We have fallen into a nice rhythm.

Wake up at around 6am (sometimes earlier!) – we are in an efficiency unit, very tiny, so once I’m up, the kids are up as well.

I watch the sun rise with two cups of coffee. The kids have cereal, then fool around together/with me or play with toys, newly found shells, rocks.

I then go downstairs to exercise since this condominium building has a gym. My eight year old is in charge of herself and her brother. The door to the balcony is locked. They watch cartoons on their iPads (those are restricted to downloads only) while I exercise for about 30 minutes.

I come back, take a shower, and the kids and I go downstairs to the beach.

There are five cats that reside at this condominium. My kids, of course, want to take them all home. My husband warned me: “do not bring home a cat.”

At the beach… it’s reading, listening to podcasts (for me), burying each other in the sand (the kids). Drawing for my daughter. My son is happy digging tunnels.

After the beach, in early afternoon, we find a restaurant for lunch. The coast has the freshest seafood so we have been treating ourselves to some shrimp and catch(es) of the day. The kids mainly stuck with shrimp dishes: fried shrimp and shrimp tacos; I had the catch of the day (grouper), and shrimp tacos as well.

Today, however, we went to have lunch at Paula Deen’s Family restaurant. I used to watch her show, eons ago, and I love some comfort food once in a while. We had fried okra, Paula’s famous fried chicken, collard greens, chicken and dumplings, and Mac and cheese. This was an “all you can eat” restaurant, and I am not eating for the next three days.

I then bought some stuff for the kitchen in Paula Deen’s store.

After lunch, it’s down time for me and the kids and a trip to the indoor pool in the early evening (5ish).

Dinner has been at the apartment every time. I cannot imagine taking them and myself out in the evening. Dinners have been very basic: pasta with sauce, cut up vegetables, microwavable chicken Masala, pre-packaged soup, or leftovers.

And so we have been repeating the same pattern: wake up, coffee and watch the sun rise, exercise, breakfast, beach, lunch, downtime, pool, dinner, bed. Rinse and repeat the next day.

I am liking this set up.

The kids are being kids. They bicker and then they love each other. They whine and then they are so helpful. Just today they were wrestling and obnoxious during downtime, and would not stop, in spite of several reminders, so I took away their iPads and placed them both in a time out (bunk beds). It’s hit or miss. They are great at the beach and the pool. They are also great when they are asleep 😉

We have two more full days here in Myrtle Beach, and we will have sunny weather and 72 degrees.

Tell me, how is your week is going?