Safari

Tuesday I took the Things and our bikes to the beach. Loading the bikes on the bike rack is not as simple as one would hope. Those little bikes? They’re kinda annoying. No holes big enough for the rack implements, or in a useful place. Here's a photo, I took lots of pictures before I removed the bikes when we got home, so I won't have to spend forever puzzling it out next time. Its hard to tell, but the fittings to hold individual bikes are kinda too big to fit through the holes on the little bikes. Especially the red one, which had to be on the farthest set because it wouldn't go any closer. My bike is the "720" waaay at the back. Perfectly simple to mount.

We went to the beach just South of the Santa Monica Pier. (I felt like teasing the Things with the prospect of an amusement park, but not going. Turns out, they didn’t want to, anyway.) We rode bikes up and down the strand, had lunch, checked out surf camp for next year (oh yeah, they’re going to that!). Then I loaded them down with stuff and sent them off to find us a spot in the sand. Oh, the kvetching. Sheesh. They really think I’m their sherpa. Soooo not. I was too busy hoisting their insanely heavy for the size bicycles back on the beluga. Augh.

By the time I arrived at the designated spot with (really the lion’s share of) our stuff, they were both already in the surf. Thing 1 is impossible about the ocean. Honestly. I spent most of the day eyeballing where his dinky point of a head was. When he finally came in, I lectured him on how if the only people he can see near him in the ocean are adults, he’s too far out. He’s a strong swimmer, but you can’t anticipate the occasional waring blender wave.

Meanwhile, Thing 2 was playing in the sand/sitting in the surf. We tried to make a sand castle, but he was too intent on wrecking mine before it got big enough to bother with. I moved on to moat building, then when he was totally ignoring me I moved on to knitting on the beach.

Don't worry, he's very good about making sure he gets sunscreen on a regular basis, even if I forget. Sadly, I forget to reapply on Thing 1 and my own self, so we both got burnt. Ergh.

Meanwhile, Thing 1 was out in the blue yonder with the boogie board, trying to catch waves out with the surfers. Augh. After about 15 minutes, the freaking LIFEGUARD called him in.
































I know it doesn't look that far, but he's about 100yards out. Of course, its not that deep, intermittantly.











































Here's my Thing 1, on the receiving end of another lecture about going out too far, pointing out his bad mom who let him go out too far. Great. The only time in my life I get noticed by a lifeguard, and its so he can glare at me for my crappy parenting skillz. I waved. Sigh. Next time I'm bringing a leash.

After coming back to our base of operations for a second (third?) lecture of the day, I sent the Things off together to hang out in the surf. Eventually, Thing 1 showed Thing 2 how to body surf/boogie board. I've tried, but the shorter fellow wants to be all scaredy with me. He'll suck it up and do it for his brother. I did have to march out and retrieve Thing 1 when he was trying to coax Thing 2 ever farther out into the surf. I'm not totally worthless.

























I got a knitting sunburn. Forearms only, except for the part that was hidden because my arms were bent a bit.

After that was the fun fun drive home in gridlock. I had fantasized about staying at the beach long enough to leave after gridlock, but honestly, I'd had enough. Also, baby powder? Good for getting the sand off all the bits where you don't want sand for an hour in the car.
Just sayin'.