Projo Offbeat Blog

From October until May, we look forward to our summer days at the beach only to discover in June that a day at the beach is no day at the beach.

The 1-year-old puts rocks in his mouth. The 3-year-old thinks he'll be eaten by seaweed. The 8-year-old and his pal get bored the minute Mom or Dad stand on their feet instead of their heads.

We park ourselves -- that's our three kids and a friend -- near a woman with nine kids, including three in diapers.

When she puts down her head for what's undoubtedly a much-needed rest, the volume of our own group seems even louder.

"You guys don't have to yell at each other. You're right next to each other."

Of course, they have to yell since they don't seem to hear their father -- or their friends' father -- speaking in a firm, fatherly voice just a few feet away.

The sand at this beach is silky smooth. The water has a light green tint. It looks like a photograph of a beach in the Caribbean. It's shallow, perfect for children. But the snack bar holds a stronger allure.

"Can we get something at the snack bar?"

"No. We're going to eat the food Mom packed" -- and already bought.

The only one who isn't obsessed with the snack bar is the 1-year-old, and that's probably because he's still trying to eat rocks and sand.

"I'm bored."

"Can't you guys just entertain each other for a while?"

Parents don't have the luxury of being bored at the beach. We're too busy making sure everyone is accounted for, covered by sun block, not eating rocks.

To their credit, the kids turn their attention from the snack bar long enough to try the water, which is cool this early in the season but refreshing. A good start to the summer.

Then they finally hit their stride in an effort to dig a hole in the sand and fill it with water.

Some of the kids from the group beside us join in. Even the 1-year-old stops trying to eat rocks and sand long enough to examine the effort and knock down part of the sand wall.

The money we spent on the pails and shovels looks like a good investment as the kids run down to the edge of the water with empty pails, then struggle to haul full ones back up the beach.

And it's comforting to think that our investment will pay dividends later when we're trying to settle them down for bed.

After a few hours, we get back in the van, bringing most of the toys and half of the beach sand with us. Tanned and tired, we're already looking forward to another day at the beach.

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