This winter weather…

heh.  Usually I am. NOT. a. fan. of February.  But this year, so far, I’m okay with it.  Maybe it’s because I threatened the life of the groundhog did his predication of Spring not come to fruition…  not that I have any control over what the weather does.  And, quite frankly, I must say that I still don’t have my hopes too high.  We have been here long enough to know that just because you get some warm weather early on doesn’t mean that it won’t freeze in the second week of April rendering your nice healthy garden…dead… and forcing the strawberry farmers to flood the fields, thus making the first crop of strawberries watery.  BUT right now, I’ll take it.  It snowed 3 times in January and as a beach dweller, that was more than enough.  We like the snow, but I don’t live where it is SUPPOSED to snow.  There are no hills here… so bleh.  ANYWAY… lately it has been AWESOME weather.  I’m feeling more and more confident with the kiddos at the beach.  So we went a few times as a family and a few times with just me and the kids.  Both kids will be ecstatic this summer to spend the day at the beach.  They already are sad to go.  I, a mountain girl at heart, am in the process of successfully raising beach bunnies!  I’m glad they like the beach.  I like it… but I need my mountains.  Ah well.  Luckily, we get to have the best of both worlds!  So here are some photos from our exploits at the beach:
The kids start by playing in the sand and running around…
 
Then, under the pretense of getting water for a sand project, they head to the water…
 
to, eventually, abandon the buckets and such to play in the (47 degree!!!) water!!

Ending with wrapping up in a towel and running up to the changing area to change into nice warm, dry clothes!
That day was about 65.  I was rather chilly, but the kids really didn’t seem to mind.
The next time we went it was 76..but WINDY!  Elijah hadn’t had school and I had spent the majority of the day empting out the storage unit.  A bit of work with two kids in tow, but doable!  As a treat for being so good, we went to the beach after nap.  I offered to take their kite…they wanted to take their boogie boards.  I made them choose, and carry what they chose…

There were tidal pools this time around and that ROCKED!!!
 
 
See….very windy, so maybe the choice of boogie boards was a good one, as they turned into kites… Don’t think that the kite would have worked as a boogie board!

Elijah REALLY wants to learn to surf.  His balance is quite good, but he needs to work on his swimming first.  We did look into surf camp today at a camp fair… he has to be 8 before he can go… which I think is a good age!!  Still I’m totally okay with him practicing/pretending on his boogie board.
Grace really liked jumping into the various pools… and “swimming” in them.  I’m glad that she is feeling better about the water.  We will try swim lessons again this summer.
Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be in the mid 70s again, so we will hit the beach again.  Next week we have to start paying for parking (sigh), but it is supposed be colder…not cold… just colder.  Maybe March is coming in as a lion?  I’ll take it if it means that it will turn lamb-ish quicker.  The pollen is already bothering me and the kids, but we will push through.  The Barlett Pear Trees and the Cherry trees are already starting to pop out and that makes me happier than anything else.  The lush green and beautiful pink… It’s a sure sign of spring and not just a tease!!