Beach Vacation Shopping List

In the immediate weeks after Andrew was born, I sat on the couch, fearful of moving lest I awaken the sleeping infant, and made detailed lists for our family vacation.  It was 5 months away.

That was six years ago.  There are 5 more kids now which means less time for planning.  We gravitate to old favorites that please both adult and child alike and many items that don't normally appear in our own pantries somehow make their way to the beach house. 

Here are the highlights of what we acutally used last year:

• 4 boxes of junky cereal
• 3 healthier options
• 18 mini boxes (my sister & I actually used to cut them down the front and pour the milk in)
• 2 bags of mini bagels
• 48 oz. coffee (high test)
• 24 oz. coffee (decaf)
• 40 count juice boxes
• 3 boxes fruit snacks
• 16 packs of Lance crackers
• 8 bags chips (potato, Doritos, Cheetos)
• 5 loaves of sandwich bread
• 3 loaves of French bread
• 7 not-quite half-gallons of ice cream

What I was unable to measure, however, was the bounty of garden vegetables that accompany the meals: fresh tomatoes with biscuits and gravy, Greek salad for lunch, peppers to munch, and fresh corn on the cob.