6.24.2010

beach week continues........biking, books





for whatever reason we don't tend to vacation alone as a family very often.  we are always traveling with another family or two.  there may be an occasional day trip or weekend trip where it is just us - but for the most part we are with others.  this week we decided to spend the week down the shore...alone.


the past couple of years i've had myself convinced that i am not a beach person.  i'm more of a mountains kinda girl - prefering leaf litter to sand.  but this week i've come to realize that its not that i don't like the beach - its that cleanup after the beach that i hate.  you see we bring too much stuff onto the beach...and once we get back to the house - i have to take everything out and hose it down and put it back.  then its washing the sand off the boys time.  and dealing with sandy bathing suits time.  sand, sand everywhere! all this made going to the beach the last thing i wanted to do when visiting the shore!!


now this is where my revelation comes in.  after lugging that contraption to the beach - and back home again - and taking it all apart - and hosing it down - and setting it out to dry................i've decided we really didn't use half that stuff.  all we need to bring are 2 chairs (the boys never sit on them), the boogie boards - and an umbrella.  that's it.  oh and a bag that zippers to keep my book sand free! (b/c try as i might...my virgo-ness can't handle all that sand everywhere.........)


blankets and towels - forget about it! jersey sand sticks like glue.  cooler of food and drinks? ok i guess but we don't usually spend all day on the beach and our house is close enough to walk back if we are really that hungry.  sand toys? the boys had a ball with nothing more than a big shovel........of course it helps that the boys are older now...as much as you want to keep them young - at times its so nice when they aren't!  so today i think we are just gonna hit the beach renegade style......everyone carrying what they need - so that mama gets some time she needs.......


one thing however that we do love to do while down the shore is bike. 



this is the first year the boys are confident riding on the road.  at home we don't live in a development so the boys ride on trails.  they don't get much - if any - road time.  down here we are about 10 blocks or so from the beginning of the bike path that leads to the boardwalk.  this year the boys didn't complain once (past years have been brutal) - and they kept up with us the whole time.  we have been riding every day and been a highlight for all of us.


i usually ride behind the others.  i absolutely love seeing my 3 boys together together ahead of me!

and finally - what books did i bring this week?



a little bit of this and little bit of that. 

3 comments:

  1. i love the beach.
    any beach.
    looks like a lovely time!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Glad you found your love for sand. I'm going to bury you up to your neck in it next time.
    Loved the post- looks like you are having a great week! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I feel the same way about beach time. Everyone has to carry their own stuff! It's only fair :)

    ReplyDelete