First Day at the Beach

Our first day on the beach was AMAZING!! It really could not have been better. I was really afraid that we would arrive and the kids would decide after about a half hour that they were done. It was the total opposite. 4 hours later, we had to drag them away.

Before we came to CA, we were told about "June Gloom." Evidently, every morning is really cloudy and cool. At around 11:00 AM, the sun begins to peek out, and the rest of the day is beautiful. I was worried that would be a bummer, but actually, it has worked great for our family. Our mornings have been really relaxed at the condo. Taking our time, eating breakfast, and getting ready for our day. It gives us a chance to pack lunches and plan out our day.

We decided to have our first beach adventure at Laguna Beach. We found a great spot on the sand with a playground right behind us. We wanted to keep all of our entertainment options open for an optimal beach experience.

We are inexperienced at this family beach stuff so we are learning some lessons the hard way and some by accident. One thing I learned is that we should put sun screen on before we arrive on the sand. Once we hit the sand, it was almost impossible. As a result, we waited a while. Rick and the 4 big kids ended up with sunburns. That's a bummer because now we can't go back for a couple of days. We arrived at the perfect time, just as the clouds were moving. Very few people were there so we got our pick of spots. As the day progressed, it got really crowded. Next time we go, I will take Isaiah and Laila out of their Lil' Swimmers before I put them in the truck. Their seats were soaked from the wetness. I am really glad we brought the wagon. That was a lifesaver. We decided to find some free parking in a nearby neighborhood. The trek to the beach was much easier with that wagon. I also learned that it is a necessity to bring extra snacks. Sam forgot his lunched that we packed. Thankfully, I had extra food or we would have been in trouble. We stayed way longer than we planned. That extra food came in handy again. I know that some of you who are reading this are pros at the beach, especially my Hawaii friends. I would love any of your handy dandy beach tips to get us through the rest of this trip!!

Laila immediately jumped into some sand playing. This chick loved the sand. She loved to rub her feet through it. She love to put it in a cup and pour it over herself. She would even roll around in it! By the time the day was over, she had it from head to toe. This led to my new dilemma, getting the sand out of her afro. It has been a new challenge that I didn't consider. I have gotten some advice on Facebook about how to deal with this issue.
The rest of the kids headed straight for the water. They started by trying to run away from the waves as they came towards them. Isaiah lost that battle a few times which led to a few tears, but he bounced back pretty quickly. Lauren and Cody loved learning to ride the waves with the boogie board. Abby was a great help watching Isaiah in the water. She is such a little mommy.

Cody riding the waves.

My view of the beach from the blanket.

There is so much I LOVE about the beach. Some things might annoy other people, but to me they represent the beach. I love all things beach. I love the smell of the ocean. I love the cool breeze. I love the stickiness of my hair. I love the sand everywhere. I love to see Laila's little chubby thighs rubbing together as she walks in her swimsuit. Even the ordinary food that we packed tastes better on the beach. I love the warmth of the sun on my skin. I love it when the person next to me is putting on sunscreen and I can smell a hint of coconut it in the air. I love seeing my kids with lighter hair and golden skin. I love the feeling of coming in and getting clean after being on the beach all day and the exhaustion that I feel throughout my body. I breathe deeper on the beach. I think clearer on the beach. The beach is where I truly feel alive.

One of my favorite pictures: Laila's chubby, sandy feet.

Laila's sandy bottom and legs

Laila pretending to take a nap.

Rick got to do something he hasn't done in a while, play beach volleyball. He rocked the court and his team won!! He got to live out his dream of being a beach volleyball player, and he loved it!! He and the boys did some frisbee throwing as well.

Abby and Isaiah spent a lot of time playing in the sand together.

Isaiah likes to fill the bucket with sand, empty it, and repeat.

He also like to have his towel wrapped around him like a dress.

Abby made castle after castle after castle.

She walked back and forth getting wet sand.

I couldn't believe how well the kids did. Even the little ones did amazing without a nap. We can't wait to go back over and over again while we are here.

The kid's quotes from their first day at the beach:

Cody: "Love at first sight, but sand is horrid." "I also think of it as heaven on earth."

Lauren: "Best time of my life. I love water and waves."

Abby: unavailable for comment.

Sam: "I never want to go back." He was mad today about his sunburn and some waves that scared him.

Isaiah: "Let me go back to the beach. We going to play in the sand."

Laila: unavailable for comment