Surfside 2009

Our beach trip to Surfside was fun/exhausting/relaxing all rolled into one! 14 of the 15 kids

Marian, Conner

Marty Anne, Rachel, Aidan, Mark

Audrey, Seth, Jake, Addison

Noah, Sam, Jonah, Brennan

Emma had already left to go back home

Brennan wasn't thrilled with the waves the first day, especially after they knocked him down a few times. I thought he'd love the water in motion b/c he loves to run the water in the bath, sink and the hose outside. But he figured it out on the 2nd day and loved it!

Thomas was usually out with the bigger kids riding the waves. Aidan ended up either building industriously at the beach or trying to keep up with the big kids in waves (and actually managing it pretty well, despite not being able to swim). He had a system when he saw a big wave coming, he'd turn his back to it, hold a bubble of air in his mouth, and stick his arms out straight to either side. I wished I had a camera out in water.

Marian split her time between being out in the big waves, searching for seashells, or being a mother hen to the little ones.




Brennan decided he needed a nap, so he pulled up a package of diapers and fell asleep right in the middle of a raucuous craft time (brought on by an afternoon storm).

We have a very similar picture of Aidan from our beach trip 3 years ago.

Aidan helping to make limeade.

We broke out the kites on the last evening. Thanks to the changing weather, we had quite a strong wind coming off the Gulf that day. The kids had a great time seeing them all up in the sky.

Addison giving her daddy a mudbath

Mick had sunk himself at least a foot into the sand/mud and was having fun seeing what poses he could pull off with his feet so thoroughly stuck.

Aidan is 6!

Aidan had his birthday last week at a 3-D black-light miniature golf place. It was a little bit of craziness mixed with a lot of fun. Sometimes it looked more like a game of pool with the balls running into each other!

A Sewing Machine

Mom is having the kids make quilts this summer at her house. Aidan started his last week and can't get enough of it! It helps that her machine is super easy to use, so he does everything except pin the next block on. I'll try to get some of Marian doing hers next time.