Beach Bums

After three days of trying to figure out how to spend every waking hour with two boys out of school, and no swim lessons this summer, I realized we needed to get away from the house.

The morning was spent in a rush to eat breakfast, pack more bags than a mule could carry into the Grand Canyon, corral two boys hyped on pre-beach excitement, and be ready to leave by 9 am. Somehow I managed.

We met up with some friends--L. and kids-- and we caravaned our way to the beach, the drive reaching its peak as we traversed the Sunshine Skyway bridge; a towering suspension bridge providing a beautiful vista of the Gulf and Tampa Bay. The drive was so scenic that I only heard the "how much longer?" question once.

Once at the beach, the kids gleefully threw down the supplies they had helped me drag across the pavement carry and dashed for the foamy waves rolling across the sand; feet kicking water, toes squishing sand, bellies tight with laughter. They had reached Heaven. I quickly slathered them in SPF 500 and sent them on their merry way while I wrestled a beach umbrella into the sand...only to have the wind rip it out and make me chase it like the idiot I am.

Four hours of relaxing fun. No fighting. No impromptu wrestling matches (other than with the beach umbrella). No arguments about whose turn it is to play computer games. Relief for me. Food for seagulls. Happy times for all.