OCNJ 2014: Evening & Morning Play

Ocean City is the perfect family vacation spot.  Have I stressed that enough?  The beaches are clean and there is ample beach even during high tide.  The boardwalk is inviting for every age.  And there are enough ice cream shops sprinkled throughout the island to keep your sweet tooth satisfied.  I also love, love, love that OC has remained a dry town all these years.  It really keeps OC a special family oriented vacation destination.

We took the kids up to the boardwalk twice to ride the amusement rides.  With 8 PM bedtimes and should-be-stroller bound little ones, we keep our people watching window shopping to a minimum.

This year was Braylen's first time on the rides!  His sister and cousins joined him on all the favorite rides

All smiles on his first Wonderland Pier ride!

We know who wears the pants in this family 

We were so proud of Braylen for remaining
seated in his firetruck for the entire ride duration,
even the long loading time

Cole, on the other hand, was hanging over the side
of the boat, testing out the water

That's one distracted crew.  Good thing Evie has the wheel

Trip #2: Wardrobe change
A little preview of my little ones in 14 years

As parents of small children, this is what you are doing most of the time...

Leaning over to put your kids in and out of the seat.
Meanwhile your wives are hysterical at this "blessed assurance" shot

My sweet vertically challenged daughter was denied access to certain rides.  We stressed if she eats more food, then maybe next year she will be big enough to ride the roller coaster with her cousins.  Yes, Cole and Hannah rode the little roller coaster :)  But, it wasn't all tears.  Evie had her big, tall, cousin to be her riding partner and her fun-loving auntie

Hannah was in charge of making Dumbo fly

The frogs were a little too jumpy.
1,000 points for Auntie L

She's so BIG she can ride the "horsies" all by herself.
Bray-baby needed the adult supervision this year

After the rides one evening, we hit up some popular OC boardwalk sweet spots.

The sign says it all

The best part of Kohr Brothers is the way
they roll your ice cream in jimmies. (AKA sprinkles)

Being protective of her frozen custard around those gulls

Next up, Johnson's Popcorn
Yes.  We had frozen custard AND caramel popcorn.
That's true OC boardwalk eating!

Dig in!

Braylen grabbed his fair share of Johnson's yummy goodness

Love this place.

Another evening all 10 of us walked a block and a half to the corner ice cream shop.  The shop coined Tuesday evening "family game night".  There were board-games on tables, hula hoops, skip-it type things (yes 80's babies, remember those?!), a bean bag toss, and other random games.  It was a blast!

Yummy ice cream!

Evie might be the slowest ice cream eating out there

My talented boo- he can eat his ice cream while hula hooping

Bray's type of activity- tossing objects into a bucket

The whole gang tries it

Since we were up and ready by 7:45 every morning, we hit the playground to expend some energy and kill some time before heading to the beach.  We were one of the few families there that early.  It was nice to have the run of the place

Can you find all 4 kids?

Someone is always pushing an empty stroller
because one kid wants to be held...

So happy to have Hannah as Evie's
personal chauffeur this year.  

What a great week in OC.  We are so, so, so thankful that G & Poppop make this wonderful vacation happen every year.  We can't wait for next year; Evie is already talking about what she will do when she is "big"

Bye-bye