We raised the kids in first a 3 bedroom home (which was lost to a fire and we were only renting (more in another blog about this), then a 2^nd 3 bedroom home one block from the previous home, then a huge 5 bedroom home (just in the next tract from the previous house), all only 3 miles from the beach. I loved taking the kids to the beach, before they put a cost to being able to go there, unless I drove up the coast, parked about 3 blocks out and walked down the side of a sand filled hill to get there.

So, we would plant our blankets, our shade, the towels and our bags of toys and settle in for a day of fun. FUN I say! I start my routine…. counting…1,2,3,4,5,6. ok, I see them all. I spread out the toys…. 1,2,3,4,5,6.. ok, I see them all. I grab the baby strength SPF60 sun screen and yell at each kid to get them gathered and slathered. Then off they go toward the water. 1,2,3,4,5,6.. ok I see them all. I watch the 2 oldest as they venture further out than I want them to go. But I let them. Again 1,2,3,4,5,6. ok I see them all. And to think I made it through an hour of fun by then. By the end of my day, I am reminded how much the kids loved doing this by listening to their conversations about bragging rights of what they all got to do. Back home, I spray them off outside and they hurry in, change and are into the living room to watch tv. I spend the next hour emptying up the family vehicle of wet towels and all, then broom out what sand I can.

I would not be surprised if my husband would ask me the next day about what I was “counting” in my sleep. Haha!

I would not trade those days for anything.