Surfin' USA

We went to my mom's for a couple days last week just to get away, you know, after being gone for 2 weeks in Utah. No really, there isn't anything to do at Fort Irwin except go to the pool, literally, and the temp was hitting almost 110 so we took off for a bit. We spent one day at the beach. My kids had so much fun I think they would live at the beach if they could. Maggie loved it too and she surprisingly wasn't too much trouble, though I did have my mom there to help watch all the kids. I couldn't have done it by myself. Besides the fact that I am beginning to slightly resemble a beached whale.

Maggie enjoyed playing in the sand and water--she was fascinated.

The boys were in heaven--not only was it a beach, but this beach also has tidepools and we happened to arrive just at low tide. It was perfect! They found all kinds of crabs, hermit crabs, little fish, anemones, urchins, mussels, limpets, etc. Ty Ty the Science Guy was in his own particular kind of paradise.

The kids were so good I wish we could have stayed longer but it was starting to get cool so we had to get going.
The boys ran the whole length of the beach for a long time, poor Jake was so cute trying to keep up with Tyler. Below you will notice Tyler in the water...does it look familiar? Think '80's movie.......action........got it yet?
For those of you who can't figure it out--he is trying to do the "crane" move from "The Karate Kid." Pretty awesome skills. Jacob didn't practice his karate (it is pretty amazing that my kids can learn karate from watching a movie once--or at least in their minds they know karate) but he was so excited he couldn't contain himself.
He yelled like this several times. Almost as though his excitement were too much for him to handle. It was so funny---so Jacob. The boys found a hole someone had dug and abandoned. They took it over as their fort. The eventually filled it with seaweed they drug from all over the beach, thus ruining it for any future potential users.
Maggie decided to lay down on the sand despite my promptings for her to not to. She realized pretty quick it may not have been the best idea.
Back at my mom's the boys worked with Andrew (Dick's son, my mom's step-son, my step-brother, call him what you will) in the garage. This garage, by the way, has probably every tool you would ever need. It is a boy's paradise. Andrew was so nice to let the boys "hang out" with him to do guy stuff. They felt pretty cool hanging out with the big guys.
The next day we played in the hot tub and my mom bought a slip and slide that was a hit. My mom kept telling me to get one but I don't know how I could fit it onto my 6' square patch of grass. I'll reserve that fun for her house. The kids would all lay on their towels to warm up--even Maggie. She did that all by herself, she loves to copy her brothers!
All in all it has been a fun summer so far--and we are off again to Utah next week! Busy--but that is the best way. Well, I guess we will head off to the pool again today!