Beach Day Part 2

So we survived the beach yesterday. It was a bit of work to pack everything up & get there. But we went to a great beach that had very easy access, which made it very easy to get everything onto the beach (as opposed to five blocks away and over the rolling dunes like I did last year).

The beach itself was a lot of fun. Chloe spent most of the time digging with my cousin Andrew, until she befriended a ladybug, which she loved very much. But she finally told it, "I'm sorry ladybug, I'd love to hold you some more, but i want to go have fun now." And she sent it on its way.

Gideon usually freezes his hiney off in the heated pool at the YMCA, so I didn't think he would want to get in the water, when it was 56 degrees at the beach. But he did. And he had a blast. He spent the whole time chasing the waves. And after awhile, Zachy joined him. It was so cute to watch them hold hands in the ocean. Zachary told me later that Gideon was keeping him from falling down in the water. What a great brother!

And Evelyn...So cute! she was afraid to walk in the sand, at first, but my mom held her hand & walked with her which made her very happy. and once she go to the hard sand, she was quite confident. ---until she fell. And then she'd just sit there and cry until we picked her up. At one point, she fell flat on her face, and just laid there w/her face in the sand (while i laughed at her) until I picked her up. I think she didn't want to pick herself up, because she didn't like sand on her hands. --what a princess!

So that was all great....And then we had to leave....and Zachary was shivering and turning blue. And everyone was covered in sand...and I had to haul everything back up...and dress all of the kids while they whined about how cold they were... And this is what I decided (On a side note, Chris informed me once that whenever I say, "This is what I've decided," It's like I've made this new Kari-law that is now written on stone. So it's become a bit of a joke to us.) Anyway...this is what I've decided: I don't think I'll go back to the beach until my kids can dress themselves. Because it was just too much work trying to clean up & dress all of the kids. Not to mention that I still have to bring everything in & put it away when we get home --and give each of the kids a bath. I just have too many kids who are too little to take care of themselves. Chloe's the only one who can pretty much do everything for herself. So after doing everything for the three others, I was exhausted!

But like I said, it was a lot of fun. I'm really glad I went. And I'm glad I got to spend time w/my aunt & cousin. And the kids say the beach was their favorite part of Granny Janny's visit. :) I am sad, though, that I didn't bring my camera, because you get the best kid pictures at the beach! And it would've been good to have something to document for my children that I did actually take them to the beach when they were children, since they'll have very few memories of it. --maybe I'll try again next year. :)