Day at the Coast

Do they call it the coast because they do not think it is a "real beach.?" It is certainly not Hawaii, it is true but I am kind of partial to the Oregon Coast. I love a good hot sunny day as much as the next person but there is also something very relaxing about sitting in the sand in my sweatshirt reading a book and watching my kids play in the sand. You can't beat the scenery and when you have a beach a little over an hours drive from home why not take advantage of it as often as you can?

We have been taking advantage of it over the Memorial Day weekend for the last few years. Even though the weather has not been that great around here lately, I was anxious to get out to the coast for a day. It was a little cool at a mere 60 degrees and partly cloudy, but it was not raining and that is good enough for me. Besides, my kids do not seem to notice the cold and they can find plenty to do without getting in the water.

Such as...

Playing football.

Although I think these two need a few lessons. Maybe if they would stop laughing someone could catch the ball.

Just hanging out with Dad is fine for this Daddy's girl.

My personal favorite (besides the reading of course), looking for shells.

Tyler and I found these lovelies.

Flying kites.

Chasing kites.

Flying a kite while riding this contraption.

Of course, you can always dig a hole.

This activity alone could kill hours.

And when you are done with it, build a fire in it.

It's too bad we didn't bring any marshmallows.

If you are feeling crazy, you can get your feet wet.

I think we may have to amputate her feet now.

Heck, she doesn't care she's at the beach.

I mean the Coast.

Pack Rat

This is my picture of the week. It is the pile of stuff I found under Hannah's pillow.

Hannah is my pack rat. I don't know what to do with that girl. She saves everything! She comes home from school all the time with stuff that she has found on the ground walking home; rocks, broken things, junk that other people have dropped on the way home. She will not let me get rid of any of it.
Today I was taking the sheets off the beds to wash them and I found this pile under her pillow. Don't get me wrong, I knew she had stuff under her pillow. I try to convince her every night to put some of this stuff away, but she is having none of it. It's all special, and she needs it close. Today when I moved the pillow and really looked at the pile in it's entirety I could not believe how much stuff she had under there.

Here is the itemized list (because I know you are interested.)
2 scarfs (one of them is mine by the way)
1 flashlight (incase she gets scared in the night)
2 bottles of lotion
1 hackey sac
1 St. Patrick's Day headband
2 notebooks
1 lid
2 hair accessories
1 piece of leather
2 pencils and a pen
1 pipe cleaner bracelet
a rock
2 small erasers
a bouncy ball
a compass
a necklace
a paper clip
a sticky pad
a piece of felt
some artwork
a box of Kleenex
and a few things I could not identify

How can she even sleep with all that stuff under her pillow?
She is obviously not a princess.

Two Poems for Mother's Day

Look at my pretty Mother's Day flowers from mom and dad!
And for your reading enjoyment, some Mother's day poetry by Tyler.

Mother's Day Limerick Poem, by Tyler

My mom's a good cook,
She's usually reading a book,
I have lots of fun
She is number 1.
My mom has a good look!

Mother's Day Color Poem, by Tyler

My mom is the color of green.
Green is the color of the vegies that my mom loves to make.

My mom is the color of blue.
Blue is the color of the ocean which my mom loves to go to.

My mom is the color of purple.
Purple is the color of butterflies which are part of nature, my mom loves nature.

My mom is the color of red.
Red is the color of love thats in every hug.

My mom is the color of pink.
Pink is the color of the sunset that makes me feel warm.

My girl knows me well.
Happy Mother's Day!

In Which I Spend my Saturday Afternoon in the ER

We had an eventful day on Saturday. Cole sprained his ankle playing baseball, which is really a shame because he was having a great game. In the last inning of the game he was running to third and landed with his foot funny on the bag, twisting it and leaving him on the ground in pain. His coach got him a courtesy runner and sat him down with an ice pack. Five minutes later the game was over, his ankle was the size of a baseball, and his coach was recommending I take him to the ER.
Luckily it was not a busy day in the ER and we got right in and were there for about an hour and a half. After some Xrays they determined that it is a bad sprain and he has to stay off it for a few days and certainly can't play baseball for probably a week.
I must say I find it funny that out of all my children Cole is the most cautious and level headed and yet he is the one with the most trips to the ER. Luke was counting up the number of times Cole has had to go to the ER and came up with 5. One scorpion sting, one asthma attack that resulted in a few days in the hospital, one scary allergic reaction to nuts, two staples to the back of the head, and now a sprained ankle. What gives Cole?