Ocean City, NJ

we had a wonderful mini trip to the Jersey shore with perfect weather. Lots of beach time and playing in the ocean and pool.

Skyler made a friend, Aiden Miles, age 4.

Skyler joined Shayna in digging a hole and making a mini pool. Shayna always digs holes when we go to the beach. When we move to Florida and have oodles of beach time, I'll help her build a cool sand castle. Some how when we go the time goes so fast. Shayna and Manny swam out far, past the breaking waves. A crab bit Manny's toe and they tried snorkeling but the water in NJ is too murky. Then Manny took Skyler out past the waves. Skyler loved running back and forth into and out of the surf. Our family is part mermaid. We need to live near the ocean. I feel like I am at home on the beach.
Enjoying the pool. Manny was dipping Skyler under water. I think he is starting to get the hang of holding his breath. I am hoping he can swim next summer.

At night we had a lot of fun on the boardwalk. The boardwalk is getting more multi cultural. We enjoyed a Japanese dinner, real Italian gelato, and Thai Bubble Tea - all on the boardwalk. and of course had Mack and Manco's pizza...yum. Thursday is Family night and the boardwalk has a fiesta type atmosphere. We enjoyed live music, magic shows, karaoke, and even a parade of Mummers (you know you are near Philly then!). Two cool shops we liked:

1. a new pirate shop. the whole store is pirate themed. lots of neat things and great if you want to decorate a boys room in a pirate theme. Too bad we are moving as I am thinking of doing Skyler's room once we move in a boat/ocean/pirate/surfer type theme. he has a few items in his room now: surfboard nightlight, snorkeling skyler clock, bureau made up with fishing net, etc.

2. Air Circus: this shop is a zany kite/toy store connected to the pirate store like a sibling. It has about 100 different wind up mini toys and all kinds of silly and unusual toys and things that are fun to look at but not practical to buy. a section with the little things that when flipped go "moooooo" or make a train noise. also they have the biggest bouncy super balls I have ever seen.

One note, the Beach Club cafe is extremely overpriced for breakfast- for example they charged over $9 just for 2 chocolate milks, small OJ, and apple juice.

Friday morning we stopped in Somers Point*, on the bay, where we used to stay on our boat, and had breakfast at one of our old favorites, the Bayshores II. Its a rustic salty dog spot with a cute little dock where the boats pull up. We checked out our old spots, like the bay beach (free Friday concerts) and saw the cool wooden boat playground was changed- no boat but a boring regular playground. We concluded that the boat must have gotten damaged in a storm. Harbor Cove Marina looked the same...aaah nice to have a floating dock. I peeked into Doc's - the restaurant at the marina - and was soooo happy to see they are now serving breakfast again, even if only on Sundays. Its even the same exact menu! Shayna and I absolutely LOVE thier french toast, to this day I have not found any place that makes it the way they do. Its a special batter dipped French toast, its unbelievably good. I am planning on making a day trip on a Sunday just to have breakfast there one more time.

*Somers Point is across the bay from Ocean City