Beaches are the Best!

Is there anything so lovely as a day at the beach?  No one fights over sand. Or maybe they do fight, but I don’t hear them over the crashing of waves.  Lovely. 

Our condo has a balcony full of beach swag...boogie boards, sand toys, beach chairs and even an umbrella.  The complex sits on Oceanside’s beach. We just need the will to brave a cool breeze and chilly waters.  The boys have been digging random holes in the sand for hours.  There must be a method to their madness, but we have yet to identify it.  They dig with such fury that Kenny has a sore on his hand, rubbed raw from the wooden handle of the shovel.  

John as a dedicated servant to the sand kept his brothers on task all day. (They kept getting distracted by the ridiculousness of waves and boogie boards.)

I was amazed at the strategy to dig holes and build sand castles close to the surf.  The game, see which holes and castles last the longest.  Of course the ocean always wins.  They aren’t disturbed in the least by this, but rather motivated to build another round.  I’m realizing the similarity between beach play and cleaning bathrooms, and I’m making a mental note to free myself of this frustrating duty at home.  Surely the boys will enjoy cleaning bathrooms as much as digging in sand?  Both are endless, futile tasks!

After two days of standing in line and fighting crowds for every step, it’s a breath of fresh air to be footloose and fancy free. Though I did see unidentified finned creatures beyond the first breaking waves, so I’m not absolved of all anxiety.   Sticking to the waist-deep-in the-ocean rule—I love my rules:-). 

One more day in paradise before returning to an early winter in Colorado.  My only concern is the imminent end to a beach read that has captured my heart.  Darin keeps bursting my bubble with talk of having the sprinkler system blown out and other none sense.  Can it man!  We’re at the beach❤️.

Disneyland and Sensible Shoes

It’s fall break, and you know the Bolthouse’s can’t stay put for a weekend let alone a full week off from school.  This adventure takes us to California for Disneyland, California Adventure and a few days on the beach. 

We’re starting with a bang—earning our time at the beach with two days at Disney parks. This morning saw us out the door by 7am to breakfast at IHOP before walking into the park.  Darin is an expert navigator using the Disney App to get fast passes and anylze wait times to minimize lines.  By 10AM, just two hours into our visit, our ride count was 6.  We were strutting through the park, proud as peacocks at our theme park savvy.   It’s now 2:40 and we’re dragging ourselves around like the walking dead, having only ridden an additional three rides.  

I’m hunkered down in the shade awaiting our fast pass for Indiana Jones to become eligible while Darin takes our nearly hysterical boys in search of frozen lemonade.  We’ll drag ourselves back to the hotel for a nap and swim after our adventure with Indiana.  The hope is to outlast the crowds and return in the early evening to close down the park at midnight.  If love of our children is ever in question, this day will be key evidence.  

The last three hours have been torture.  It’s a solid mass of people and insane lines everywhere.  So when I saw an open spot in the shade—I claimed it like white settlers invading the west...which seems an apt analogy given that I’ve taken up residence in Frontierland.  

My spot is perfect for people watching, and can I just say that the number adults sporting Mickey wars and/or insensible shoes is shocking?  I am all for a cute shoe, but anything other than your most supportive athletic shoe seems insane for a day at Disney...with or without mouse ears!  I’ve just walked about 5 miles zig zagging between different sections of the park.  Minimizing time in lines certainly maximizes walking distances!  Toms, wedges, flip flops, and strappy heels are speeding past me as I lounge on a brick wall in my tennies.  I would be crying and walking barefoot if I found myself in their shoes.  I’m nearly crying in my brand new Brooks runners. 

This turns into just another reminder that I’m in my 40s, and sounding more like my Mom every day.  We had our fair share of debates on appropriate clothes and shoes through the years...and we’re finally seeing eye-to-eye.  I’ve come around to the sensible side.  Apparently Disneyland is a magical place!

Charlotte's Web, the Tooth Fairy....and God

We had another exciting tooth loss this week.  Jacob and John are up to eight lost teeth between the two of them.  I have managed to facilitate a tooth fairy visit in all sorts of circumstances....camping, visiting Grandparents, and thankfully this week at home.  Jacob, not knowing he even had a loose tooth, surprised us all while presenting his latest loss while eating an afternoon apple.  

For once, I was thrilled that 1) we were at home and 2) I had cash in my wallet.  But wouldn’t you know that Jacob failed to put his tooth under his pillow.  It sat all night on my kitchen counter, and I couldn't decide if I should move it to his pillow for him, leave it on the counter, or throw it away.  It took every ounce of laid-backness in me (which is not very much) to leave it on the counter and try again the next night when he remembered to put it under his pillow.  I managed to remember to be the tooth fairy, and it took Jacob two days and me asking before he realized his tooth had been replaced with two dollar bills!  We could all just take or leave the tooth fairy!?

On the same day as our tooth fairy indifference, I had John reading Charlotte's Web to me.  While we could take or leave the tooth fairy, we love Charlotte's Web.  I read it to the boys long before they could read, and now John is reading it on his own.  He took a break from his reading to inform me that Charlotte's Web is a very old (yes!), and a very popular (indeed!) book.  He also added that it is based on a true story (wait a minute!?).  Oh my....this boy has spent approximately six weeks out of every year on his Grandparent's farm.  How on earth could he think that talking farm animals are real?  We had a little discussion to correct his line of thinking, and then I prayed that he wasn't hearing voices in his head every time he saw a spider (which is often now that it's fall and they seem to be everywhere!)

After dealing with the situation at hand, my mind turned to the fun things we do to raise our boys, and the faith we're trying to instill in them.  I’ve had more than one conversation with friends concerning elaborate plans involving the tooth fairy, Santa and the Easter Bunny, and other conversations about how to eventually wean our children from this fairy tales.  

And then there’s the debate regarding the risk of ruining our kids’ faith in God with the fun traditions of  childhood.  I’ve settled on my own logic regarding this....it’s more important to live out our faith with our kids every day than it is to be brutally honest about where a lost tooth goes when it’s replaced with $2 (that’s the Bolthouse tooth fairy’s going rate:-).  So I rest easy now, without the pressure of how well or unwell I perform the roles of various fantasy figures in my kids’ childhood, because one role I’m not playing is Savior.  What a relief!  Because one thing’s for sure—if I can’t manage the tooth fairy role, I’m certainly not qualified to attempt that of Savior—I’ll gladly leave that to God!