How Far?

We live exactly 10 minutes drive from the beach. It took us 3 1/2 months to get there. (No, we are not particularly slow drivers.) Had it not been unseasonably warm this past weekend, it may have taken us longer. We are lazy and unmotivated.

What does it say about us that it took us that long to get up the gumption to go to a beach that is literally in our backyard? Perhaps we are not beach people unless that beach has a concierge that will bring us drinks with little tiny umbrellas? Perhaps we are only beach people when the water temp on said beach is more than 50 degrees? Whatever it says, I think that "generally sluggish" is more accurate.

That being said, the boys had a fab time walking on the beach. We collected all manner of beach things - - sand dollars and rocks. The sand dollars are soaking in bleach in hopes of achieving that pristine Florida Beach look. I'm thinking this might be too aggressive for Northern California sand dollars. They are sort of a light ecru color at best. These particular dollars lead a harder life than those perched on the white sands of the East.

As for the rocks, have you ever noticed that when rocks are slightly wet and are selected from the beach, they are interesting and beautiful and have cool patterns and fascinating rock features? However, once placed in a boy's pocket they emerge dry, dullish and have been magically transformed from stellar to meager-so-so rock quality. These so-so rocks are now sitting on the kitchen counter where they were dumped yesterday. I will move them in a day or so to another less obvious counter. In a week or so I will move them to a drawer in the boy's room. It it likely that they will never actually touch them again. I, of course, will need to pack and move these rocks at some point in the future. All this because I know that if I actually just chuck them out the window, they will NEED to see these rocks tonight. Somehow they know when the rocks are gone. How does this happen??