Truro Top Ten, Part One.

10. Kites. While many of the beaches required sherpa-like descents and ascents to and from the shore, they were all completely worth it. When we were on the Truro beaches, the weather was phenomenal, the kids were (mostly) chill, and the adults were relaxed. A Disney Princess kite made more than one appearance, and looking at it in that Good-Lord-It's-Ridiculous-Blue-Sky makes me want my toes in the sand again.

9. Big Girl Trips with Marley. Because there were six adults and six kids in the same three-bedroom house, bedtimes were pretty rough. For example, my little friend Owen thought it was alternately hilarious and endearing when he tiptoed downstairs five or six times a night to cuddle with his mommy. But extra grown-ups meant that someone was always home during naptime, and so while Rudy and Jackson were snoozing and Jeff was ploughing through Todd's copy of Zeitoun, Todd and I went mini-golfing with Bean. Todd and Jeff and Danielle had little kid time at the fantastic playground by the Truro library while Marley and I joined Riley and her mom and dad on a P-Town whale watch. I'm pretty sure Beanie was thrilled to have us to herself, and because I coach high school girls, I am aware that that's not going to last too much longer, so I'll take it while I can.

8. Wild Rumpuses. Because there were six rascals running, waddling (Rudy), or rolling (Jackson) around, the atmosphere at our vacation house wasn't very relaxing. It was more of a barely contained chaos that began to erupt several times a day, and then we'd get every kid in bed before things blew up completely.

But apparently, Rudy felt stressed out by all the fun and subsequently tried to break into the case of Skinny Girl margaritas we brought along, and apparently, when the chaos was just bubbling over one afternoon, Owen was placed in charge of Jackson while the adults were into the margaritas.

7. Casual Cousin Time. For a little over a week, Riley got to have a sister. Three of them, actually: Marley, Rudy, and Emma. All the cousins were delighted by the meals and baths and bedroom they shared. Bean and Riley lounged around in their nighties and watched Nick Jr. or the Disney Channel in the morning. They'd sprawl on the floor and color while the little kids were napping. Emma and Owen worked on puzzles together. The five oldest were, in general, all over each other and each other's toys and books and movies, and there were maybe three time-outs, total. I think because it was the start of the summer and we were all just so happy to be finally having summer, everyone was ten to fifteen percent happier and more well-behaved than usual.

6. Jackson. When my sisters and I went to Truro together for the first time last summer, there were five kids along for the ride. And Danielle was pregnant with number six. And now he's here, and he was just as delightful at the beach as he is everywhere else. He wins. Which is no surprise to anyone who knows and loves him.