“….We are a family, like a giant tree, branching out the sky – We are a family, we are so much more than just you and I. We are a family, like a giant tree, growing stronger, growing wiser, we are growing free. We need you, we are a family…”

This song, “Family” from Dreamgirls, fits perfectly for this post, one of the last blog posts of the season. When last we left you, we were headed back to Highland Park from our RV-ing adventures. The trip back that last day was less than two hours long – even with ridiculous traffic. We’ve had a fabulous summer since then, filled with wonderful reunions and experiences and family get-togethers. We really thought we would be spending this week in our RV again, exploring Gettysburg. However, our fate took us farther east – and in a much larger house than the RV!

Rebekah and Avi (oldest daughter and only son-in-law) proposed to us to join them in a short end of summer vacation in…The Hamptons. We are in Westhampton, to be exact, on Dune Road. We are renting a house with 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a beautiful kitchen, living room, den, and more. The deck out back comes complete with a table and chairs for 8, 4 beautiful lounge chairs, 3 or 4 sun umbrellas, and a gorgeous built-in pool. When we walk down the steps from the deck, we are on Moriches Bay. When we walk across the street, we are on the beach, at the ocean. It is…niiiice. And deserted. This is a perfect week to be in the Hamptons – because, basically, no one else is!

We arrived late Monday morning, and shlepped in about 15 or 20 bundles of food, toys, clothes, toiletries, and anything else we could possibly think to pack. Rebekah and Avi went shopping and brought along enough food for a small army. I am NOT going to Weight Watchers in the next seven days, to be sure!! We are eating really healthy and delicious foods – but no one is dragging out a food scale. We spent Monday afternoon in the pool and in the Bay. The house also comes equipped with anything one needs for water sports enjoyment: boogie boards, paddle boards, kayaks, windsurfing equipment – and I probably am missing another half a dozen or so items. So Rich, Avi and Rebekah all showed their skills (or didn’t!) on the paddle boards. And everyone was in the pool. And there were a couple of kayak trips. It was a fabulous afternoon.

And now, here’s my favorite paragraph. The grandchildren! Amitai, who is 6 (and a half – vital to remember the half), and Yael, who is 2 (but talks like a 4 year old), are the “disco balls” of this vacation! They are bright, shiny, and they NEVER STOP MOVING!! The pool is their heaven. Ami could swim all day; he never gets tired. And he proved he is adept at kayaking, paddle boarding, boogie boarding, and the like. He is the athlete I am not; and he LOVES throwing that at me! Yael is…fearless. Jumping in the pool, swimming (with a float), running, dancing – she never sits still. And, she speaks in full sentences, and knows exactly what she wants. She is a hoot. The ratio we currently have – 4 adults to 2 children – is ALMOST enough!

Monday evening we had a delicious barbecue, chosen by Avi, prepared by Rich. A few of us got to see a spectacular sunset, and everyone turned in sort of early, as we were exhausted. In fact, in jest this morning, Rebekah shared with me her disappointment – she was jolted awake at 4 a.m., and checked her phone (who doesn’t?) – and did NOT see a “WordPress notification” of my blog post! I must admit…even I get tired sometimes!

The entire house slept soundly, and awoke refreshed. We decided today’s schedule would be breakfast, beach, lunch, pool, bay, pool, showers, dinner, and downtime. It’s a tough schedule – I know – but someone’s GOTTA do it.  And other than a few short “tantrums of temper” (!!!!), we had an awesome day. The beach was deserted, and the waves were strong. We found shells, dug sand caves, jumped waves, went boogie boarding, and got a chance to sit for… like a second. But, WHO SITS with kids?? The walk to and from the beach was pretty easy; we were only bothered by the intense amount of stuff we were carrying. After a trip to the “outdoor shower”, lunch was quick and delicious. And then it was time for “Yael’s favorite water” – which was the pool. I am happy to report that Rebekah and Avi got a chance to spend some time together alone – this morning, afternoon, and evening – and allow Grandma and Pop Pop the “z’chuut” (“honor”, in Hebrew) of hangin’ with the grand kids. They went boogie boarding alone (the waves were too high for Bekah!), they went kayaking alone (no height problems there), and currently, they are out on a stroll on the beach – alone. But, they made me promise we would text them if we heard crying. WHY WOULD I NOT???!!! I’m a Grandma – not a martyr!

This afternoon’s main excitement was to watch ME get on, and not fall off, a paddle board. NO ONE has faith in me! Just for the record, paddle boards are really hard to maneuver! I got on, with Rich’s help, and stayed on for over 5 minutes. Again, not a big deal to many of you, but to me – a gold medal! Balance is the key to paddle boarding. Unfortunately, if you have to steer, balance can be problematic. That’s where I ran into problems. Fortunately, the water in Moriches Bay is about 2 feet deep. The only casualty of the afternoon was my $10.00 pair of sunglasses. No worries – I’m good. Amitai, however, went out on a paddle board, by himself (adult supervision right next to him). He was fantastic – never fell off! (Neither did Rebekah, for the record). But, Ami DID get out a little farther than planned – and was “rescued” – on paddle board – by Pop Pop. Rich has found yet ANOTHER athletic activity in which to excel. I wonder if we next summer we’ll have a paddle board strapped to the roof of the RV!

And so, at present, the four exhausted adults are sitting on the deck, happily surrounded by SILENCE! The breeze is phenomenal, the quiet is so appreciated, and the chairs are comfy. And one of us is ACTUALLY READING A REAL BOOK!!! Thank goodness for the other three of us, the WiFi signal is perfect. (And, Rich can see the Yankees on the den’s flat screen from his seat outside.) Quiet is a welcomed experience at 9:00 at night sometimes.

Here’s today’s trivia question: Who is the famous current high profile person who is said to be vacationing here in the Hamptons this week? And no, Avi Mally is not the answer!

Please enjoy a few pictures from yesterday and today. I will touch base tomorrow.

Marla