Last Friday, Dwaine and I decided a getaway down to the coast would be fun for the weekend. So we got on the computer late Friday evening, booked a beach house for Saturday night and hopped in the car first thing Saturday morning. How's that for spontaneous? (not typically like us, but becoming so more and more these days)
We never know if a trip will go well and be fun for everyone or if it will turn into a stressful event with cranky, over-tired kids and frustrated, over-tired parents. Thankfully, the former was true for our weekend and we look forward to doing it again- and hopefully often! The kids had an absolute blast, the timing of everything was perfect, and Dwaine and I enjoyed ourselves too!
First stop- The Texas State Aquarium
Quick stop on the way in for a priceless family photo- we don't have many with all 4 of us.
Alli leading the way for TJ. They were both so excited. I don't think they had any idea where we were, but they were sure it would be fun.
TJ checking out the stingray. He would say "ooh ooh" every time something would swim by.
Quick flashback...
This was the last time we were at the aquarium- TJ was in tow, but wasn't actually able to enjoy any of it. I remember thinking I couldn't wait to come back when he could partake in the fun. So, fast forward 2 years...
Now, my hands are a little more full, but it's definitely well worth it!
Next stop- a seaside lunch at Pier 99
The perfect location to hype the kids up about our next destination- aboard the USS Lexington or the "big ship" as we called it! And, the blues music playing on the patio was great for our listening pleasure- I think TJ enjoyed it the most. He was clappin' to the beat and bobbin' his head.
"APAIY!" That would be airplane in TJ speak- he absolutely loves them.
It wasn't always fun dragging the kids out of the cockpit (they played in it and a couple others a few different times), but there was usually something else fun to distract them with...
Giant weaponry, perhaps. Daddy was nothing more than a big kid himself.
And, of course a trip down the escalator on the way out- an original fixture, I'm sure. I was very grateful when we saw it 'cause the steep ladders that we had to climb on the way up would NOT have been fun going down with two small children.
Stop 3- The Beach at Port Aransas!
Alli doing her best to strike a surfer pose on the boogie board.
Building sand castles.
TJ with his truck- no big surprise there.
It took quite a while for the kids to warm up to the beach. Neither of them would go near the water for a long time, but eventually TJ decided that running through the shallow waves kicking up water and chasing the shore birds was loads of fun. He was all over the place!
Alli, on the other hand decided it would be better to keep her Strawberry Shortcake swimsuit and her well-fixed hair dry. As much as I would have loved to see her splashing in the waves, I can't say that I blame her. I generally prefer to stay dry and semi-clean as opposed to wet and sandy as well.
Here she is just chillin' and checking out the view...
Now that's a good way to enjoy the beach!
...
Our "new home"
We stayed in an awesome little beach house that was super clean and very homey. The kids thought eating at the bar was super cool. Dwaine told Alli that this was our new home and she was totally fine with that with one little exception. She said "Are we not gonna live with Chili anymore?"
...
Day 2- fishing the bay...
Waiting to catch a fish.
It's hard to tell in the pic, but while daddy was helping Alli fish, TJ was "fishing" with his Scooby Doo pole.
Unfortunately, all he managed to do was bust the bobber into a few pieces when he slammed it down on the ground.
Success! An itsy bitsy tiny little perch! Dad used it for bait but wasn't able to catch any big fish. Every time we would reel in the bait, Alli exclaimed in a very excited and proud voice, "You caught another fish! Very good!" No, unfortunately, that was the same itsy bitsy little perch. We made our way under the bridge after catching a couple more of those and then both Alli and TJ caught countless number of bigger perch. Alli has even figured out how to reel them in with very little help. Making daddy proud (and mommy too)!
What a fun-filled family weekend. We were all completely exhausted come Sunday evening, but can't wait to do it again!
TJ and Alli LOVE the boat. It was a long, exhausting day for them, but they were having so much fun that they hung in there and were actually very well behaved. I just love days like that!
Alli even had her first tubing experience...
She thought that was the best and didn't want the ride to end. But, thankfully she was also excited about climbing the ladder onto the back of the boat, so that kept her from throwing a fit about the tubing ride coming to an end.
It looks like we're flying across the lake, but trust me, we were not. Nervous mommy instructed daddy to just putt around. But when I discovered that the tube just collects water at a turtle's pace, we had to pick up the speed just a little. What an awesome first mommy-daughter experience. I was really trying to soak it in and was thinking "I can't believe she's old enough to do this with me!" And, I couldn't stop imagining how many more fun times like this lay ahead of us.
And yes, mom and dad had a little fun of their own too! 
My goal was just to get up on the board, but to my surprise I popped right up there with Dwaine's "expert" advice about how to do it. And then I stayed up for quite a while. 
