Easter 2010: beach

It has been a tradition since at least the mid-70's that my parents' ward would go down to the beach during General Conference weekend (semi-annual church meetings which are broadcast on TV and mean that you don't have to be doing your lay clergy job; also known as "PJ Sunday" at our house). Rob had a conference to attend in Berkeley, and the kids were off for spring break, so we drove down to the Bay Area and piggybacked on the event. Yes, it was a heinous drive out and we shall say no more about it except that three of our four kids were fanTAStic. We took Rob straight to the conference and then dumped ourselves at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
This is the same place we come for family reunions and the same place that Rob tells bedtime stories about Kyle and Pablo, the two sixth graders in a dual immersion Spanish/English class at Castroville Elementary. So our kids know what they like to do here. They wanted to head for the beach immediately, but I, being the wise mother that I am and knowing their proclivities around water, made them suit up before we went out. I was not amiss.
This smile is frozen in place. It was about -10 degrees F out before the windchill and heaven only knows what the water was. It was raining that first time we went down, and the rain was considerably warmer than the seawater. I should have had them in wetsuits or whaleblubber, but they didn't seem to care. They ran around in the waves until they were numb. Will was even body surfing, getting completely immersed.
The first time we went to the beach, Joss wanted to do everything his siblings did. So I jumped with him in the waves and he ran in and out of the surf, trying to beat it and to be caught by it. He grabbed handfuls of sand and threw them at the water, which thing I don't understand, but his brothers did it before him. He looked like a crazed jawa in his little brown hood.
The next time he went to the beach (when it was considerably warmer), he decided he wasn't going to just follow the crowd like a lemming. He played in the sand and only braved the water when he could be certain of a quick exit with Papa.
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Comments

Brenda said…
B-r-r-r!
deena said…
I can't believe they actually went in the water in swimsuits (or anything for that matter).
Arizona Arnolds said…
HI there! You were always the wiser one. We went to the beach in January & so I didn't suit them up. They ended up in their shirts & underwear. (lucky the beach was empty!)

Your kids must love a smart thinking mom!

Marla Skembo Arnold (found ya off FB)

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