"Choki?" The question hung in the air after every meal last week. Last week, we let go of diet plans. We let go of schedules, emails, laundry, and lessons. We embraced the Choki. Google tells me that Chokies are the best selling North American chocolate chip cookies, beating out Chips Ahoy. I choose to believe it, because they're that tasty; or maybe it was the sweet taste of vacation freedom. Either way, I'm a believer. "Choki!" became the joke of the vacation. The thing that will make us giggle at the way Daddy stole cookies when Gigi wasn't watching. The phrase that will remind of us of all the fun we had:
Even after more flights by age eight than I'd taken by age twenty-eight, takeoff is still a thrill.
I'd love to tell you the pictures are in chronological order.
They're not.
But it doesn't matter.
Because all we did each day,
every day,
was our best impersonations of beach bums.
This beach boy pretended he was from southern California and discovered the finer points of volley ball.
And when she wasn't swimming, she was scaring the daylights out of everyone nearby because they thought she couldn't swim.
She totally can.
But only when she wants to.
Vacation mom still loves vacation selfies.
I spent small fortunes on underwater cameras years ago; now there's one on my phone. Hooray technology!
The number of vacation mom selfies directly correlates to the number of vacation margaritas.
See above statement.
So many good times with good friends and great waves.
And a few quiet times too.
It's five o'clock somewhere.
Who am I kidding? In Mexico, it's always 5 o'clock.
Product placement. I should be receiving my check soon, right?
We clean up pretty well.
Mind. Blown. Someday we'll take him somewhere really different from Oklahoma. For now, Mexico served up new experiences just fine.
I think I've seen you around here before.
Frozen or on the rocks?
Or maybe both.
She feels pretty.
"Boy, you've got your hands full!" Not as full as my heart.
"I bet you're paying for your raising." I'm pretty sure I've gotten a discount on that.
"G, do you want to go to the beach?"
"Hell yes I do!"
Maybe I need to reassess that discount. She's a spitfire.
A sassy little thing.
But sweet on occasion.
It's still vacation.
Fun is still required.
My camera wasn't built for the humidity.
But it fortunately recovered.
Looking into the future? The past? More likely looking for the nearest Choki.
Far too soon, our footprints washed away.
And we headed home.
Tired.
Exhausted really.
And fully content.
Our thanks to the kind stranger who took one of our better family photos.
He didn't speak English, but he understood family and Choki-fueled smiles.
