Crabbin'

We decided to take the kids crabbing.

Joy was in her glory: slimy fish for bait (that had to be broken then tied on the traps),

The bait before it was broken apart -- ewww gross ...

 a slippery boat dock that wiggled when you walked,

waiting for the crabs

 4 kids way too close to the edge of said slippery dock,

 and the anticipation of wet, smelly crabs in the car for the drive back to the beach house!

Lunch!  Yes, it's in there, look closely!

Ethan trying to catch his catch before it got away!

The kids really had a great time (ask Hannah about the one that got away!), nobody fell in, nobody was "crabby", and we actually did catch ... ONE CRAB ... which we all shared for lunch!

See you later crabby

mmmmmmm

Fore!

Yesterday we played the requisite game of mini-golf.

  

 I have very fond memories of playing mini-golf with my Dad along the very same boardwalk in OCNJ 100 years ago when I was little.

 In fact, it was one of the things that I anticipated the most every summer. 

I always assumed that my Dad loved mini-golf as much as me.

 After enduring the game with my own kids today, I realized it is just one more thing that parents do because they love their kids.

Beach Treasures

I love the beach, really I do.  I love slathering sun tan lotion on 40 squirming fingers and toes (well, truth be told, it is more like 50 since Joy is almost as bad as the kids)!

I love lugging 500lbs of plastic paraphernalia in 90 degree heat over hot sand.

I love spending my precious vacation time setting up the beach chairs, the umbrella, the tent, the blankets and towels, and the aforementioned plastic world of toys to stake out our "compound" by the sea.

I love packing lunches for everyone to take to the beach only to watch them be dropped in the sand or fed to the seagulls.

The "Beach-L-T"

I love dragging my kids along the boardwalk listening to them beg for french fries, ice cream, toys, salt water taffy and ride tickets.

This whole beach vacation thing is exhausting -- it was a lot more relaxing when my Mom was, well, the Mom! 

But, I really do love holding my kids' sandy fingers as they gasp with glee while jumping the waves.

I really do love watching how much fun my children have playing with each other at the beach unencumbered by electronic devices.

 

I love taking an outdoor shower after a long sandy day at the beach.

I love how everything is a little simpler at the beach.  Kids can be kids and adults can be kids.

 I love that there is no schedule, that the unexpected is encouraged and allowed. 

I love how fulfilling a day of nothing can be.

I hope my children learn that the beach is a place where treasures are not bought, but experienced.