Beach Day!

We decided to kick off our long holiday weekend with a trip down below for some fun in the sun.  It took us half the morning to get the kids and gear all packed (and do my INSANITY workout!), but eventually we were off.  

We met Robbie, Kris, and Andrea at their house in San Pedro, where we changed into our suits and decided on a beach.  We tried the beach right next to their house, but apparently because it was a holiday weekend they charged $9.00 to park where it was usually free.  We opted to go find a less expensive beach. :)  Robbie and Danny decided to head toward Long Beach.  It was a neat 15 minute drive along the coast, and we got some great views of the LA Harbor.  It's amazing how big those ships are!

Finally, we were at our destination.  The beach!  It was a beautiful day, and not too crowded.  I was excited, because I had always wanted to see Long Beach.  It's the hometown of a band I loved in high school and college, so I took a minute to take it all in. :)  Then we set up camp.  Well, the adults got set up.  The kids got right to playing!

But it was lunchtime, and the fun in the sun couldn't keep their tummies from grumbling for long.  It was time for some sandwiches!

Or some sand, whichever suits your fancy...

Eventually, everyone had had their fill and found a place to play.  It was so nice!  It took me a few minutes to get adjusted to the sand and come to terms with the fact that it was going to be everywhere!  Once I accepted that fact, I was good to go.  I think I could totally live close to a beach and love every minute of it.

Funny Story #1-Danny forgot to pack Johnny his swimming suit. :)  So our little guy got to hang out in his t-shirt and a swim diaper!  Good thing he's a baby.  I don't know what we would have done if one of the girls had ended up without a swimming suit!  In all fairness, Danny isn't as accustomed to packing the family.  I usually do it, but he stepped up to the plate so that I could get my workout in.  He's awesome!

Funny Story #2-Well, this one isn't as funny as it is a story.  After we had lunch and got situated near the beach, the girls started playing in the water.  At first they were too afraid to let the waves get any closer than their ankles, so I wasn't paying as close attention as I should have.  I was building a sand castle with Johnny as the girls played, and Danny was up at our little camp.  I glanced toward the water and saw Sophie trying to stand up in water that was much too deep for her.  But the waves kept dragging her under.  I ran as fast as I could to the water and scooped her up.  I was so frightened!  Sophie was just fine, after a little coughing.  But what if I hadn't glanced over?  The thought terrified me.  Almost enough to just go home.  Instead of leaving, I said a silent prayer of gratitude that my little Sosie-kins was okay, and kept a much closer eye on each child.  

Ok, so now that we've had the confession of a distracted Mom, we can move on with our day at the beach!  It was a blast to have Robbie, Kris, and Andrea with us.  It took Andrea a bit to get used to this whole beach thing.  The poor girl just screamed for the first few minutes!  But she got used to things and eventually fell asleep, to enjoy a blissful nap under the beach umbrella.  I don't care if your 30 or 3 months, it doesn't get better than that.

This is the life...

I loved just playing with my kids.  Whenever we go anywhere, I feel like I end up working most of the time, trying to ensure that everything is going well for everyone else.  But once we were all situated and fed, there was literally nothing left for me to do but just sit and play!  Which was awesome.  My kids are way fun!

After a couple of hours of playing, Sophie got tired and wanted to go back to our little camp and eat some cookies.  I couldn't resist taking a picture of her cute feet all covered in sand...

And Johnny played like a trooper!  He loves being outside, and once we got him to quit eating the sand, he just played and played and played!  But after more than 2 hours in the sun, I decided it was time for him to get some nourishment and hydration.  Johnny kicked back and killed two birds with one stone.  The wonders of watermelon...

As parents, we decided that three hours was enough time in the sun for the little ones, so we all went back to San Pedro to have dinner at Robbie and Kris'.  They were nice enough to let us get ourselves and the kids bathed before dinner, so we didn't have to drive 2 hours with sand in our...toes. ;)  For dinner, we had Teriyaki Chicken-Bacon Skewers from OBB and they were fantastic!  We enjoyed a fruit salad from fruit that they bought that morning at a farmer's market, also amazing, and Kris even made flan for dessert.  It was my first experience with flan, and it was a delicious one. :)

After a fun-filled day, we made the drive back to our lovely home in the desert.  We were glad that we had left for the day, since we enjoyed 85 degree weather at the beach and it had been 108 at home.  Yikes!  I will, however, remember to wear sunscreen next time.  Besides wonderful memories, I left the beach with the worst sunburn I've ever had.  I just hope it turns into the best tan I've ever had!