sunburnt

We took the kids to the beach today. This involves a two-hour drive (if there's no traffic) and then the long drive looking for parking, toting all the paraphernalia to the appropriate location, applying the sunscreen, flinging the sand, etc. etc. It was heaven. No, really, it was. Something about the combination of sun and salt water and ocean breezes and the sound of the waves is incredibly calming, and deeply spiritual. We were there about three hours--11 to 2. I know, I know, prime sunburn hours. And we had sprayed on tons of sunscreen but guess what? It really really needs to be rubbed in. Often. So we are all more or less burnt, but still walking around with goofy smiles.

Nick boogie-boarding has to be the highlight. He tried it out for the first time, just lying on the board in the shorebreak. He got washed off the board way more often than not, shrieking with delight every time. Then he came up to me where I was sitting frying, and said in this totally cool, nonchalant way, "I rode some really good waves out there." This child has seen The Endless Summer II more often than he should, probably. (Though it is, truly, an excellent film. Very calming.) Mariah and Clothilde, our summer visitor from France, walked the length of the beach, jumped in the waves, and helped Nick with a sand castle. Clothilde is more daring than Mariah and did some real swimming. As I saw her jump in, headfirst, and come up spluttering, I said to Mark,"that's why she's so good at this travel-study abroad thing. She just jumps in." And it's true. I can't imagine myself having that kind of self-confidence at her age, and I don't see it--yet--in Mariah. But maybe it will rub off. Even if not, it's nice to be around it.

And somehow, even though she put on far less sunscreen, far later than the rest of us, she's not sunburnt. Go figure.