Thursday, June 9, 2011

What kind of beach person are you?

I am not a beach person. It's a lot of work to prep for and a lot of cleanup after. It's hot and it's sandy and I'm a little scared of the ocean. If you have suggestions for how I could like the beach more please share, I love suggestions.

However, my oldest son hearts the beach with all his well, heart. So I promised him we'd go at least once a week this summer. 2 weeks in and so far so good. Of course my best friend hearts the beach too so he is probably going to get even more beach than promised for this month.

But not for more than two hours at a time. I have to set my limits after all.

Yesterday we hit up baby beach (it's in Paia or Spreckelsville depending on who you ask) I always say Paia baby beach. It is one of my son and I's favorite beaches.

For a long time though, I didn't know it was a beach.

You see I was going through a rock stealing stage (what?!? I needed them for my garden) and it was awkward to steal in front of others or lug heavy rocks long distances. So my darling husband introduced me to baby beach (except he didn't call it baby beach but just said he knew a place in spreckelsville) where you could park your car on the sand next to the rocks and no one would view the rocky deviants.

It was a match made in heaven.

I took several island visitors here to walk on the rocks, look in the tide pools, enjoy the red dirt and pretty view.

Then one day, as I stood on a rock looking at the ocean, I turned my head to the right and there it was, an awesome beach!! I promptly planned to take my kids there. Then a friend invited us and I discovered this beach I loved had a name, such outstandingly helpful news!!

Now we got often (this means more than once a year) You have to go early because those gale force winds sand blast in the afternoon and while exfoliation is good sandpapering your sunburned body is not. I'm picky like that.

So, that's where we went yesterday with some lovely friends to have a lovely time. It's an outstanding walking beach (I never get to walk because I am always watching my kids who need to dig or swim but never walk on a beach) which is very important to me. It has tide pools and this amazing rocky area where all the kids (9 of them between 3 amazing moms) spent most of their time catching amazing fish (puffer fish - check, crazy looking shrimp - check, pipipi's - check). The water feels nice and is clear so you can see fish swimming around you. It has an exposed reef so there is a shallow area where my kids could explore freely (but don't because I'm a neurotic mess that sticks to them like glue). There is no bathroom (but don't worry, I taught my sons and my houseguest/friends how to use the ocean as a bathroom) no showers and no shade, but still I like it.

Today was especially fun.

My friends daughters made a fort in the trees along the back side of the beach and carried large sticks around while sporting flourescent swimsuits. I took pictures and was just in awe of how happy it made me to watch and listen to them as they harnessed their creativity and made their own world. This is a true desire of my heart for my children and to see it in action gave me hope that kids still can play in this way and pride that my children participated and that they have friends that initiate this sort of play. All I can say is one big YEAH!!! My other friends sons are fearless and got my picky picky son to catch and touch fish so a big HOORAY goes out to them too!!

After that we went to granola land, oops, I meant Paia. We ate yummy yummy flatbread and sat in a huge booth in front of a huge window so that while we ate we were on display for all the passerbys.

I'm not going to lie, I liked it.

I think people should want to watch me eat more often and that from now on I should be placed prominently in all restaurants.

Cause I'm cool like that.

Then we wandered the little shops, most of which I have never been in. I tried on floppy beach hats but I still haven't found the perfect one. It must be worthy of Audrey Hepburn after all, and they just weren't. I bought my sons a bamboo xylophone and we carried it through all the stores and all my boys wanted to be my walking partner cause I had the cool toy and we entertained many bored shop owners with our melodies. It was a random purchase and something I would generally not say yes too but I was convinced I was getting a good deal and it caused so much joy that it just happened.

Finally, we went to a surf shop with the most amazing feeling shorts (I think they were Hurley?) they were also adorable and very small. Small equals not my size, but I tried to convince my smaller houseguest that she needed them. $29 for shorts just didn't sell her on it but I stood feeling the fabric for an embarrassingly long time. Now I'm reflecting and it's probably good she didn't buy them. My need to touch that material was so strong that I probably would have been petting her inappropriately. Guess she made a good call!

Then we rested and had a fun friends and family sort of night (but not it that Verizon kind of way).

I heart summer!

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