Today I decided we are going to do some sort of water activity. At first I had planned to do a wading pool near my house that the boys always ask to go to. Even though it is hideously crowded with very little shade, I was going to suck it up and go. Then I woke up today to clouds and mist. Not cool. So, plan B was to go to a local beach. My husband swore the older two boys loved to go there and that it wasn't crowded. I figured on an overcast Friday I would probably be okay.
In my mind I was going to spend nap time leisurely getting ready, have the car packed, wake the boys and skedaddle. Of course, my two year old won't go to sleep, my four year old wants to do what I am doing, and my 2 month old was in serious "hold me" mode. I spend 45 minutes running around the house trying to finish getting ready (the one day I do not put on my make-up before my husband goes to work), packing food, clothes, and diapers. Trying to figure out how to get everything from the car to the beach with only one adult, and so on. And the weather is still cloudy. I figure that if we are going to the beach it will probably be even more overcast and windy there, so I better pack for cool weather. Sweats, long sleeves, definitely no swim clothes - brr! Wake up my two year old who is now tired and clingy, continue to carry the baby, and try to force the four year old to go the bathroom and get dressed. Because everyone is still in their pajamas!
For one brief moment I thought I would bring my camera. I wanted to be able to post these amazing pictures of my kids at the beach. The boys would be in cute clothes, smiling at the camera, showing their sweet, angelic, faces. By the time we were out the door, with all the crying and whining from everyone, the camera was purposely left on the mantle. All I wanted to do now was hit the new drive through espresso stand (which of course was closed) and get to the beach.
Did I mention that the weather was overcast at my house? Apparently, the beach was the only sunny place in Seattle this afternoon. By the time we got there the clouds were gone and the sun was brightly shining. We were all sweating a little by the time I got the three boys, two bags, two buckets with shovels, and beach blanket to an area equal distance from the bathroom and the beach. My baby of course was hungry so I settled down to feed him, confident the older boys would be content digging in the sand next to me. Of course not, how could I be so silly! They wanted to go to the water or walk on the logs or run as far away as possible as I sat in the sand and tried to discreetly nurse while also calling out in a sweet/scary voice "Boys that's too far!"
Finally I had the baby in the bjorn, all the stuff packed back up and headed down to the water with the boys. It was at this point that I wished I had my camera, the weather was beautiful, the sun was sparkling on the water, and the boys were awfully cute. Then I realized that my older son's shirt was on backwards. His response whenever I mention that his clothes or shoes are on wrong is "I like it that way" so I had stopped checking. And yes, today his clothes were on backwards. And since I did not bring swimsuits all the boys wanted to do was swim. Before long both were wet up to their knees, then their thighs, then OH MY!, up to their heads and then under. I just laughed as my oldest came sputtering up from underwater, drenching wet and looking at me like "what just happened?". A little too deep I think, but all was well. I had extra clothes, albeit, sweats and sweatshirts, but whatever.
All in all we had a great time. Three trains went by much to the excitement of my toddler, the weather was beautiful, the baby finally fell asleep, and no TV was watched! At the end, I did not have a photograph to show and amaze you with, but tonight when I tucked my boys in and asked them what made them happy today they both said "Playing at the beach". That was a moment I want to capture.
