Way Out of the Ordinary

I have been know to sabotage family beach outings...or at least complain so much that we don't go very often.  The beach is not my favorite place to go.  There I said it "out loud".   I don't mind the actual beach, but I feel like it is such a huge production getting everyone and everything ready, that I dread beach outings.  We look like we are moving to the beach with the amount of "stuff" we haul out and back...just sayin.

This morning, I decided I would take the kids to the beach by myself (while Darwin was at work)  We took lunch and I brought a chair and umbrella.  I told the kids I wasn't going to carry anything and we were just going to play in the sand and water...no snorkeling, no diving, no boogie boarding (mostly because the beach I took them to was more like a pool than the ocean).  They didn't quite grasp the idea, so they did end up bringing snorkel stuff and two boogie boards.  I sat on the beach in my chair with my umbrella and read a book.  The kids had fun just playing in the water. 

...and Darwin had to pick his chin up off his desk when I sent him this picture.  He couldn't believe I took the kids to the beach of my own accord.  It has never happened before!