We are getting closer each day!

All you need to do is bring a checkbook, a debit card or the old stand-by cash, and the great and wonderful organizer will turn this old family vacation into shear bliss. How you ask……. well your bank account may be empty, but your mind will be filled with memories that will carry you the full year. 6 has given up hours of his leisure time, combing thru hundreds of documents in an effort to discover  the magic, that causes  thousands of weary souls to make the pilgrimage to the low country each year. Below you will find a sample of the events that take place each year that makes Kiawah the polished gem that it is. In other words: a place for people with more money than brains, who can call it a family vacation, but drop off their wife and kids, play golf, eat at up-scale establishments, take pictures of opulence, and never lift a finger. Below is just a sample of the extensive research that has been conducted.

Moonlight Yoga on the Beach, Kiawah Beverage Series, Family Beach Cornhole Tournament, Pottery in the Park,  Sunday Sundaes, Family Boat Building Challenge, Mingo Point Cooking Demo, GenMove Family Game Show Challenge, Birds of Prey, Kiawah Sundown Festival, Bingo & Floats, Sunset Raw Bar, The Big Game Show, Dive In Movie, Ice Cream Socials, Arrival Party at Night Heron,  Tiki Time at The Cabana Bar,  Summer Concert Series,  Spike Ball, Extreme Laser Tag, Archery Lesson, Bicycle Riding lesson, Stand-Up Paddle boarding, Oil Painting Instructions,  Surf Lessons, Kite Boarding lesions, Swimming Lessons, Sunset iPhoneography,  Beach Tennis,  Happy Hour Cooking Class, Sunrise Yoga on the Beach, Tai Chi on the Beach, Biking Tours,  Scales and Scutes,  Dolphin Encounter, Sunset Cruise, Shutterbug Photo Cruise, Kayaking Tours ,  Stand-Up Paddleboard Tour. This is just a sample of things for us to do this year that will only have the effect of brings us closer together as a family unit.

Before you all go ballistic on 6, take a deep breath, sit back close your eyes and picture a typical day. That is a tall order for most of you so 6 once again will come to the rescue. Picture this, it is Tuesday morning, the sun is just below the horizon, waiting for 6, 6A, and 0A to adorn the beach to kick off the day. 6 is fast asleep, dreaming of, well we won’t go there, and begins to feel the calling of Apollo ( the sun god), asking him to awaken so the world can start a new day. 6 opens his eyes, and jumps out of bed, full of vim and vigor and turns to 6A and says “Dear, morning has arrived, and it is now time to get up and have our cup of Jo, go to the beach as the sun welcomes us to a new and gracious  day”.  6A glares back at 6 and replies “Really…. You are kidding me…. You woke me from my golden slumber, to leave comfort of my condo, and go into the abyss, where it is dark, torrid, sweltering, mucky, sandy nasty……  I want to sleep, I don’t want to go today…oh I guess”.   6A runs down to the kitchen to brew her master some fresh brewed Jo, enabling us to get under way. All the while Apollo has been benevolently awaiting 6’s arrival, so he can regally emanate to greet the world. 6 don’t want to give the wrong impression, the world does not revolve around him, the sun does. While strutting on the beach 6 does some of his best intellectual contemplating, but for a brief moment, 6’s mind is diverted to a curiosity about what the rest of the clan might be doing back at the condos.  They are probably…. No… definitely sound asleep, sawing logs, talking in their sleep, tossing and turning, but, still in bed at 6:15 AM! That reminds me, we often have discussion about changing who stays in which condo, and over the years there have been many suggestions, with no conclusions.  6 has some brilliant ideas and of course a solution, but more about that in a future blog. Once the Apollo has fully exposed its brilliance, we head back for our morning bike ride. 6 re-fills the Jo, and proceeds to condo #2, wondering if anyone has broken their slumber, and is interested in joining us for our ride.  6 enters condo#2 to find 4, 7, and 8, brewing their morning Jo, watching Good Morning America, while commenting on every segment including, the morning Charleston rush hour traffic. 6, 6A, 4 and 8 head out for the morning bike ride, experiencing the same houses, same bumpy bike path, same people, same gators,(BTW last week there as an article in the Charleston news paper where there was a  14 foot gator walking across some rich person dive way on the island)  the only choice we have is, deciding which direction to go, and after two days that decision is also gone. Once again  7 is still sitting on the couch watching TV drinking Jo, 61,62,63,71,and 32 still sound asleep.  Upon our arrival, back at the condo’s, 7 still has not moved, 61 is on the beach, 62,63,71 and 32, are getting ready for the beach. One could only imagine what 21 and 21A are up to! On about 10:30, 6 start the long arduous process of gathering all of the STUFF that makes everyone’s day at the beach as pleasant as possible. (chairs, umbrella, botchy ball, Frisbee, sunscreen, water, shades, tuneage, new item for this year a plastic bottle of Rex, shovels, buckets, balls, boards,  need 6 go on?)By the time 6 captures all of that STUFF,  61,62,63,and 71 are all ready on the beach, enjoying the morning sun and waves. In reality, 6 has to grab all of that STUFF, and drags it thru the hot sun, across the long asphalt path, down the splintery boardwalk to finally arrive at the beach to strategically begin the set-up to ensure that our stake has properly been claimed. As a side note: 6 has noticed over the years, the 7 and 8, look out of the window of condo #2 and watch for 6 to gather all of the STUFF , as 6 places the last chair, at the far corner of our claim, that is the exact same time that  7,8,6A,4, 21A (21 is still MIA)grace us with their presence. The gang’s all here time for.. Sun, waves, family, games, music and reading? On about 3:00 we start to lose some people,  6A goes back to watch GH, 61, goes back to read her books, 7 goes back to (sleep, drink some more Jo, watch some TV, chat on-line, read some email who knows) ??? On about 5:00 6A returns with wine and cheese,  6A,6,4,71,62, 21A,63 and 0A, gently open the bottle(s) of Rex, and enjoy the new hour of peace and friendship on the beach. Then it is clean-up time, dinner, Doritos poker, and once again time for bed. Now there are days with slight variations like 21 and 21A might go on a field trip, or 21,21A 8, 32 and 6 go and play a round of golf, or ladies night out, but with those few exceptions, 6 got it 99% accurate. How about this for a Tuesday! 6:00 sun rise yoga, 8:00 guided bike tour, 11:00 Family Beach Cornhole Tournament, 1:00 , Mingo Point Cooking Demo, 2:30 Kite Boarding lesions, 4:00 Spike Ball, 5:00 wine and cheese,  6:30 dinner, 8:00 Family Game Show Challenge, 9:00 Moonlight Yoga on the Beach. Or even another way of looking at it: Sunday morning starts with great anticipation, but Tuesday, we are all settled into our routine. If we mix in a well balanced diet of special events, everyday will be filled with anticipation of the wonderful MANDITORY activities the vacation planner has in store for you! Since 6’s biggest concern is the happiness and mental/physical well being of my fellow vacationers, 6 will be called command central. 6 will give up all of the MANDATORY fun, and after his morning walk and bike ride, 6 will sit on the beach for the rest of the day, and use my professional skills of dealing with people , so that there will be absolutely now lost time in the transition from one MANDITORY activity to the next.  What do you all think!

Words of wisdom: Memories and experiences are made, routine happens