The Beach: Takes 2 and 3

The kids and I are really enjoying the beach this year. This is our 6th summer living here, and already I've been to the beach more than in any other year. Well, it's not like I don't have some good excuses.

During three of those summers, I had a baby who wasn't walking yet, and quite frankly, that makes for a NOT fun beach experience, in my opinion. The baby wants to get down and crawl around, immediately gets covered with sand, starts crying, rubs eyes with sandy hands, sticks hands in mouth, and it's all downhill from there.

And three of those summers, including this one, I've been pregnant. The difference this year is that the baby is due later and I'm not nearly so hot yet. When you're due in August and get smouldering hot when it's 75° out, the beach in the middle of the summer is not an option.

(I just had to interrupt my composition of this post to go confisicate a harmonica from a certain 3-year old who somehow thought that sneaking downstairs to get it and returning to her room to play it during the middle of naptime would be a good idea. Who's child is that, anyways? Oh yeah, Grant's.)

So all that to say, I've been successful at meeting my goal of getting the kids to the beach at least once a week during the summer for three weeks in a row now! Last week we went alone; this week, some friends went with us. The first six pictures are from last week.

This week, Annika decided (I think because of peer pressure) that she wanted to go in the ocean. She kept grabbing my hand and saying, "Come on, Mom!" Once she got there, she didn't want to come out. I didn't get any photos of it this week, I was too busy holding her hand and keeping her from wandering out too far, because apparently her fears are no more. Guess the beach won't be so relaxing for mama anymore.

Since Annika was still afraid of the water, Corban made it his mission to dig her a swimming pool.

I caught some good photos of Marissa laughing in enjoyment with the waves.

I just really liked this one.


Corban's hole was getting deep but didn't have much space. He sat in there to show me that Annika could indeed "fit inside".

Ahhh...now the hole has evolved to something much more spacious!

FINALLY....Annika got in the water!

All of the kids (except Annika and Daniel, the 7-month old) were fully engaged in digging holes by the water. For what purpose, I have no idea....but they were having fun!

Marissa just made me laugh here....she was waddling as she carried the bucket full of water.

Oh, and I'm actually getting a tan....which is pretty exciting! Yeah, yeah, you can scoff if you want, I know I'm still as pale as a ghost next to some people I know, but hey, I'm tan for me. You have no idea how long it has been since I've had regular sun exposure.