Vacation! Vacation!

I'm so excited about this - I'm almost giddy.

Seriously.

The Party hasn't taken a true vacation in - oh - about three years. Between birthing babies, maternity leave, the ever rising day-care/diaper/formula bill, and just life - we haven't had time way from home in eons.

We did take a trip to see family over Christmas - which was lovely - but it wasn't a true "vacation" in that there was a lot of stress in taking five people (three of whom were age-five and under) across the country coupled with the holiday hustle and bustle.

So Deonne and I examined the calendar for the remainder of the summer - and quickly came to realize that the optimal time to go is when our kids' daycare is closed for three straight days in August. Because apparently the teachers need three days to turn the rooms around and prepare for the fall term. DAYCARE. Not SCHOOL. This is a huge issue for me -and completely asinine - but not worth getting all worked up over. Again.

(But I will interject here that the daycare follows the Richland One school district calendar. We happen to live in Richland Two - and should our house not sell in time - Anna will start kindergarten in Richland Two where we are zoned. And of course, Richland Two schools start a week later than Richland One. All this to mean that we'll be without childcare for Anna from August 11 - August 19 when she starts school. Oh, the joys of juggling kids and calendars...)

Anyway....

After looking at the calendar and lamenting that we haven't been anywhere for a summer vacation in a really long time - I started nosing around the web - trying to find something that is somewhat affordable.

I started with Litchfield Beach at Pawleys Island. Nope. About $1,000 out of budget. Which made me really sad - because I love Pawleys - and the condo we used to stay at. I had a tip that prices are much more affordable a little farther south on Edisto Island (just south of Charleston.)

And low and behold - I found a perfect place for the Party of Five.

A little beach cottage (not on the beach - but close enough to it - 300 paces according to the website - whatever that means) with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a big screened porch, rocking chairs, moss covered live oak trees all around the property, and a meandering bike trail.

Of course, it could be a total shanty when we actually see it - but the website pictures look pretty good.

And I'm giddy.

I can't wait for August. A week at the beach. A week of nothing to do but build sandcastles, fill our bathing suits with sand, eat fresh seafood, lay around the cottage, watch movies, eat popcorn and cheeze-its and drink margaritas.

And for an added bonus? Some good friends are staying just down the beach from us for the same week - with their crew of little ones. (Read: daycare is closed for them too...) And when the kiddies start crawling the walls and driving us nutty - we'll be able to congregate for play dates, grill outs, and movies.

I can already feel the balmy breezes and taste the ocean salt on my skin.