grass stains: Beach 2015: Tuesday

Okay, now I have to get serious.

After being sick last week and not posting, I'm in serious jeopardy of missing my One Beach Post A Week And We'll Be Done By Christmas goal.

AND WHAT WOULD THAT DO TO HALLOWEEN?

Okay. Errbody calm down.

Tuesday at the beach dawned beautiful and dorsal-free. As we had come to expect.

A few of the braver souls on the beach ventured out into the ocean that morning, but for the most part, all up and down the shore, everyone stayed put on the sand or in the shallows.

To protect my husband from the wrath of my sister, I will neither confirm nor deny that a couple of those dots out there are Grayson and any number of our boys.

My lips are sealed.

One thing the kids all loved was taking lunch out to the pool.

By the by, have you ever allowed 13 children to take paper plates full of food out to a pool deck, trusting them to hold onto said plates IN THE TRADEWINDS and clean up after themselves, which they don't even do at home?

It did not go well.

Tuesday evening before supper, we took time to run out and get the cousins' annual photo in front of the ocean.

Amelia was having NONE OF IT.

We'd all wondered if it would be Gideon we'd be chasing around, trying to get to cooperate for the photos.

NOPE. It was the girl. Who was, according to her, "feewing shy."

Jake tried to help me out.

It didn't work. She was stoic.

Steadfast in her refusal to participate in any way, shape or form.

STALWART IN THE CHEERING FACES OF MEN.

Meanwhile, on the OTHER end of the lineup ...

Man down!

The kids do love the beach at dusk.

Still couldn't get The Princess to cooperate.

I thought maybe if we got her together with all the other "As," they'd bring her out of her shell.

Negatory.

Let me just tell you, I've never been tempted to go blonde. (I mean, copper doesn't count, right?) But I am soooo envious of Amelia's natural color and highlights.

My hair was blonde until about 4th grade, which I assume is where she got it ... and I hope hers lasts longer than mine did!

After supper that evening, Amelia talked Abby into "reading" her Frozen coloring book to her. Again.

I mean, if you've never read a coloring book, I can't tell you how exciting it all is.

You can get really carried away.

It's just all sorts of a good time.

Reading with Abby just proves that you don't have to have amazing illustrations or flowery prose to impress kids. Abby can make even a plain old coloring book lots of fun.