Aaaah, Sanibel. A 30+ year tradition for Brian's family. I reference this photo of family members on the beach (circa 1981), looking for shells and other sea treasures. Brian's mom is in the rainbow shirt and Brian is the towhead in the white shirt.
And this year, Brian and our little towhead doing the same.
Here's the whole group on a VERY windy day.
This year, Molly met Lilly, her 2nd cousin and future Sanibel BFF. This is just the first of many photos we will make them take together.
Lilly has the BIGGEST blue eyes I have ever seen and apparently, she's quite funny:
Molly got LOTS of attention at Sanibel this year, but winning the award for Most Doting Family Member is cousin Sophie, age 8 (is that too young for babysitting?). This will be very interesting to observe on future Sanibel trips because as much as Molly loved her, James loved her MORE - that cousin crush is still going strong.
I really think Molly is looking at me taking this pic and saying, "this is MY toy, right?"
James' daily ritual at Sanibel was to wake, eat, put on swimsuit and JUMP. IN. THE. POOL. Over and over and over until he couldn't physically do it any longer. He would just move to the next person as we each got too tired to catch him and return him to the side. First daddy, then me, then Oma, and here he is jumping to Opa.
Here is the jumping machine, finally taking a break with Uncle Kevin.
This was another of James' rituals: warp self in towel and sit in the rocks. I haven't even asked him what this was about because I think I am afraid of the answer.
Molly was happy to dip in the pool, smile a little, splash a little, eat her hat and then take a nap.
The after dinner ritual at Sanibel is to slather yourself in bug spray and go search for shells and ocean critters on one of the several sandbars at low tide. James LOVED this. He had about three minutes of patience for looking for shells and then he was neck-deep in the water. On this particular day, carrying a coconut.
Sophie's brothers Crawford and Walton were always game for more water fun and every night ended up with all three of them sploshing back to the house in soaking wet clothes.
Please note: still not letting go of the coconut.
Molly's version of "shelling" involved searching for her thumb and placing it in her mouth.
With all the grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins around, Brian and I got to actually walk for five minutes - ALONE. (!)
Brian and James went on some mini-adventures too. Good daddy/son time.
The pier near the Sanibel lighthouse:
and on a nature walk looking for alligators:
Molly was content to stay at home (in the air conditioning) and EAT. This time she ate holding Oma's hand the entire time. I am telling you, the girl knows when to turn it on.
Brian's Uncle Ernie is THE GREATEST. Just the nicest, most fun guy ever.
He always has a funny joke for the kids, time to read a book, or one of his more "famous" performances, The Ring Trick.
It starts with two "rings" made out of his thumbs and index fingers and then he sings a little song: dah, dah, dah, dah, dah..... as the rings move behind his head and become one (link fingers together for those of you who didn't get that).
and then back behind the head: dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah and bam! two rings again!
He's been mystifying kids for years.
And in between the hours at the pool, the bike rides, the beach, the bird watching,the shelling, the late night game playing and all the food, we got a few hours of sleep.
Well, one of us did.
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