School's Out Day 4: Fun in the Fog

So, after 187 consectutive days of rain (I said I'd tell true stories, but never said anything about exaggerating)...I figured I'd better make a plan to get out of the house. Rolly had the luxury of being at work on this sunny Saturday so it was just me and the kids -- headed to the beach.

AT HOME: I spent from 8AM to 10AM packing for the beach (which, it turns out, was longer than I even stayed there)....this included: 3 towels, 2 changes of clothes, various sunscreens, lunches, snacks, beverages, water-shoes, diapers, swim diapers, trash bags, sand toys, hats, cover-ups, epi-pens, elbuterol inhaler, cell phone, keys, money....I'm sure I'm forgetting something. I decided to enlist the help of the grandmothers.

THE BEACH: We leave hot sunny scorching Danvers and arrive at Nahant beach....where it is about 40 degrees, the wind is howling and the fog is so thick you can't see two feet in front of you. (No lie, see picture). THIS, my friends, is the story of my life - and why I keep a blog. The grandmothers exchange looks and start walking back to the car. "NO WAY", I say, "We're staying, I packed for two hours for this trip to Alaska." What I love about kids is that nothing phases them.....they had a ball despite the fact that they couldn't even see the ocean for the first 45 minutes. After some fun in the fog....we decided to head home. Packing up, I'd have to say, was possibly the most fun I've had so far this summer. Kids, towels, cooler.....EVERYTHING plastered with sand. I remove Maddy's soggy sandy swim diaper only to find she has pooped in it (of course). Anyone with kids and swim diapers can imagine what a good time that was. (remember....true stories)

RIDE HOME: Dump my ice coffee all over myself and my car....say some bad words, which Maddy repeats. (Does that ever happen in your car?)

SO.... I ask myself...."IS IT WORTH IT!?!???!??!?!?!?"

Of course it is.....look at those two little faces.

Hey, gotta run -- I would love to write more...but I have to go hose down the beach chairs and cooler, rinse the sand toys, shake out the towels, wash the wet bathing suits, vacuum the sand out of my car, and put the two kids in the tub so I can wash the sand out of all their crevices.