocky Top'?"

Ohhhhhh-kay.

4) Jones, whose bladder is as iron-clad as his will, went from 6 p.m. Sunday until after 9 a.m. Monday without peeing.  When he finally went, Mom asked him, "Jones, how do you do that?" She meant, "How do you go 15 hours without peeing," but Jones didn't understand that and answered, "You just have to hold the peanut."

Ohhhhhh-kay.

5) Jones has randomly started calling Bess his girlfriend, which is weird, because I NEVER talk about girlfriends, because I think parents who do that with any child under 16 are just ASKING FOR TROUBLE. On Monday, Bess went outside to walk on the beach. This exchange ensued:

J: Bess, where are you going?
B: I'm going to see my parents.
J: Okay.
(Bess walks out and closes door ... lest Daddy kill her for leaving it open).
J: My girlfriend always likes to see her parents.

6) If Freddie said it once, he said it a million times - "Hey, Mama! Come join us!" I'd be sitting on the shoreline, watching the boys run around when he'd walk over, take my hand, and say that in his sugary sweet little voice. It took me to the end of the week to realize that he wasn't so much being sweet as wanting me to hold him, so the waves didn't plow him down.

I wish I'd have figured this out sooner, because, for as many times as I walked, hand in hand, to the water with him, the best time I had all week was after I figured it out on Friday. I was holding him, his smile wide and laugh loud, his pudgy little arms gripping my neck out of not necessarily fear but definitely respect of the deep, blue sea.

I hope he still wants me to carry hold him in the ocean next year, because now that I know that's what he's after, I will look so forward to that special time with my still-a-baby boy.

7) Jeremy bought the boys a kite. When they went out to fly it, they both ran around the beach, yelling, "Kite Day! Kite Day!"

8) In the car, Freddie noticed Daddy chewing on a straw. He asked him about his "stick" in his mouth. As we walked out of dinner at Margaritaville on Tuesday nite, I noticed Freddie had taken the palm tree garnish that held the lime in my Club Soda and was chewing on it exactly like Daddy does his straws.

9) The entire drive home from Margaritaville - and for the rest of the week - the boys perpetually acted out a scene from one of their "Bugs Bunny" cartoons. They even got Daddy to play a part in their little charade. This exchange is between Bugs and Yosemite Sam.

"Oh, Mr Bunny. There's someone at the door for you!"
"I'm here for two more days."
"WHHHHAAATTT???? OHHHHH, no you're not. You're coming out right now! Out out out out out!"

10) On Wednesday, we rode the Sea Gypsy in Murrells Inlet again.  Both boys got their faces painted this time (yay, Jones!). Freddie kept checking out his mustache / goatee in the shiny blade of his plastic sword.

11) After the treasure came up out of the Inlet, the boys each took one piece of treasure instead of the handful the mates had told them to. I was proud of their contentment with one piece! Freddie got a gold coin and brought it to me, saying, "Mama! Money for my bank!"

12) The boys took a several walks on the beach with Mom and Daddy, collecting shells for Nana and our mantle. Freddie tuckered out on one of their strolls, so Daddy put him on his shoulders. As soon as he did, Freddie said, "I can win on this horsey!"

13) As soon as Freddie learned that crabs live in the holes on the beach, he yelled down almost every one of the holes, trying to get the crabs' attention.

14) We were playing in the ocean on Friday when Freddie noticed the bubbles of the surf and said the ocean has soap in it.

15) Jones was loving the wave riding. He'd taunt the waves: "Haha! You missed me!" "Not THIS time!"

16) On Friday, Lila asked me how high Jones can count. I didn't know, so I told Jones to count. When he got to 10, he stopped. I asked, "What comes after 10?" "BLASTOFF!" Jones responded.

17) Freddie peeked through the window opening from the den to the kitchen at the beach house and said, "Two juices," like he was ordering at the turn onto the Back Nine. For the record, I made him re-state his requests, saying, "Please."

18) As we walked to the car to leave on Saturday, Jones said, "Bye, Beach House. See ya next year!" Then he threw his voice and said, "Okay! Come back and see me!" Then, back in his own voice, he said, "Okay. I will."

And, Lord willing, we will.

And, oh, my gosh. I CAN'T WAIT.