Ole, Ole

As previously noted, Michigan sister is here. Week one was all swimming all the time. Apparently, week two is "do stuff week."

I love whatever we do, because she's here, and my kids get to hang out with her kids. Because we do stuff, other nieces and nephews hang out with us too, so it just becomes really nice for my kids.

Like today. We took our annual trip to a local lake. Some of the big kids, with jobs, did not come with us. Others are away at camp, so when I looked at our spot on the beach it looked a little sparse. That's probably why people felt they could actually sit near us, as opposed to in the past, with 15 plus kids digging and running around on the sand and in and out of the water people tended to shy away. Plus, I've been told that we are loud.

I actually hate the beach. I don't know if it's this particular beach, or just beaches in general, but I'm inclined to the former. This beach is kinda dinky, very small, and the shells smell. Really bad. BUT, because it's a very small beach, and kinda dinky, it's perfect for us. There's room to spread out because it's not that popular. It's small enough that the bathrooms are just steps away. Really?, At this point? It's our beach. We have our spot and our routine. So much so, that even in the parking lot, we have our place. The parking lot is built as a "U" but really a "U" on its side. When you drive in the spaces begin immediately and continue along the one way road, until it curves, and then they continue again, until you're back at the entrance, but in a different lane. So we pulled in, and there was a garbage truck a few feet down blocking the road. I did not know how I'd get around it so that I could park in the bottom half of the sideways U, where we always park. I had a cousin in the car with me, who has never been to this lake. I said "hmm, how'm I going to do this, I guess I'll have to go the wrong way on the lower roadway to get to a spot." (basically make a quick left and a quick right to go the wrong way on the one way road)

She said "Why don't you just park here?" As she pointed to a spot on the upper roadway as soon as you drive in. I looked at her like she was crazy and said "we don't park THERE!"

I made my move, and pulled up to the vicinity of where we like to park, and my eight year old shouted "Hey those people took our spot!" Mind you, we go there once- maximum twice a year, but someone had "taken our spot." Luckily, there were two spots a few cars over, and we pulled in. Later, when I told my sister of the cousin's suggestion that we park in the other area, she looked at me funny and said "we don't park THERE!"

The point is, the kids love this beach, they know the routine, and they feel comfortable there. I guess they haven't sat on a nice white sand beach without goose poop and stinging flies to know that this one is not as great as they think. Maybe my issue with this beach is the stuff. The other beaches I've been to have been while I'm on vacation. If I'm on vacation at a beach, it's usually fronting the hotel. All I need to bring with me is a water bottle, a book, and some sunscreen. No chairs, no towels, no sandwiches, no changes of clothing, no umbrellas, no diapers, no pack and plays, no strollers, no extra t shirts and no sand toys. On vacation we don't have to deal with the sand. Here we do. In the car, and in the house. So I really don't know how I'd feel about those vacation beaches, if I had to do all this to use them.

I marvel at the other people who seem to come to THIS beach with nothing but a small handbag, and maybe a chair. It could be because we are so many people that we seem to have a lot of stuff, and we come here loaded to the gills. It's gotten easier since the kids can all carry things on their own, (and want to) but man we bring a lot with us.

They really had a blast. The Cheese Eater was running back and forth in the water, playing ring -around- the- Rosie, while the others were building their epic castles with moats and aqueducts.

At one point we saw a woman come to the beach with two little kids and a nanny, who from far looked like our aunt. And it was her!!! She was looking for a different beach, but happened upon this one instead. (Of all the sand bars, in all the metro area....)

One of my kids who is not a big fan of the beach, but came anyway,sat in one of the chairs 95% of the time. This evening she told me she had a great time, even though she "didn't really do anything."

I had a great time too, the best part? My soggy, sandy tuna sandwich!!