Day 1184 -- Lambert's and The Hangout

There is nothing so depressing as composing well-written, thorough, dynamic post complete with pictures and video -- only to find out that somewhere between writing and publishing, it has been wiped off of the face of universe into cyber-oblivion.

Maybe that's being a bit dramatic.  I guess I can think of a few things that are more depressing.

Either way, no matter how hard I try, this post will not be as great as it was the first time around.

Tonight I am thankful that we got to experience Lambert's as a family.  The kids and I enjoyed the "throwed rolls" that waiters expertly chucked across the restaurant.  Not only was there the novelty of the rolls being airborne, but they were flaky and warm and delicious.

The servers at Lambert's have a fantastic sense of humor too, playing unsophisticated practical jokes that made the kids and I double up in delirious laughter.  For example, when the food was served, Breslin asked for some ketchup.  The waitress handed him a fake bottle with a lid that popped off, making it look like ketchup was going to spray all over him.  He giggled with glee when he realized what was going on.
I don't really know how else to describe this besides showing you a picture.  
All my kids plowed through their food with blissful abandon -- that is, all but AJ.  When the servers found out it was nearly her birthday, they had her stand up on the table and announced her birthday to the entire restaurant.  She stood there tolerantly, with a shy smile on her face.  When she descended, this is what happened:

She slept all the way through the prank ketchup trick, more throwed rolls, delicious fried okra, and crunchy fried chicken, that Dharia relished with passion.

I am so thankful that we were able to spend this last night at a fun, family friendly restaurant with my grandparents, who, after all, are the whole reason we even ended up here.  I am grateful that my kids got to spend this special time with their great-grandparents and that they were willing to put up with us cannon-balling their vacation.
After Lambert's, my grandparents headed back to the condo, but AJ had gotten her second wind after her power nap at dinner.  We decided to take the kids to a place called The Hangout, which was less than a mile from our hotel and looked like a blast.

We weren't wrong (I shouldn't be surprised, I rarely am...joking, joking).  The Hangout was a paradise for families with kids, offering an open-air dining experience right on the ocean with live music entertainment.  There was also a kids' play area complete with a 20 x 20 area filled with sudsy soap bubbles and an acre's worth of sandy playground.
My two favorite parts of being at The Hangout were (1) when the sudsy soap bubble machine came on and (2) when Colby decided all three kids needed to experience a turn on the bungee trampoline jumpers.

The sudsy soap bubble machine apparently only springs to life once every few hours or so and is quite the occasion.  All of the bubbles that fill the 20 x 20 space are made in the span of about 2 minutes when the machine whirs and grumbles, spewing bubbles with an awesome force and attracting all kids in the area like a giant, Despicable Me-like magnet.

My kids were not content to simply frolic around the outside like most observers.  Oh no.  My girls were so drawn to the soapy goodness that they were deep in the heart of the whirling mass of white. Again, I digress to a visual, as words are inadequate for describing the experience.

The trampoline bungee jumpers were something the kids had been eyeing all night long as kids older and heavier than them soared into the air, completing multiple backflips before returning to the surface, only to take off again.

My small, brave kids each marched up to the jumpers and proved barely heavy enough to return back to the trampoline after each "jump".  In fact, AJ had to be grabbed by a worker every time as she hovered a good 6 feet, dangling her excited feet and giggle-shrieking, "THIS IS THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!"

It was a good night.  It's always hard to leave a vacation, especially one as monumentally epic as this one was, but I'm thankful we're leaving it on an exceptionally high note.

Thank God for Lambert's and The Hangout!

Lord, thank you for a wonderful last night and for a fantastic trip.  Help keep us safe in our travels home.  In your name I pray, Amen.

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