beachy, just beachy....

Should we go to the beach, we pondered? Why not! Summer is ebbing away, and we haven't beached enough yet. So off we went, to the nice state park on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. We had to take a car and a minivan, because Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, Camille, me, wouldn't fit in the minivan, which seats seven, let alone cousin Dani and friend Irene...

We stopped at the store on the way up, and I let the kids pick out a dozen donuts, which I stayed away from. We got sandwich stuff, some strawberries, cherries, carrots, and chips. And water and ice.


(our obligatory parking-lot selfie)


The other kids were playing volleyball on the beach, Camille was finishing the fourth Harry Potter.


She finished it! I took the little rascal to the library one week ago tonight to get the third book, and she is starting the fifth one already! I told her not to hog them down so fast, she's not going to know what to do with herself when she's done.



The waves were huge today, we had so much fun playing in them! We went in swimming three times! One of the girls pointed out that I was the only "old" lady out swimming, the other older people at the beach just waded a little, or walked around knee deep. They didn't know what they were missing. The waves splashed over our heads, smashed into us, made us screech and laugh, it was just too much fun. I don't usually like to go underwater, as I get dizzy when I get water in my ears, but...

I hate the beach almost as much as I love it. Sand, I don't like it blowing on me, don't like it in my food. I do like the warmth of it when I make a big pile of it to rest my feet on in my comfy beach chair, and I like how it looks when the wind blows it into ridges. I like when it lines the lake, instead of slippery and treacherous rocks. Jonathan thanked me today for teaching him basic beach courtesy...don't walk on other people's towels, be careful not to kick sand on people when you're walking by, and do NOT put that sandy hand in the chip bag! Also, keep food bags covered up with extra towels so the seagulls don't get into them.

Being at the beach is also no picnic for a fat lady, and I am serious. But, this doesn't bother me as much as it used to. I have to be really careful of negative body image garbage with my girls, they need to feel comfortable in their skin, and have called me out on hating on my own upper arms, big tummy, ect., while at the same time encouraging them to be freed from what people think, and to stop being so self-critical.

I also don't like walking in the deep sand, it's like working out with the sun beating down on me, ha.

But it was good fun, and good exercise, and a nice day with the kids.

Yesterday was fun too...despite the dreaded mall. See, I gave Sonja K. my old phone. She brought it to the Apple store, they wiped the memory and it started working! But, the battery was faulty and the phone would die within a few hours of a charge, so yesterday, back to the Apple store we went. We stopped in the craft store first, Evelyn and I had too much fun with the 70% off summer stuff, oh dear, candles and flowers, and beach toys for Lydia's upcoming birthday...Then to the Apple store, and what??! Two hours it would take to install a phone battery?

We had no choice. We had to spend 2 hours in the big mall.

(Suze and Lydia in front, then Sonja, Evelyn, me, Camille, and Charlotte Claire in back)


Suzanne took Lydia on the carousel!


(Suzanne is super good with kids!)


We even ate at the food court...I had some chicken nuggets, and three or four fries, blah. Lydia had this chicken sandwich. It's not even food, is it? But shh, it DOES taste yummy.

The phone battery was installed, we paid the thirty bucks, and ahhh...home. We had Ben and Ashley and Anya and Elise, and Margaret and baby Wulf, and Emily, and Molly, over for dinner. Paul grilled burgers, the kids peeled sweet corn, and we warmed up some Italian bread, in foil, over the grill while I cut up some fresh tomatoes.

Summer is too short, we have to have the family over as much as possible, enjoy the barefooted grilling and jumping in the pool...

Our summer has been warm, and very humid. Tonight, the crickets are chirping and it's quiet here. The girls are all over to their friends' apartment for a meeting, and Jon is playing games, Paul is reading, Camille is reading, and Joseph just finished making some dinner...