Vacation 2011

Clark Vacation 2011 took place in (drumroll please) Panama City, FL! and included a (surprise, surprise) triathlon race for Daddy! ;) Before we left, Andre demonstrated to Dad how to properly wear a bike helmet and clip racing shoes. "See Dad, to avoid eyecontact with the person on your left as to divert attention away from the fact that you are passing them, you want to make sure the helmet convers your left eye. Oh-and feel free to wear padded shorts instead of Toy Story underoos. Go get 'em Dad!"

We stayed at the host hotel-The Boardwalk and had an amazing view of the swim start. Here, Andre and Selah are enjoying their breakfast on the balcony while I try to pick Keenan out in the crowd. "See kids-he's the one in the wetsuit-wait-no-the swim cap-um well....lets go down to the beach and try to see him..."

"THERE HE IS!!" We caught him coming out of the ocean in record time and manage to snap a picture. He was well on his way to winning the whole event! or at least his division. He totally won The-Hottest-Father of 2 1/2 kids division. The prize? 3 sloppy kisses. :) "Andre? Did you see him? Where were you with the cow bell??"

Andre was slightly distracted by a cute brunette in a pink bikini. While his father ran by breathless, Andre was getting up the nerve to ask the pretty stranger, "What does your sign say?" (Probably the pre-school equivalent to the whats your sign? pick-up line...) She told him it said GO DADDY. and that reminded him of why he was standing there wit his cow bell in the first place...

GO DADDY GO! He rang with all of his might!!

A little late Andre.

Nevertheless, he was super proud of his Dad's finish at the Gulf Coast Triathlon. He once again demonstrated how to wear the event participant shirt. "Make sure you have a smug look on your face as if to say-didn't see me coming on your right did you?? it was the old helmet-over-the-left eye trick! HAHAHA!"

Those silly boys. While they were busy talking triathlons...Mommy and Selah enjoyed snuggling on the beach, eating snacks and playing a lot of games that ended in "ties" and lots of kissing. :)

With the race over, the family could now concentrate on more important things like digging a hole in the sand large enough to sit in....

...or contemplate the meaning of life over the sound of the crashing waves on the shore...

..or learn to fly a kite which is really cool until you've exhausted your length of string and find out that just standing there with a plastic handle in your hand watching a flap of plastic in the sky isn't all its cracked up to be.

At least we had the zero-entry pool to add to our list of fun things to do on vacation. Selah particularly loved the shower-It inspired her to bust out in a spontaneuos choreographed dance to Beyonce's Single Ladies. "All my single ladies...All my single ladies..."

As if THAT wasn't enough excitement for our family vacation, Selah braved the bungee jump at Pier Park just to show up her brother. She barely made the weight requirement and from the looks of the saggy diaper-she pooped her pants. But it was all in the name of fun and we were so proud of our daughter! :)

Although he had enjoyed the bungee in years past, Andre wasn't a big fan of it this year. He exciting vacation adventure of choice was the inflatable Slide of Doom that he mastered! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

And of course we had to ride the carosel. Andre found the horse with the most orange on it (his favorite color) and Nanny volunteered to ride with him. You can see her hand waving over the horses head as if to say, "Hi" or "this is what this horse would look like with a mohawk" or "stop the ride I can't see!" Anyway-looks like fun!

This was our only family picture taken on the trip. I strategically placed my sons body between me and the camera lens to to hide my "is-she-pregnant-or-bloated-or-not-recovered- from-the-last-pregnancy-or-spent-to-much-time-at-the snack bar?-tummy"

Selah enjoyed her vacation and decided that she like these people who called themselves "Daddy" "Mommy" and "Andre". Plus she thought she looked pretty cute in her lime bikini and flowerdy bucket hat.

The boys finally realized the girls were right and that kissing wasn't such a bad vacation activity after all. In fact-they suggested adding a Swim, Bike, Run, Kiss event to the schedule next year. In which case the Clarks will rock the house! :)

But the girls will win.

Because...

Clark Baby 3 is a GIRL!!! Andre and Selah will get a new baby sister in November and the estrogen to testerone ratio in the house will shift dramatically. Girls will rule. If you ask Selah if she wants a sister she says, "see-ter" and if you Andre he say, "Yes! and a brother."

Oh Brother.