Sun Day Sunday

It's official.  Our Hamilton Vacation 2011 has begun and we are in Longboat Key, Florida.  Siesta Key is the neighboring island and it is world famous for its white sand beaches.  Longboat Key had the kind of accommodations that we were looking for with the white sand beaches.  One of the reasons the sand is famous is because it does not get hot.  The sand is made of finely broken shells, which also means the shell searching is plentiful.

I'm not sure that Keith wants the vacation memories to start with a picture of him in bed but hopefully he forgives me.  Oliver was SO excited to go to the beach that he jumped into bed with Dad to show him all of the new sand tools he was going to be using to make sand castles.  This reminds me of a photo from when I was a kid and my brother and I were showing our Dad our new Easter baskets while he was just waking up in the morning.

    

Our room has a view of the golf course so we hadn't seen the beaches yet.  As we approached the beach it was blue skies as far as we could see.

The water was an amazing shade of turquoise.

My three favorite guys: Keith, Oliver and Kellan.

Oliver is not known for ever being in a hurry.  He takes life in at a much slower pace than Keith and I do.  He was so excited about the beach that he stopped to pick up ever point of interest that he came across.

Kellan wasn't as sure about the beach.  Oliver kept telling Kellan "This is your big day Kellan" since it was his first time at the beach.

The wind was blowing, as it usually does at the beach.  Kellan was hanging on to his hat for dear life.  You would think a hurricane was coming in with as tight as he was holding it.

Keith thought Kellan was hilarious!

As most kids respond, Kellan cried and fussed when his toes hit the ocean water.  Take note, he is still holding on to his hat.

Kellan is probably wondering, when will this nightmare end?  You have 5 more days of this buddy.  Enjoy every last one!

Oliver had the time of his life playing on the beach.  This is the first beach adventure he has had where he was completely comfortable and loved it.  Usually the sand or ocean waves bother him.  This time, he's a true beach champ.  

Keith and Oliver taking a dip in the ocean.

Oliver ran, swam and played for hours.  

Heading back in to the deep blue sea.

(Ok, so it wasn't that deep.  The water was quite shallow and there is a sand bar part way out that even Oliver could stand on if it wasn't for the waves being stronger than he is.)

Daddy and Oliver digging in the dirt.

Kellan dozing off for his mid-day nap.  The thrill of his first time at the beach was more than he could handle and he was eager to take a nap.  Plus, I'm sure traveling the day prior didn't help his stamina.

For the first time in the history of my tropical beach vacations, I didn't make it to get a pedicure.  Shhh... don't tell anyone.  I'm going for the natural (Mom of Two, Wife and Career Woman) look.

This is Longboat Key.  An island off of Florida, just West of Sarasota.  To the South is Lido Key and Siesta Key.

Oliver likes to play the A or B game.  When I asked him what he likes best about the beach he said everything.  When I asked him what he liked better: playing in the sand or playing the water he said "Playing in the sand AND (very dramatic) playing in the water."

Meanwhile, I managed to lay Kellan down on the sand.  We thought it was kind of like the tempurpedic bed and would form to his body.  Ha ha!!

Oliver telling Mom all of the 'need to know' points of building a sand castle.  He also boasted about the dragon that his Dad built.

Mom building sand castles with her oldest son.

The lady next to us said "Two boys, huh?  Good Luck".  I said "thanks" but what I should have said was "you're missing out on a good time, lady!"

As we built castles and creatures in the sand, Kellan snoozed on, right between the two lounge chairs.

Side note: Oliver calls the lounge chairs "couches".

Mom taking Oliver for a swim.  Later that day, we went and got his life jacket from our room.  It's MUCH easier that way.

Kellan sleeps on...

Kellan just can't take this beach life. He just wants to bury his head in the sand.

Dad and Oliver having a great time.

Oh, now we're talking'!  Beach cocktails.  This resort is not an all-inclusive like the last beach vacation, so we haven't indulged in quite as many fruity beverages.  We did have to treat ourselves at least once.

"Cheers!"

Good to the very last drop.

What, what, what???

Sleepy beauty has risen?

He has also discovered the sand.

Kellan was quick to discover the sand UNDER the lounge chair so these photos are quick point-and-shoot and hope-to-get-the-shot photos.

Will he???

Put sand in his mouth?

YES!

Kellan also likes to watch the sand filter through his fingers.

There's our happy boy!

This was our attempt to get a brotherly photo on the beach.  Kellan wasn't thrilled and Oliver was short on patience.  There was sand.  Oliver wanted to play and Kellan wanted out of there.

It was back to the beach towel for Kellan.  We had two big beach towels spread out for him yet he still wanted to crawl off the edge into the sand.

Back at our "house" (as Oliver calls it), we had toys galore for Kellan to play with in the living room.  Instead, he wanted to try and fit in the bag and play with anything that was inside.

Sunday evening, we went to Siesta Key for dinner.  We had heard there was a drum circle on the beach at sunset.  Oliver had a long and fun day of playing at the beach.  He was a bit tired.

 We went to eat at the Siesta Key Oyster Bar.  Dad and Kellan were a bit more in the vacation spirit.  It's amazing how invigorating a nap on the beach is. 

Keith enjoying some fresh oysters.

Kellan giving Mom some love of his own.  Nothing like baby slobber from ear to ear.

This night we gave Kellan a cucumber to nibble on.  He seemed to love it.  I'm sure the cold and smooth texture felt good on his aching gums.

Nothing like a mouth full of cracker.

A band started up just as Oliver got some food in his belly.  He was fired up and read to go!  The benefit to a noisy outside restaurant with a band, Oliver could sing along and nobody cared.  It had been tough explaining that he had to use his inside voice while we were eating outside.

Singing is hard work.  Time to refuel.

With the hot weather, we have also been giving Kellan a bit of cold water.  If it's cold and refreshing, he is a fan.

After dinner we went to the world famous beach of Siesta Key.  We walked toward the sunset and quickly discovered the drum circle was the other direction.  Oh well.  Maybe next time.

The only way to see the sunset.  In a lounge chair provided by Mom.

We really need to train Kellan on how to take self-portraits.  Every time the camera is about to click, he looks away.

Oliver was so excited to dig in the dirt, he didn't have much time for photos.

We were standing right by a retaining wall so I thought we should take advantage for a family photo.

The first time was a failure because I was trying to collect up Oliver and instead ended up running by the photo just as it clicked.

The second photo, both boys looks away the second before the camera clicked.

I don't even know what happened with this photo.  Both boys were looking and smiling.  I guess a family photo on Siesta Key beach was not meant to be.  I just laughed and said "maybe tomorrow".