A series of firsts......

For the Kraken on our beach vacation this past week:

1. First....well....actual beach vacation
2. First trip into the pool with the floaties without clinging to a parent every single second
3. First actual trip to the bottom of the pool when floaties were forgotten and footing was lost (not a happy face when I pulled her up, I tell you)
4. First time into the ocean more than big toe deep
5. First movie at a movie theater (Up - completely fantastic)
6. First Happy Meal (I hate McDonalds and never set foot there willingly)

A few firsts for me as well.

1. First sea turtle in the wild, spotted three feet away from the boat I was sitting in
2. First entire day on a frakking YACHT. Holy cow, would I do that again in a minute
3. First manta ray in the wild
4. First time spotting the wild ponies of the Outer Banks
5. First time staying in a beach house swank enough to have a bleeping elevator!
6. First time unabashedly walking around in front of my mother with at least four tattoos showing (yes, I know, at age 38, this is rather sad)

All in all, a rather momentous vacation, and one that simultaneously seemed to go on forever, and ended far, far too quickly. I could totally have used another week.