(Things that Made Me Happy this Week)
It’s true. I’ve had some issues over the years with going home. I’ve loved the idea of it, and the drive, and pulling up in front of my old house, and the initial walk-through. But as soon as I set down my bags I was ready to leave. It’s always seemed so odd to me that I’d feel that way because I loved my home growing up. My family is great, my friends here are great. Why should home be so hard?
Maybe I finally grew up, or maybe I just let go of my expectations, but either way this trip was different. It was relaxing and fun and freeing to be home. All of it. Starting with…
Hanging my janitor-sized ring of keys next to my dad’s janitor-sized ring of keys.
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Sitting on the back porch and giggling on the phone with one of my friends at midnight.
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Curling up in my old bedroom on a breezy 78 degree day. Drifting off to the faint sound of my daughter and mom laughing in the backyard.
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Jumping into the car of a new friend and leaving my mom’s house (and my girls) behind for a quick lunch.
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Deciding that the battle scars on my arms from the new kitten’s claws meant that she wanted more of my love.
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Realizing that I’d never again be part of the hard-core mating rituals that happen at or around the beach.
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Bringing the girls to one of my old stomping grounds.
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Renewing my LOVE for bathing suits. Seriously. I love them. Because the alternative? The Naked Beach on Sandy Hook. I only went there once as a teen, but every time I go the Clothed Beaches now I remember the Old Men Welcoming Committee of the Naked Beach and I glory in the fact that all other beaches require some kind of loin covering.
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Introducing TWO’s freckle to the family. She’s very proud of it and points it out at every occasion. Then she turns her attention to me and points out MY freckles and moles (which could go on forever because I have many). Only for some reason she calls them “nipples.” Her loud, public introductions go something like this, “Look! Mama got nipples on her face! Why my mama got nipples on her face?”
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Plotting PROJECT HUMILIATION with my hometown BFF. Not for my kids, but for her 5YO who recently decided he no longer cared to be potty trained. AND would smear his poo on her sheets. We set up a diaper station for him and changed him like a baby in front of the family and told him he’d have to wear diapers again until he proved he could use the potty. Survey Says? He hasn’t browned his pants since.
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Waiting in line with half of the Upper East Side for one of these.
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Putting up some of my blog stickers at my favorite coffeehouse, the Inkwell. And then realizing that I forgot to leave a tip. And then racing back to leave a bigger tip because, I can’t also be a BAD TIPPER.
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Embracing that while it might sometimes be hard to return home, only in New Jersey will I find a sign like this…
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What makes you
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!!! = Intentional Happiness
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I ADORE TWO’s freckle. And her little curled toes. And many, many moments of !!! back on your old stomping ground.
I need some !!! today, so I’m going to look at the fact we were out of coffee this morning as a positive…because? I went to Starbux and am starting with a fine cup of BOLD-FLAVORED joe this morning!
Happy !!! today!
As a fellow freckled person, there is nothing I love more than the light dusting of freckles on my oldest son’s nose. There is something so inspiring about them. And it is a constant remind to apply and reapply the darn sunscreen!
Love that you were able to escape for a little bit to catch up with a friend. And I would have to agree with you regarding bathing suits. When faced with the alternative and it’s welcoming committee (which in and of itself is about 300 kinds of WRONG!) I will proudly display what remains of my kangaroo pouch in a suit, baby…Maybe even flaunt it too! ;)
I mean, reminder…ARGHH! When am I going to learn to have my tea BEFORE I start commenting!
Nude beaches? No thank you. And like you, I’m so glad I’ll never have to play the beach mating game again. Ick.
I’ll be back tomorrow to link up!
3 of my very favorite places in the world: beach, Light House, Inkwell.
::sigh:: Jersey…. :)
Those are pretty much my very favorite spots too. Add the Windmill and I’m set for life.
Naps!!! Love that you were able to relax while your Mom entertained her grandbabies!!
Dear God, don’t let TWO near my face. Too many nipples to count…
Still jealous of Project Humiliation. come to my house.
Why does going home as a full fledged adult still make us feel like kids?
(No answer. Rhetorical question.)
CK love it! We go to that beach across from the Lighthouse every other weekend in the summer. In fact, we’ll be there on Sat. Never hit the nude beach in Sea Bright but I did go to the one at the Hook. Same thing all creepy old men NAKED! Thanks for taking me!
SANDY HOOK! That’s what I meant to write…not Sea Bright. Well, at least that proves I haven’t been there in ages! (Hopefully that makes up for the fact that I went at all.)
Chatting with a girlfriend on the porch. Now that is !!!
And the diaper station, OMG, I am laughing at the genius of it. Really. I hope I never need it, but you can bet I’ll use it if I do!!
Great !!! as always….glad you had a great trip home!
Two’s freckle = awesome! Project Humiliation cracks me up. Nice going by the way (note to self: in case future potty training is a failure, see Project Humiliation). And a trip home is not often for me due to its sheer distance but when I’m there, it’s wonderful to feel like a girl again – chatting and giggling with BFFs from years ago, enjoying breakfasts made by someone else other than myself, and visiting old haunts.
Glad you had a great trip.
p.s. I hope to link up tomorrow.
That project humiliation is brilliant!
Loving your !!! today :)
TWO’s nipple statement made me laugh out loud!!
Yeah… Humiliation works wonders, doesn’t it??
Oh, how I do love a good keyring holder! Everything in its place, especially keys. And, dear God, please, please, please let me never have to launch Project Humiliation!
I am headed home tomorrow. And your post has inspired me to take some pictures and get on the !!! bandwagon. Love it CK!
Can’t believe you went to the nude beach! From the time I was about 5 years old it was drilled into my head that only diseased, scaly old men go there and something terrible would happen to me if I went. I’ve always had such a crazy, netherworld image of it in my head! On another note, can’t wait for your next visit!
Okay I have to admit, love the Project Humiliation. That’s parenting just my style. I did one of those. My kindergartener always wanted a sippy cup of milk before school and then would never drink it. One day I packed in his lunch box that he took to school. Funny – always drank his milk after that. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t force him to have the milk -but, you WILL drink/eat what you ask for!
YES! I love it. Creative parenting = !!!
“the Old Men Welcoming Committee of the Naked Beach” ? Seriously?
What a scary sight. And what a scary image I’m going to carry around with me today. Thanks.
@Jane even CK’s amazing writing cannot capture the image of the wrinkly old butt and shriveled nuts that are seen on the Hook. They were disgusting!
By the way CK I fell upon the nude beach accidentally with a group of friends. My girlfriend and I were the only gals on the beach and our 2 guys friends were probably the only straight men. Good times, thanks for the memory!
My parents have moved house and home twice since I left home and now live in a different city also. So for me there is no “home” in the sense you mean and it is quite sad to know that, to not be able to return there or one day share my childhood experiences and memories in quite the same way with my daughter. Glad you had such a wonderful time going back home. Definitely a lot of !!! moments to be had.
I struggle with the whole going home thing. Even though I “go home” like weekly during the summer (Mimi lives an hour away), for me it’s spending the night there that geeks me out. Nothing is right. Everything is right. But, it’s just so wrong. But, The Dudes love it and I’ve committed to going up and staying for 3 whole nights (AAAHHH!!!) next week. Luckily I can escape quickly should things go awry!
Love these. Hate that Project Humiliation had to happen, but quite impressed by the sheer brilliance of it. Tell me more about these blog stickers!
I went to a nude beach ONCE in San Diego (Black’s Beach). My boyfriend at the time convinced me that it had the best waves for surfing. Yep – once was more than enough.
What a bleak life it would be without !!!. Yay for fun homecomings and finding the joy in it all.
This was great! Thanks GOD your plan worked!!!! You are a genius! That may have been the most fun I had in years!
I went to the nude beach once and all I wanted to do was hand out bathing suits.
I am so glad that dating is far behind me. I mean single dating. I love dating my husband. : )
How fun!
I went to a nude beach once with my friend and her husband. They immediately stripped down. I only braved taking off my top. It was a great experience but I would never to it again, that’s for sure.
Nipples! Ha! My son calls my moles and freckles pimples.
I’m not sure which I laughed harder about — Project Humiliation or the Old Men Welcoming Committee at the beach.
As for home, it’s never just home. It gets more and more loaded and sometimes it explodes or falls in on itself. But it’s always there, in memory, and that can be grounding even when we want to run away. Glad this trip was different.
Note to self: do not visit Sandy Hook…
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