We are officially surfers

 

 

 

We finally made it to the beach! Liam was very excited about going and when we got there he exclaimed, "Look at those seagulls! Look at the ocean! Look at all that sand! Look at those waves! Ok guys, we are officially surfers." He then proceeded to complain about how hot the sand was and how he didn't like it in his shoes and how he didn't want to get wet. All while watching the surfers and saying that he wanted to be one. So Paul and I took turns carrying him into the water to ease him in. He loved having me dip him into the waves and he eventually stood on his own. It turns out he's ok with the sand and the water, just not when the two are mixed together. He doesn't like the mud. Water shoes are a must for next time. His favorite part of the trip was rinsing off in the shower. No joke. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brygit was a little overwhelmed. She wasn't a fan of the two hours we spent in traffic then when we got to the beach she was pretty scared. In her defense, if you had no recollection of ever being at the beach and you didn't know what it was you'd be a little freaked out too. She loved the seagulls and she kept pointing at the lifeguard boat and saying, "Boat! Boat!" which was a word I didn't even know she knew. Liam screaming and running away from the waves was not helping to ease her nerves so she opted for a nap on the towels after digging in the sand for a bit and pouring handfuls of it over her head. When she woke up I walked her into the water but I didn't dip her in due to the strangle hold she had around my neck. 

 

 

 

 

 

As a Southern California resident I'm a little ashamed to say that was our first trip this summer and it will probably be our last until next year. I remember, when I was like 18, I would drive down to the beach with my friends all the time. We would only bring our towels, sunblock and a few bucks for food. Sometimes, we would go at night just to hang out. Seriously, driving that far with young kids just isn't as easy. It's fun! But it's not easy. It's a long car ride and do you know how much gear we were carrying? Towels, hats, sunblock, an assortment of sand toys, drinks and snacks, my camera, changes of clothes, diapers and wipes. By the time we carried it all back to the car I was sweating and wanted to go back in the water. When we hit traffic on the way home our decision was made. We will see the beach again in 2014.