It seems after a good meal our family has a sweet tooth calling, so we try to fill that need by either baking a few items, or putting together a cornucopia of treats of everyone’s favorites. You’ll find circus peanuts and licorice to chocolate, fudge, and taffy in this bountiful bouquet. They adults light up as well as the kids in my family! Sticky buns, brownies, chocolate chip cookies are a few of the standbys and must haves during our family get together for dessert or breakfast.
Let the games begin! There is nothing like a huge table of family playing Balderdash! I love the nonsense we all come up with and having to choose one is just ridiculous. WE roar with laughter, slits for eyes, and tears running down our cheeks while picking a ludicrous answer. It really is a fun game. For the quiet times working on a puzzle with the ocean views surrounding you gives you a sense of accomplishment when putting in the last piece. The wii gets a fair share of time with the little ones mastering their sport skills as well as being Mario.
When night falls we hate to go to bed. Some who should go sooner than later remain standing into the wee hours, paying for it later. One by one they topple saying goodnight and see you in the morning light. When tucked in bed we listen to the ocean lulling us off to a dreamscape, frolicking in the waves. We dream of memories as kids, and how blessed we are now raising our own in the same location and traditions.
The morning brings french toast, scramble eggs and Trenton Pork Roll, or course. With barely any elbow room at the kitchen table new conversations start from several with everyone chiming in, talking over one another, and laughing from sleep deprivation. The slits begin, and a new day starts to unfold.
During a stormy weather visit the outdoors becomes a challenge we all venture out into for one thing or another (food or chocolate). We tell stories of the rushing waters on the Blvd. we nearly escaped, or the white capes on the bay lapping over the bulkheads. The storm clouds rolling in from the mainland keep us guessing of when ‘it’ will hit, and how hard, if even. The drama unfolds with the thunder and lightning it calls us to huddle by the windows to watch Mother Nature takes its wrath out over the ocean. The night storms are more dramatic with total darkness over the ocean then a flash of daylight out to sea. Snow storms are a magical sight on LBI. Floating snowflakes swirl as gusts of wind flock them over the dunes onto the icy edge of the jetties. The blanket of white on the beach brings out cross country skiers, drifts producing mogul size sled hills, or snowboarding jumps. These can have all the snow bunnies hopping. Making a snowman in the street is fun, knowing it will last until thaw with no traffic. Building your frosty friend by the water you watch the waves shrink it and make it disapear.
If going out on the town means mini golf so be it. One, with his own club, come on… I feel packing extra golf balls would be more productive. The sibling rivalry begins, challenging words thrown out randomly, and a few accidental ankle clunks with a club while walking past gets the game rolling. There is nothing like winning the game by score, or losing and winning the free game at the end. Everybody wins! The poor losers grumble into the day and threaten to beat the pants off you next time.
Taking our family walks on the beach is an all-time favorite. We compare shells we find like they are ancient treasures never been seen by the naked eye before. The find of a full snail shell brings delight to all searching. We’ve look for the smallest shell to the biggest clam shell, competitiveness runs high in our family, which brings us such delight. From the loudness, most outgoing to the shyest we all get our digs in at some point with our loving sparing and jesting. The lighthouse is a special stop to check out the boats, rocks, and ‘Ole Barney’ himself; the nature trail brings the aroma of birch beer to air with the Sassafras trees, and the soft beauty of the Rugosa Rose winds in and out of the path.
A favorite at night is watching “The Family Dog”. The characters we all relate to, and we have owned a dog portrayed in it at one time or another. The show brings down the house kids and adults alike and produces the slits and tears with its simple everyday chaos with family and pets. Watching some kid movies with the gang can have lasting impressions, and invoke the inside jokes throughout the years.
