oh, summer

We've had two trips to the beach so far this summer. The first one was kind of a nightmare. Morgan was still deathly afraid of the waves and wouldn't go anywhere near the water. There were a couple of times where she made it halfway, but then turned around and bolted back to home base. Then there's the ride home where everyone complains about having sand in their butt. The clean up at home isn't much better. They both whine the entire time they're in the shower. But there's alway fun moments. Like lunch. 

This child of mine. She did not want to have her picture taken. This is the look I got. The lip, the turn, the arm. I could do nothing but laugh.

She came around once she had a Sprite and some Pringles.

Our first Summer 2013 beach picture. There were only minimal sun burns like the top of my feet and the two spots on my back that Addison missed. Morgan was a little red on her arms and I cried that night. I'm such a horrible parent.

Our second trip was so much better. We went with a big group of friends and there were a lot of kids. Before I even had the stuff unloaded Morgan was down at the water getting her feet wet. Then her and Lucas dug a hole. Morgan has a thing for digging holes at the beach.

Morgan kept a hat on most of the day and even played in the shade under the umbrella. The sun damage was a lot less this trip. I kept my hat on the whole time as well and remembered to sunscreen my feet.

The best part of the whole trip was using our new beach cart that we found at Costco. That thing is fabulous! The chairs, the umbrella and all the toys on one cart. All of our friends were totally jealous of our fancy new wheels.

Here's to summer!

the beach

I hope this is not an indication of what is to come this summer.

For some reason Addison kept asking to go to the beach. She wanted to go play in the sand and collect shells. It was nice out so I figured why not. First we stopped near this jungle gym thing. They climbed on it and the big giant sea creatures in the sand.

They had a race to the other side of the park.

We hopped in the car and went down near the pier to hit the beach. That's when it all went downhill. Morgan was convinced that the waves, which were 50 yards away, were going to come and get her. She literally stood up from the blanket and headed back to the car. She wanted no part of it. While Michael chased her down, Addison walked out to feel the water. I wasn't paying attention because I had my camera up to my eye, but right after I took this the water came in and Addison was soaked to her shins.

That was it for her. Now we had two crying kids who were ready to go home. The whole beach trip lasted five minutes. So much for those shells.

zero balance

 I love logging into my account and seeing this!

Account Nickname:	2005 HONDA PILOT Change
Balance:	$0.00	Payoff Amount:	$0.00
Due Date:	02/19/2013	Maturity Date:	xx/xx/xxxx
Payment Amount:	$0.00	Last Payment Date:	01/16/2013

For the first time in my adult life I do not have a car payment. It was definitely a special day for me. Woo hoo! When I left the bank, I went to the beach to celebrate.

It was the perfect January day in Florida. Just like summer.

snacks

Besides building sand castles and collecting seashells, the other favorite thing the girls like to do at the beach is eat. This day it was pudding. Who brings pudding to the beach?

There were some popsicles too. Everyone was happy.

Who knows what we'll come up with next time.

me and my girls

Pictures of me don't happen that often because I'm usually behind the camera. In some cases I take pictures of me and the girls with my cell phone.

And sometimes I make everyone stop loading up the beach gear so I can get a picture of us and our hats.

Just me and my girls.

sunday afternoon

After naps we took the girls for a ride on the ferry. It's a quick trip across the river, but they thought it was the coolest thing that we could drive the car on a boat. By the time you get out of the car you have to get back in.

*note: Addison put her clip in her hair all by herself which is why it's on the top of her head and sticking out. It makes me smile.

Then we headed to Huguenot Park. It's one of the few places around here where you can drive your car on the beach. It brought back so many memories of weekend trips and Spring break's to Crescent Beach. Michael got to experience a whole different world since it was his first time. It was a little cool because of the wind, but that didn't stop the girls from enjoying the sand and water. 

Right before we left Morgan spotted a bird she liked. I love her curiosity and view of the world. It was like the first time she'd ever seen one. Pure joy.

On the way out we stopped by the concession stand because Addison requested a hot dog for dinner. She ate the entire thing. I opted for a chili cheese dog and then paid for it all night. Michael and I decided that this summer we're going to try and do things that we haven't done before. There are so many parks and trails off the beaten path that are fun to explore. Who knows what we'll find.

it's beach time again

One the reasons I love living in Florida is that we get to enjoy the beach in February. I know I've said it before, but the beach gets on my nerves. The sand, the salt, the cold water, the mess afterwards. It's all a pain. But there are exceptions. This was one of those days. I wore jeans and a sweater because there was a slight breeze in the air. The sun was shining bright, but it wasn't really hot. There was no pressure to get in the water because it's still freezing cold. I hope that my love for the beach comes back now that the girls are older and getting them there will hopefully be easier.

For the first 15 minutes we were there Morgan wanted no part of it. She wasn't sure what the sand was and didn't want me to put her down. Last summer she had just learned to walk so she didn't get her toes in the sand that much. It was so funny watching her rediscover what it was. Her face had a look of awe. She kept looking down while she walked trying to figure out what this stuff was on her feet.

By the end of it all Addison was a mess. Her pants were soaking wet and she eventually ended up in her underwear. But they both had a blast so that's what really matters.

Also there that day were Michael's parents and our niece who were visiting from TN. Hannah had no trouble putting her feet in the water which is part of the reason Addison ended up wet. They're crazy I tell you. That water was cold.

more south carolina

Just a couple more of Morgan on the beach. It's so fun watching her explore the sand and water. She's just not quite sure what to make of all of it.


I got one of Addison looking at the camera...kind of. I have some cute ones of her playing in the fountains that I'll post this week.

on the move

Two weekends ago we headed to South Carolina to spend a couple of days at the beach. Shannon rented a beach house for the week and graciously invited us to stay for awhile. It was so nice to enjoy the beach and not have to worry about packing up the car.

It may have been the time spent in the car on the drive up, but as soon as Morgan hit the ground she started walking. Like, I'm going to let go of this table and just take off, walking. No begging or toy dangling or paci bribing was involved. I think the beach was the perfect place for her to practice.
(click the picture to make it larger)She's finally figured it out. This morning she was all over the place. One room to another. A part of me still can't believe it. She looks so grown up. Definitely not a baby anymore.

I have more beach pictures. Coming soon.

the beach

Morgan's been to the beach before, but never in full swimwear, sunscreened from head to toe and playing in the water. That changed Monday when we made a last minute decision to head to the beach late that afternoon. In all honesty, going to the beach is kind of a pain. I love the sun and the idea of the beach, but everything about it kind of sucks. I don't like cold water. The sand is everywhere. And there's just so much stuff with two little ones. We decided to take just the minimal stuff needed and not stay for a long time. It was slightly overcast which was nice and it all turned out okay.

Morgan didn't love it at first. We played right on the edge of the water and she freaked out every time a wave would come in. And trust me, it barely got her wet. Eventually she got used to it and only looked at me funny instead of crying. However, she lost it when I made Michael dunk her to clean the sand off.

I still can't believe her hair is so blonde.
Addison is definitely my daughter. I'm not sure if she heard me talk about the water being cold, but at first she was having no part of it. Michael convinced her to go in with him and she had a blast. I heard about the waves the whole way home.

I'm convinced that at the end of the summer we will have about a million "she shells" as she calls them. Her main goal while we were there was to collect as many as she could. I talked her in to leaving the broken ones there. Or maybe I tossed them when she wasn't looking. The ones that made it home now rest in a Tupperware container that she sleeps with.

Fun in the sun

On Sunday we took the girls to the beach. Morgan had a great time hanging out in the car seat, eating, and lounging in my lap. We were lucky to have a small breeze off the ocean so it turned out to be really nice and not too hot. And I'm loving our new pop up tent my mom got us.

Dinner time (yes, there is a baby under there). Or maybe it was lunch or snack. Not sure, but it happens a lot. It's funny how you don't care as much with your second child.


Let me just tell you how much this girl loves the beach. Any water for that matter. Michael did a lot of back and forth to the water since I never left the shade. He's such a good dad.

Beach Day

It was too nice this past Saturday to pass it up. The weather was warm and Michael was playing golf so we loaded up with all manner of shovel and pails. It's been a long time since Addison had a chance to dig in the sand. I'm not sure what's up with the weird faces. It was a little windy though so maybe she didn't like the sand in her mouth.

I don't know how I manage to always get pictures of her with food in her mouth. I think it's because it's the only time I can get her to stop what she's doing to actually look at me.

By the end of the trip we were both covered in sand and she was soaking wet from splashing around in a tide pool. I came prepared with extra clothes and a sheet to line the back of my car while changing. Having a toddler is definitely helping me get over my dislike for sand. Well, maybe just a little.

never get tired of it

Her sweet face.

This was taken on the playground along our bike ride at the beach.