This entry brought to you by sand. Lots and lots and lots of sand that sticks in the creases behind your knees and gets in between your toes and fingers and under your wedding rings and comes out of your laundry for days. I love sand. Ohhh, I do.

Title overkil, I know.

It's sort of playing tricks on my eyes and throwing off all of the proper spacing to this entry.

It might be easier to just title it, "SAND!"

But then you might not get the full effect.

What?  Begin already?

Okay.

I can't remember having a Memorial Day weekend so perfect in years.  We began by spending Saturday at the zoo, and having Kevin with us is always a special treat since we're usually just a party of three.  We enjoyed a lunchtime picnic "in the wild" as Jack kept calling it, and then made our way out to one of my favorite pizza places for dinner.  On Sunday we attended a party at Kevin's boss' house - a rooftop party up in Lincoln Park, nonetheless, with the most perfect sprawling view of the Chicago skyline.  And quesadilla appetizers.  My word, the mushroom, green pepper and cheese sent from heaven quesadillas.  (And I normally don't even EAT green pepper!)  Once my husband tore me away from the food the party, we took advantage of a perfect night and finished it off with a music-playing-all-windows-down sunset drive all the way up and down Lake Shore Drive.  And taught our kids the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody.

(And do you think I had my camera with me for any of this fun?  Of course not.)

I was a little bummed as the weather man was still promising a rainy Monday, but when I woke up this morning to see only partly cloudy skies, I jumped at the chance to take the kids to the beach for the first time this year.  And to this little experience, I did bring my camera.

When we were a young couple with no kids, which I think was seventy hundred years ago or more, our beach trips included a blanket on the sand, quiet walks, and sometimes a picnic. 

Trips to the beach with kids all start out the same way.  They begin with innocent intentions for throwing rocks into the water, and only going in about knee-deep.  (Hi, it's May in the Midwest.  We've only recently begun to make it into the seventies, which means Lake Michigan is approximately in the fifties, still.)  Oh, and also hijacking some little girl's beach toys while she and her mother hike to the bathroom.  Do forgive us.

Now what was I saying? 

Oh, right.  Kids who were going to get wet only up to their shoulders their knees. 

So this time around I'm almost six months pregnant and have quickly been reminded of the marvels of gestating when it is seventy-some degrees on a sunny, sandy, sticky beach.  (Oh ninety-four degrees, how I cannot wait to encounter you.)  (And also, how did I forget so quickly how HOT and PREGNANT do not mesh well?) 

Therefore, I decided that today Kevin should handle the boys and the too-cold water while I handled my big baby belly and a pound of grapes.

And for cripe sakes, get some sun on those pasty whites.

Once the children were soaked from head to toe and rolled in sand and their lips were an adequate shade of purple, I called the troops up for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  And maybe a couple grapes.

Quite a brood, we are.  Sweaty and pregnant, sandy sticky children touching me and filthifying my previously sand-free blanket,

and demoralizing my grapes.

Sort of like when I forget to ask for unseasoned fries at Ruby Tuesday, and then end up using my fingers to wipe down each one before eating.

Ick.

I wonder if sand crosses the placenta?  Is it possible that my baby daughter ingested the first of what will someday amount to beaches worth of sand?  (Well congratulations, baby!  It had to happen at one time or another.)

Back to playtime.

Back to toy stealing sharing, back to dumping a shovel-full of sand on the generous little girl's pretty gingham sun hat while my head was turned, much to her mother's delight. 

Back to thinking they'll most certainly not get very wet,

or very dirty either.

And back to reminding my toddler son to Come Baaaaack, Thisisnotanudebeach!

Comments

[Alissa]

all beaches are nude beaches when you're not yet 3.

sounds like a fabulous weekend!

[Frema]

Oh, I love that your son loves to strip down in public places!

I miss the beach. Luke and I didn't go to the Dunes at all last year, because I was one uncomfortable pregnant woman. And this year probably won't work out, either, what with gas being what it is and Kara being too young to take out in direct sunlight for too long. But next year? Bring on the sand, baby!

Also, your grapes look delicious. :)

[Jenny]

I cannot believe you left your third (fourth) child at home when you came to Chicago. You must have been kicking yourself.
Love the beach pics!

[SJ]

Oh that last photo was the icing on the cake! So glad you ALL got to enjoy the holiday weekend!

[Michelle Z]

Looks like a fantastic weekend! I'm jealous you got a trip to the lake! But not jealous of your sand. I get the feeling the sand's a little annoying?

[BetteJo]

Oh that's the pic to embarrass him with as a teenager with a first girlfriend! :) Without the black bar across his buns!

[liz]

I have a love/hate relationship with the beach. I love to sit on the beach with a book and a beer. I love to take a dip in the (warmer than 50 degree water), I love to let the sun dry the water off my skin, leaving behind the tightness of the salt. I love just how refreshing an apple wedge with peanut butter can be on a hot day.
But I HATE the sand. I hate the sand. I hate the sand.

That last picture is YEARS worth of blackmail, you know this I'm sure. But holy moly... totally worth the BUCKETS of sand that are probably still lingering in your car seats and Coleman cooler! GOO!

[Stacey]

Adorable pics - what a fun weekend!!

[Hilary]

Ha! That last pic is priceless.

[erica]

That looks like so much fun! Glad you had a good weekend.

[Mar]

Love the pics and love the fact you all could spend 3 whole days together. Maybe you could cool off in my backyard in the pool. What a way to spend hot summer days right!

[Rachel]

I love it when you tell stories with pictures! That last one is hilarious!