can you believe we're at the beach again?!

We spent the first week here with favorite friends The Tanners. They were great company. Ryan cooked some amazing meals for us and introduced us to cotija and goat cheese. I can't get over how especially awesome Oliver and Jack's curly locks are in the ocean air. They looked like long lost brothers. It almost blew Jack's mind to be so close to the train tracks, so we thought it would be fun to actually go on a ride.




On Friday we met up with Stephanie and her boys and all went to Sea World. We saw the whale show, the sea lion show, the circus show, the sharks, the penguins, etc, etc, etc, etc. It was hot and crowded and there were snack and souvenir and wet shoes issues, but in the end it was one of those things the kids will remember and we're glad we did it*.

After Sea World, the Tanners left and the rest of the Wileys** arrived. We've been playing in the sand, the water, riding bikes, making s'mores over the fire, bbq-ing, boogie boarding, body surfing, collecting shells, blowing bubbles, etc, etc, etc, etc. It's been awesome to be with family and there's really just nothing like the sound of the waves putting you to sleep at night.


Here are a few things in particular to remember from this week:

• Brenden has been working to overcome his fear of the ditch and gone out in the ocean a few times. He's learning how to handle himself in the water and judge when to jump over or dive under the waves.
  


• We took the kids to a couple other beaches to try to find better boogie boarding/body surfing waves***. We found it easiest to ride bikes so as to avoid the parking hassle, and my bike proved to be a most useful pack mule.
  


• I seem to be cured (?!) of my allergy to the Pacific Ocean****. I've gone swimming almost every day and haven't passed out even once. I'm so excited! I had a great time at the body surfing beach mentioned above, but have lost some of my nerve and skills over the years, so I need to do some more practicing.

• June's favorite activity***** at the beach right now is blowing bubbles on the patio. She started saying BaaBaa (bubbles) over and over again all day long. For the record, other words in her vocabulary: Mom, of various forms (mama, mommy, maaaaaa) -- which all mean "give me something" or "help me with something" or basically look at where she's pointing and do something about it; No -- which sometimes means the same as Mom and other times means "get away from me" or "don't do that" or "give that back to me" or just general flexing her toddler muscles of independence. She went through a phase where she'd say Oh Yeah a lot, but that's gone now. We also don't hear byebye, dada, or nighnigh much anymore. RollIt still comes back every now and again.

• Scott and I successfully took the kayak out and back through the waves without any scrapes or bruises!

• Thanks so much to Steve & Ie Li for dropping by to visit us on Sunday. It was so great to see them - we really miss our spread-out family members.

• We felt the earthquake! It was a 5.9 centered in Chino and was pretty gentle and uneventful by the time it got to us. This is quite significant for Oliver who prays to be safe from earthquakes every night.

• We saw a circus train! A real live Ringling Brothers train went past and that made us curious so we spent a while learning about them. Turns out the train is still the primary mode of transportation for the circus and carries all the cast & crew and their family members, the animals, and all the equipment. We all wondered if there would be a giraffe sticking it's head up through the car, but decided it would be too risky to train it to lower it's head for the tunnels.
  

• Is this the best way to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the beach?!

• Riding bikes to have ice cream at the harbor?! All****** my favorites!

And it's especially great having a photographer along on the trip to snap some priceless family pics like this! Thanks Aunt Stephanie - this one's going on the christmas card!

I'm pretty sure my skin can't absorb any more sun and I have sufficiently stored enough melanin for the long dark winter ahead. They finished putting in our back yard while we've been away and we're dying to see it. Scott's getting stressed out about the work he has to do when he gets back. Brenden actually said in his prayer tonight, "thank you that school can start soon." All signs pointing to the fact that summer is coming to a close and it's time for us to go back home. Although we are feeling ready, I know we're really going to miss this place when we're gone.


*and glad we don't have to do it again for a long time.

**Plus of course Natalie - an honorary Wiley

***Read: waves that don't crash right onto the shore covered with sharp pointy rocks.

****For those of you unfamiliar with my illness...
Our family has gone on beach vacations almost every summer for as long as I can remember. Until I was 14 we'd go to the Atlantic Ocean and I have memories of swimming in the water all day long and having a grand 'ole time. But when we moved to California and started beaching there, I was no longer able to swim in the ocean without passing out. Well I only actually passed out twice, but other times I'd get extremely light headed and dizzy and almost pass out. And I'd get all swolen and welty. So I pretty much gave up swimming.

*****Besides her usual fun with the pantry and elevation changes

******Well is there a way to add in a ferris wheel and a pedicure in there somewhere?