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Yesterday...we went to the beach! I didn't get any pics of the three kids, I didn't get any of Kim, my sis-in-law, with her three homeschoolers and two grandchildren...but I did enjoy some sunshine and fresh air on the shore of Lake Ontario. The kids enjoyed the playground and digging holes. They had big plans for hole digging. We have this nice garden shovel, a nice dangerous one, that really digs sand, not like those little bendy plastic wimpy things that come with the pails. This shovel gets holes dug, and fast. Unfortunately, it's also a kid-magnet, you know, those kids who don't bring toys to the beach and come along and want to play with ours. I don't mind sharing, but this thing is not a toy, it's for kids who know how to be careful not to chop off toes or swing it into someone's face.

Our kids (my three and the cousins) dug a nice big hole. It had lots of water in it, and they were very delighted with it. Two little boys, whom I will call The Tibble Twins, came along to play. They thought it would be fun to try to wreck the walls our kids were trying to build at the edges of the huge hole. I got up from my comfy beach chair and nicely asked the boys to listen to our kids' pleas not to wreck the walls. Then again, to please not throw a bucket of water on Sean, who was trying to defend this hole. Then again, please play nice, boys! Well. Three strikes. Kim got up for #4, and told them to just go away. They did. Where were their parents? Who knows. It's a shame too, because I think they're homeschoolers, and it's nice for the kids to learn to get along, but jeepers.

Anyway. I still felt bad, like we could have tried more, but those kids obviously didn't care about making the grand mega-cool hole, they just wanted to destroy things.

Molly didn't accompany to the beach with Lydia, but was going to be coming to the house, so we spent just three hours at the beach, then headed home for a sweet Lydia visit. The girls had filled a little pool for her in the yard.

I grilled chicken on the deck, which I had marinated in lemon juice/olive oil/seasonings, and a little bit of Italian dressing. It was sooooo good, hardly any leftover for any lunches.

Dinner is still a big production here most nights. We had leftover potatoes, rice, salad, and mixed veggies. Of course you have to get out the hot sauce, the barbecue sauce, the salad dressings and croutons and Craisins, the butter, the salt and pepper...napkins, cups, plates, forks. Then...clean it all up! Many hands supposedly make light the task, but there elbows that rub, and teenage tempers to deal with, ha. Mali actually helped the most last night. It's nice to sit together at the table though.

Today, I am going to the grocery store to get the stuff for Sunday, Jonathan's birthday cookout. He is turning 13, my little guy is going to be a teenager, ha, like I need another teenager (this makes five at the present time, although Jon, being child #14, is the 14th teenager in our family:)) We are having burgers on the grill, and pasta salad, and chips, and cuppycakes. Jon really wants ice cream cake, the homemade stuff on the cookies and butter crust, but it's hard to serve to a whole group of boys...I think 15 or so are coming. So I promised we would have it another night this weekend, which means I have to get stuff for that too. I think I might have to just duct tape my mouth shut for the weekend. I have been staying away from sugar nicely, eating well, watching the portions and the carbs...and this morning, the scale hates me, I am UP a half a pound. no fair, I tell you, no fair...patience, though...and keep on. This is where I want to just want to acknowledge that I AM broken, and go out for ice cream. But I won't. I am going to hold out and see what happens.

Anyway. Never a dull moment. Our puppy is in heat, so there is that. We plan to get her spayed, but have read/heard that it's better to wait until they are a bit older. I am glad Duke is fixed, that makes it easier. I put flea/tick repellent on the three dogs last night...it's so expensive, especially times three. I also bought stuff for the two kitties. But the fleas around here in the summer are brutal, they live in the yard.

Ah well...I am enjoying the nice weather. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the windows are open (yay for new windows with nice screens that haven't been ruined by any cats or small children!). It's still quiet in here, the dogs are all fed and happy and snoring, and the kids haven't emerged from their rooms yet, except for the Real School kids who left a few hours ago, and Kathryn, who left for work. The homeschoolers are allowed to be on their tablets in the mornings before nine, if they're awake. So any minute now, they will come tumbling out here and we'll start the day...even though I have already been up for three hours.:)