Thursday, January 22, 2009

Beach

We went to the beach for the babies first real time this week.


They've been one other time, but they never left their car seats, and even then, within thirty seconds they were somehow covered in sand. And it was so humid that the more we tried to wipe the sand off them, the more it just dug into their heads. So I took the babies and left.






















The other reason we haven't been is that even with my mom here, it took us about an hour and a half to get all our junk together and get out of the house. Plus I was just never sure how it would go watching them all at the beach. How do most beaching families do it? Just get over the sand eating? Not worry about them rubbing sand in their eyes? I guess that's probably what I'll have to do if we're going to become more regular beach-goers.








Ashton was actually really good and just liked to feel the sand between his fingers.



















But Phoenix was the naughty one who just couldn't keep the sand out of his mouth (note the devious look).

















































We'll see if I'm ever brave enough to do it on my own.



27 comments:

Jenilee said...

A day at the beach sounds really good right now. We don't leave our house very often. It is just too cold.

Jess said...

As I sit here freezing in WI, that looks absolutely heavenly.
The kids look like they had a blast and are as adorable as ever!

Sharon said...

Girl I had no idea that was your first time, I am so impressed!!!! Sand really just goes in one end and out the other. All my little ones ate sand and they are still here!!! It does make for some really sandy diapers though!

Jen said...

Oops I really did mean to leave a comment...

Taylor ate pounds and pounds of sand while we lived at the beach (literally!). We'd go every morning and I finally just quit trying to keep her out of it. I'm convinced her immune system is better off because of it :)

It sure is fun to watch them play in the sand huh? And beach pictures just never get old...

By the time we moved, we'd finally got our prep for the beach down to grabbing the bag of sand toys and a snack-if even that! :)

You are brave to do it! Good for you. Do it as much as you can. The beach is so fun!

Aloha_Misty said...

Those pictures made me miss the beach in Hawaii so much! The ocean is just beautiful and it looks so calm. We lived on the windward side of the island and had rolling waves most of the time...As for eating the sand...I think most beach babies digest a ton of sand :) or ocean water. It makes for interesting diapers. I always loved cleaning all the sand out of the shower when we got home...well really the sand out of everywhere...it is amazing how much that stuff sticks to everything.

Anonymous said...

LYD in PV, AZ loved the beach photos.

Anonymous said...

Oh, those crystal blue waters! Lucky! How fun to have your Mom there so that outings like those can actually sound fun instead of exhausting. I love Phoenix's face, sitting there in the sand. I'm sure next year at this time it will be an easier trip. Actually. . . no. It won't. But they sure are cute!

The Spendloves said...

Yeah... go for us pathetic landlocked people who are seriously jealous of any beach venture. The air quality has been so poor here that I don't even want to take the boys outside because of the inversion. So, go to the beach for me!!
I thought our boys would love the beach when we went the first time in Cali. I was wrong. It was too windy and they just wanted to be held the entire time. I think they'd do better this time around.

Marci said...

I feel your pain when it comes to sand. I hate it! Gets everywhere, and I just have a tiny sandbox I have to deal with. Eating sand is just inevitable, but tracking it everywhere is what I hate. I suggest you stock up on baby powder, and just rub them down with it before you load up to head back home. The powder absorbs the moisture that sticks the sand to skin, and even works on the scalp. You'll end up with mostly sand-free kids, and they'll smell great! Side note, I'm jealous of your tan line I spotted on your arm. We're going to Hawaii in March, and I will be so pasty!!! Can't go tanning when you're pregnant, you know.

Melanie said...

What great pictures! The colors are so bright. Just what I needed to see on this winter day.

Goeb Life said...

WOW!!! I cannot believe those photos. They really look like they should be on the cover of a magazine. :)

I just got off the phone with my Aunt, another Miami resident, she said that it got down into the forties there! Better be warmer when I am there next month!

Glad to see you are getting out and enjoying the beach.

AnnaMarie said...

Holy cow that's beautiful water. Just count your blessings that the twins can't run around yet. Then you'll be busy. Katie still eats sand.

Tania said...

My kids have all eaten buckets full of sand over the years, and sucked on driftwood, and shells - they're all fine so just let them "have at it."

If you take a big make-up brush, and baby powder & dust them off with the brush sprinkled with baby powder the sand will come right off them. Also, I take all our gear in mesh bags, so the sand falls right through - it doesn't eliminate the sand coming home with us, but it does minimize it.

Don't give up on the beach, it will get more fun as you work out how to do it.

Stefanie Miller said...

Wow, those beach pictures are amazing! Way to go going to all that effort to make it happen.

todd & nicole said...

At that age Todd was caught trying to eat cigarette buts out of the sand. Yikes, babies at the beach seem awful, but the pictures are beautiful. I love beaches like that.

Spar-Mar Girl said...

Oh the jealousy I have as I sit and look out into the fog/inversion covered landscape! Looks like everyone had a blast. How fun with Grandma there to help get your confidence up!

Sarah Starr Alleman Smith said...

Wow Jen. This is where you LIVE!!!!!

Darcy said...

I so want to come visit!! It looks heavenly!

Unknown said...

Oh that beach looks so inviting!!

I took three kids to Lake Erie beach in Cleveland a ton that last year just because I knew I would regret it if I didn't. Yes...I totally had to get over my sand issues. It looks hard to go when they are all so young.

I just made sure my kids all had life jackets on, but I would still find myself doing head checks constantly. I had two friends that would go with me and they both had three kids as well. We would just try to help each other out. Yes, it was a hassle, but those are some of my favorite memories of Cleveland. Plus, your beach looks ten times more inviting than the one we went to all the time. You're so lucky!!

Laurie said...

Cornstarch works so well to get the sand off of kids and grown-ups at the beach. Just sprinkle it on very well, like powder and then brush off the sand. I use a dry towel if I have one. Buy the cornstarch at costco and put it in a empty spice jar shaker. Good luck, I love your blog...it makes me smile alot. I say leave them all in diapers for your sanity and it is easier to change a diaper in the long run. Love L

Gavin and Shawna said...

So...as you probably remember we LIVE at the beach. Any spare moment, that is our place of refuge...and our boys have grown up at the beach. They each probably ate some sand, one liked it, the other hated it...now they cry every time we leave our 6 hour day at the beach. The key to beach going with all the stuff you have to bring is...the wherever chair...its a beach chair/backpack...it leaves hands free and still have everything you need. I managed to take the Darger kids and my own 1 toddler a few times. I think its worth it...but you have to love it to get over the work that it sometimes is.
...or move to TX where you can drive right up to the water...no carrying in all the junk and leave the kids in the car until you're ready. its sweet!!

chyayn said...

WOW I love beach photos...and those boys are SO CUTE! I wish we could come to the beach with you-all the times weve been here in NY my girls LOVE it...and with the weather here being in the teens last week, the beach is sounding PERFECT about now. We do the baby powder thing too to get the sand off and its awesome...works like a charm! HAVE FUN! Itll only get better as they get older. I have photos of Sam at 8 months eating FIST FULLs of sand...MMMMMMMMMMM!

Melissa Bigelow said...

My friend went to Home Depot and bought one of those plastic spray things that are used to spray weed killer, etc. (kind of hard to explain). Anyways, she filled it with water and used that to spray the kids down after the beach. I just got used to sand being everywhere. Just the other day, I put on a hoodie that I hadn't worn in a while and when I put my hand in the pocket, I found a bunch of sand....it's everywhere, and it stays everywhere.

But i'm proud of you for going. I miss the beach like crazy.

Anne Marie said...

Those pictures are absolutely beautiful! They look so adorable, sitting there in the sand.

Ty and Trista Swartzlander said...

Such beautiful pictures. Taidryn likes to eat sand too. I always get yelled at by the old people at the beach for "letting" her eat sand. I am glad you had fun.

Craig Hassell said...

HOLY COW! 26 comments!


That beach looks awesome.

Anonymous said...

Look how darling the twins look! Oh I miss them!!! It was snowing long and hard here yesterday and today. At least we had rain first to get rid of the old yucky snow!

Julie