Beach Week

This past week we were fortunate enough to again be invited for an annual "Beach Mama" week with good mama friends and their kids.  It was fun, beautiful, and full of laughs.

 
I wanted to do something crafty with the kids so I brought down my sewing machine and a big bin of discarded clothing.  We set up shop making all combination of custom bags for each child that held a composition book in which they could journal their summer activities and color.  Everyone got a turn choosing fabric, patches, ribbon, and pockets to put on their special bag made from swim shorts, pants, and Calvin's old dress shirts.  Then I sewed them up.  It was a treat to see them all so excited to have their special bag and carry them all over the house.

The kids all got along great, playing plenty of games and having lots of pool and ocean time.

We even saw some dolphins quite close to the shore...

Took a group picture - look at all those colorful kiddos...

 And E got plenty of sand in her hair which we are still getting out...

Now we will pocket these sunny memories and make them last for another year...

Car Wash

Last week was so so hot outside, our first full week of summer vacation.  So I set up a car wash for the kids outside. 

A bucket of soapy water, sponges, wash clothes, brushes, spray bottles, towels, and rinse bowls were laid out on their new picnic table and the kids went to town washing their metal cars. 

L spent about 15 minutes of full interest on it and the rest of the time dousing E with water, then kicking over the soapy water for fun.  E spent about 1 1/2 hours just soaking the sponge and squeezing it out.  That sums up the difference in our two kids.  Yep, so true.

Thanks to my sister Ann for suggesting the idea!

Earlier in the week I pulled the van out and had L and a friend help me wash the real car.  But half way through L started singing, "It's a hard knock life.... for us...." and begging his friend to tell his mom that he wanted to wash the car and that we weren't forcing him to.  Then I felt a little guilty.