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The scorn that is sunscreen, and other stories

So serene… but if you look closely, to the right of the reflection in the water, you will see the baby gator. Momma gator is sure to be watching us all.

Sandy beaches, sunshine, and just a bissel (a little) rain each day. Turtles, alligators, dolphins, fish, frogs, deer, baby gators, seagulls, ibis, lizards, and sandpipers.  Spiders the size of my hand, definitely not for the weak hearted. Family, cousins, and even a baby! Five kinder (sweet children), four magnificent mommas, and ice cream beer, wine too! All, in our happy place, Bald Head Island, just off the coast of North Carolina. Together never felt so good!

Jewish Proverb:

“No matter what happens, travel gives you a story to tell.” Keyn enin vos khapanz, arumforn git ir a dertseylung.”

This is one, very big and scary gator

My Big, she talks about when she was in the ocean with baby C and his momma. The baby, he fell from the force of the wave riptide and was whisked up in the air, hanging by his hand his arm remarkably stayed in its socket lovingly held firmly in his mom’s grip. Baby C, clearly farshluggeneh (shaken, mixed up), then declared, “It is ag-gwa!”

Boorivkah: Yiddish for Blueberry!

My Little, she liked it when they all dressed up in the big blue bubbles and ran out on the golf course for pictures and videos. G, a kleineh kinder (small, little sweetie) clad in his blown-up blueberry, and almost lost inside its great girth big, he is not, literally rolled down the steps from the porch to the patio. He got up, blueberry suit as savior, fartootst (confused and bewildered), he looked at my Little and said, “That was so awesome!”

My Little…

We heard from the Tanta’s (aunts) that our Little, she shared bragged, well she boasted, hell, she was kvelling (bursting with pride) her talent of being able to burp on command. She proved it, right then and there, too. The boys all broke into bursts of giggling. Me, and my Mrs., we were just grateful that she didn’t share the curse word she knows that rhymes with ‘truck.’ Oy vey iz mir. (Woe is me.) Our miniature komish (comic) in the making. Big, she read books to them all and tended to all of us the kinder like the mommelah (little mother) she is. 

K, he can Hula-Hoop like a champ

K, nearly 7, doesn’t understand why, if we have Baldhead, and we all can be there together, why is he now waking up in California? And us in Philadelphia? Smart, he is!

G, as a young buck

G, he told us stories about each animal, fish, insect, bird or reptile we encountered. Between books, school and the Kratt brothers (from the Wild Kratts TV show), this boychik (little boy) absorbs it all!

baby C, no filter

Baby C, he exudes cuteness. My Mrs., she has plans to kidnap him. But please, do not tell his mommas.

Even s’mores were ready for our last night together, post blueberry run!

Now the Tanta’s, they are both shitterayn (able to cook delicious food without a recipe) no, I am not calling them bad things! I am complimenting them. Not a bad word at all! Each day, they would potchki (poke around) adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that in the kitchen. Gourmet snacks, meals, and picnics would appear before us, ready to be devoured. I did the laundry to make up for my lack of kitchen capabilities, however, please know that I am inspired!

Thankfully the Tanta’s had colored sunscreen for their faces…

Kvetching (Complaining): across the board. All five kinder had been varfing (throwing, as in throwing a tantrum) each and every time we slathered their skin with sunscreen.  Enter curse word that rhymes with ‘truck’ here, now, as often as you like. Honestly, the geshries (screams) and moans that would come from these kinder, one might have thought we were coating them with alligator food and letting them out to stroll by the lake, alone! It was a painstakingly tough production for us all and anyone in earshot. And don’t you know, their gentle, smooth skin, like a babies tuchas (tushy, bum, butt), has been saved, despite the struggles. 

Genug is genug! (Enough is enough!) You HAVE TO WEAR your sun shirt, your hat, your sunglasses, and we MUST re-apply sunscreen every 80 minutes!

“It’s time kids.” They got all broygis (pissed off, angry a real shit-fit).

We heard: “Putting sunscreen on is so boring. What if ___insert cousin name here_________ gets to the pool first? Why is it so thick we did apply it with a putty knife? You just put it on one minute ago! Yes, I did put it on my face already. You did that leg. The sun isn’t even out. Maybe we should only swim at night? Is there moonscreen too? Is it dry yet? Can I PLEASE go back in the pool now?” Imagine me explaining the depleted ozone layer,  our dangerous proximity to the sun and its harmful effects to our derma, the largest organ in our entire bodies. Scott Pruitt, climate change…Oh, I went off. Oy! 

Little and Big, my mighty girls!
My Big,… that is childhood

My Mrs., she loved the shoals and tide pools over by Cape Fear yes, like in the movies. The small, waveless swimming holes were so much fun. It was calm and soothing sitting and swimming in nature-made pools, free from the pull of the full moon, fish swimming around our ankles. We all walked on the beach and collected shells. Big, she made drippy sand castles. Little and K stood atop boogie boards. G, he did too — even though he is slight enough to walk on water. I was bound and determined to find a sand dollar in its entirety – Bubkas (no such luck). Next time…

We also took a nature walk. Get a load of the size of this fairy house! Whoa…

One of my most cherished times was biking with Big and K to the ice cream shop. The rain had stopped and we wanted to ride bikes. The others took the golf cart. We were rain free and riding through puddles on the way there. I led the way, K was to stay in the middle and on the right side of the path, Big, she rode caboose to help keep K in line. To K’s surprise, we beat the cart-full-o-family through Middle island and to the docks. To our surprise, he arrived in one piece. We all had the most delicious homemade ice cream beer when the clouds burst open. The amount of clean water pouring from the sky was stunning. The three of us rode back to the house, happily drenched in the deluge. We joked about needing soap and shampoo, and not needing any sunscreen. K, electrified by the sugar high, puddles and heavy rains, rode his bike as if he were drunk, swerving right and left. Just as our cart-full-o-family drove up, K pedaled himself straight into a tree on the side of the road. Remarkably, not a scratch on him. No head injury. No flesh wounds. (Knocking wood)

K and Big, beach bound
And we loved our pool time

And I think we all enjoyed the pure, carefree, childlike fun and love as the kinder played, frolicked, fought (well they are real kids you know), laughed, and made collective memories. This was priceless.

And the photos and videos we all took made Nonna (Italian for Bubbe, which is Yiddish for grandmother) so happy. This trip to BHI was palpably different for us all because of our very tangible lack of Nonna and PopPop (grandfather, Zaideh). PopPop has, well, he has a farshlepteh krenk (literally, a chronic illness) and was recently moved to a nursing home, a much safer place for him and our Nonna. His decline has been so fast, like a lightning strike or the blink of an eye. His placement made it too soon for Nonna to make the trip. Everyone understood and felt her spirit there with us every moment of our days. We will continue to fill her heart with stories of the nachas (joys) we all experienced. These kinder will help to heal her heart and she does not need to apply sunscreen to take them in and ours too. 

Waiting for the first ferry back to the mainland
Me and my Mrs., bashert (soul mate)

A bie gezunt. (As long as you are healthy.)

 

 

78 thoughts on “The scorn that is sunscreen, and other stories”

  2. Looks and sounds like such fun, makes me long for summertimes here, although I hate applying sunscreen over and over, but it’s 100% a must to save ourselves from skin damage and the unbearable pain of sunburn. Baby C is adorable I can see why she would want to stay him. You can tell your daughter I also share her awesome talent of burping on command, my sister and I are the only ones of our family who can! It is disgusting, but does make our kids laugh.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. The battle over sunscreen is real!!!! Many a hissy fit has ensued! Feel free to come to my house and do laundry anytime! Looks like you had a great time. #mixitup

    Liked by 1 person

  6. You stunning pair! All the hearts. This sounds like an incredible trip. All the kiddies sound like they made lifetime memories and worked on their bonds with one another. So sorry to hear about PopPop. Sending my love and hugs. Thanks for linking up with us. Missed you #KCACOLS

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Whenever I put sun cream on my kid he walks around sticking his arms and legs out. Looks like they had fun anyway though!

    Like

  10. Oh Lisa I LOVED this post – so full of joy and just how summer holidays should be – with loved ones, having fun outdoors. You really have a lucky lot there. I know what you mean about suncream though – my lot battle it everyday! Come on guys, just accept it so we can get on with the fun!!!! Thanks for linking up to #thesatsesh with such a cheery post. xx

    Liked by 1 person

  15. I’ve loved your photos on Instagram and it’s good to see them again here too! My child also detests the sunscreen application! I know he will understand one day! Thank you for joining in at #TriumphantTales, we hope to see you again next week!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Why is it that sunscreen and sand make for the most disastrous mix known to human kind? Loved this little tale and I’ve laughed so much reading it. It’s not so different for us here really! #KCACOLS

    Liked by 1 person

  18. A lovely post that had me laughing from beginning to end. Seems as if you had a great vacation. Also do I pick up a little bit of Dutch of Flemish in this post? Understood it without even reading the translation as it is very similar to Afrikaans here in South Africa. Love summer holidays but the sun can be a scorcher here and that’s why we always apply SpF 50 to the whole family. Although my family loves going to the beach, I’m not so keen. I will do early morning but will only stay for an hour. I don’t like the whole packing in the sand with a beach umbrella and the sun basically frying us #globalblogging

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  19. Gorgeous photos – that one with G and the antlers is just so cute! It has been a constant battle this summer with my daughter and sunscreen; one day she wants nothing more than to tip the entire bottle on and the next she scream blue murder at having it applies! #KCACOLS

    Like

  29. Always such a beautiful way of writing your families adventures Lisa. I love the idea of ‘moonscreen’ if only there were such a thing:) My two seem to think they are invincible and the sun can do them no damage whatsoever…..I explain again and again, one day it will all click I am sure:) Thank you for bringing this very topical post to the #mainylovessummer linky.
    Mainy xx

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  31. Pingback: #GlobalBlogging linky week 72… | Shank You Very Much

  33. #thesatsesh WOW! what wonderful memories and I would also adore to be a large blueberry across a golf course 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing them, and I agree sun cream is horrendous stuff, but necessary.

    Liked by 1 person

  37. Pingback: #StayClassyMama 114 - White Camellias

  38. Wow what a fabulous holiday, and so many memories to treasure. I love that you’ve included a little anecdote for each child, and it’s not just the big things – it’s the little things that really feel like we’re getting a glimpse of their soul.

    Also I’m fascinated to hear that “potchki” is yiddish for “poke around” because husband’s family use the word “potch” to mean poke around or fiddle with and we’ve always said we don’t know where the phrase comes from as it’s not a word used by other people, as far as we know. So I shall definitely pass this info on! #blogcrush

    Liked by 1 person

  40. Oh my goodness! The crock would have me run away as fast and far as possible! You guys are very brave of getting up close and personal. I love the blueberry crash. That looks like a lot of fun. I love your description of the puddles ride and the sky opening up like clear water – just beautiful. That colour sunscreen would have totally encourage my kids put it on all day long. lol! What beautiful memories you have gathered in a short period of time. So beautiful. Thank you very much for sharing this with us on #FabFridayPost xxxx

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