"Hey Daisy!"

Last weekend, Benanna invited us to join them at their fabulous beach house with their dog, Daisy. Alex and Sasha in tow, we had a relaxing weekend in the sand and sun. The kids were particularly fond of Daisy and by Sunday, she was exhausted from running away from them.

One of the cruel ironies of parenthood is vacation with toddlers. We are so excited to play with them in the sand and collect sea shells, but there are some drawbacks that must be considered.

1. They wake up early on vacay. From 6-8am, they are like crazed, demented monkeys running, shouting, and demanding a 4-course breakfast to their specifications.

2. They never allow me to read my gossip magazines on the beach. Instead, I am constantly rescuing them from running into the ocean, throwing sand at each other, fighting over the much coveted "Red Shovel."

3. Sunscreen application for two squirmy people is precarious. I have to apply it evenly but not get it in their eyes and I have only one minute of stand-still time to do it. Reapplication is even worse--sand everywhere! everywhere!

4. I realize I've become my mom when I demand my kids to strip naked so I can spray them mercilessly with cold water from a garden hose before we go inside. I am still haunted by the screams.

5. The only TV I watch involves three baby animals named Ming-Ming, Tuck, and Lenny

Despite the hardships, we still experienced some funny moments.

1. Alex followed Daisy all day demanding, "L1ck my toes! L1ck my toes!"

2. Against my advice, Sasha insisted on taking her pants off during our first beach outing.

3. Before asking for Mommy and Daddy in the morning, the kids awoke both days asking for Daisy.

4. Both kids impressed Benanna with their Adult Language (learned from Daddy, by the way).

5. Anna and Debo had fun with Alex by removing the batteries from the ridiculously loud tractor toy. "No Alex, it's not broken. The tractor is supposed to be a QUIET toy."

6. Post bedtime drinks on the porch--such fun!!!!




Alex talks a big game, but is actually afraid of the ocean. Here he is running away from the tide.














"Why again was it a good idea to take off our pants?"














This is the best sand castle EVER!