that's so random.

i'm going to walk away from my blog - and probably twitter & facebook, too - for the weekend. i need a break. i need to focus on me. i need to enjoy my family. ha! who am i kidding? it's just going to be a crazy, busy weekend. like i would have time to sit on the computer for hours on end {something i may or may not do on a regular basis}.

before i go, how about some randoms from my head, bullet style. yes? well, alrighty then.

• i feel like a jerk. i wrote a guest post for a friend & in that post i talked about how being in your thirties means you're a legit grown up...for real, for real. well, here i am at age thirty-three...and i still rely on my parents. a lot.  it's not a bad thing. i'm grateful for everything that they do. and, let's just put it out there right now, i'm not irresponsible or anything, but my parents do help me out in SO many ways. my goal is to do the same for my own children.
• i really want to share with you all my family's struggles from the last couple of years. but, part of me doesn't want to. once upon a time i had a private blog. a few of you read it. some of you know what we've been going through. and, of course, there are some people out there who are just too judgy-judgy which is why i am not certain i want to open that particular window to my soul {again}. but, i'll say this: a sperm donor and a father are two completely different things. oh, and i'll also say this: i'm very glad my husband doesn't have his father's last name. thankyoubabyjesusamen.
• the job i didn't get? i get it. pushing two kids out of your cooter doesn't make you an expert on children. i think we can all agree on that, right? it frustrates me, though. i find myself questioning my ability and my decision for working on a masters degree in education. but, of course, the whole reason i'm working on this degree is to make more {much more} than minimum wage...so i suppose being turned down for that job was really a blessing in disguise. at least i have substitute teaching to look forward to in the fall.

ugh, enough of that mopey shit. 

• the hubs & i went to see 311 last night. we also saw sublime...barely. had it not been for a groupon special {two reserved seat tickets for $30} we would not have gone to the show. sista girl can't afford paying more than a $5 cover charge for live music these days. 
• buxton lifts his leg to pee. such a shining dog mom moment, eh? my little pup is on his way to becoming a man-dog. well, until we get him neutered, that is. 
• remember how i said it is going to be a crazy, busy weekend? well, it is. i have a baby shower to attend tomorrow as well as a birthday dinner. we're also going to the beach & working on the yard. i'm tired just thinking about it all. 
• shoot, just about every weekend until the beginning of school will be busy. we've go so much going on.
• our garden {which is very much pesticide free} is strugglin' thanks to the mother effin' stink bugs. jerks. ah, well, there's always next year. or, maybe we'll plant a fall garden. i don't know.
• i'm beyond frustrated with trying to upload a video. i can get it onto you tube, but it's sideways. when i rotate it in windows movie maker, save it & upload it to you tube, there's no audio. i can't figure it out. i need to, though, because i really want to share it with y'all. it's of aidan dancing to big time rush. hilarious stuff...promise.
• oh, and get ready because on monday mrs. monologues will be in the hizzouse! 

be good. have fun. miss me {or not}. i'll be perky & upbeat next week...or not. yeah, probably not. i'm not one to overly dramatize or candy coat stuff. what you see read is what you get.

the simple things - third time's a charm.

it's been a couple weeks since i last participated. and, considering i've been kind of mopey & down in the dumps lately, i feel the need to do this. i have to do this. after all, there is so much to be thankful for, right?

as jesslyn amber says...

"let's forget the hustle and bustle.
let's put away our troubles and worries.
let's be thankful for our life.

and the simple things."

so what have i appreciated this week?

• breakfast for dinner. mmm, maple pancakes & bacon!
• old school 90210 reruns. 
• a job interview.*
• snuggles with the pups.
• coffee with two amazing friends - my favorite beach bum & my favorite trucker wife
• listening to back to black. may amy rest in peace.
• losing just our electricity during monday night's crazy storms.
• spending time at my mother in law's house on sunday & monday.
• looking forward to a weekend filled with friends.
• having a date night with the hubby. tonight. even if we're going to a 311 concert. 
• guest posting for a friend while she's out of town.
• saving $81 at the grocery store...and i only used one coupon.
• and, speaking of groceries, i learned just this morning that whole foods is opening a store in my area!!
  
  
  what are you appreciative for this week?
  it's all about the simple things. remember to link up with jesslyn amber, too!

* about that job interview: that was monday. i received a call yesterday. it's a no go. apparently, i don't have experience with children. unfortunately, years of education classes {i started my graduate degree five years ago, folks, taking classes here & there}, nearly 100 observation hours AND being the parent of two children doesn't count for much...if anything, at all. i understand the requirements, but it's extremely frustrating when you can't get a job to get you the experience needed in the first place. que sera sera. i'm okay with their decision. and, for now, i'll just enjoy the rest of summer vacation with my children until school starts up again...for the both of us.

{semi} wordless wednesday: katydid it.

i don't want to disappoint, but i think this will be the last set of bug pictures i post for a while. why? well, i'm lazy & not interested in scouring my backyard for another insect to photograph. besides, i'm sure y'all want to see pictures of things like the beach, the pups & various other shenanigans that may {or may not} take place at mi casa. no? well, whatever.

so, here is my latest installment for {semi} wordless - yet bug filled - wednesday. i'm not sure what kind of katydid this is, but it is indeed a katydid.

i harassed the hell out of this katydid. out of the 23 pictures i took {yes, 23!} there were only three that were fit for sharing. of course, i should consider myself lucky because had i not been watering the butterfly bush i would have never known there was a katydid hanging out on the plant. of course, had i not been hosing the plant down with water then the katydid would not have flown from one side of it to another...only to walk towards the center of the plant where i couldn't get a good shot of it. silly bug.

anyways. enjoy...because this is it for the bug pictures. well, unless i find where those swallowtail larva went.

---

speaking of pictures, i've received many lovely compliments about my pictures. thanks, y'all! seriously, the feedback i'm getting is amazing. i'm not blessed with photography skills nor do i use a fancy camera. many of you have asked what kind of camera i am using. believe it or not, i'm using a digital point & shoot that has dslr tendencies. my camera is a "tweener" because it IS a point & shoot, but it also features manual settings, too. it also looks like a little wanna be dslr.

{source}

i was once a kodak girl, but back in february i treated myself to a new camera made by panasonic {i bought my camera from qvc...surprise, surprise}. the fz40 is my favorite toy. i'm still learning how to use it. for every great picture i take, there are about 15 or more crummy shots. but, overall, i am in love with this camera.

p.s. tomorrow i'm guest posting on my friend rachel's blog.

vendredi.

i was doing so well with the blog posts and then...BOOM...nothing. of course, i relied on scheduled posts for the past week. scheduling posts is great & all, but they require some actual thought and time...two things i may or may not have at this very moment. oh, who am i kidding, i'm just freakin' lazy.

• i have a date with my washer & dryer today. i have a bad habit of putting off laundry until it's out of control. well, it's out of control & i need clothes to pack for the weekend since we're going to see my parents.
• speaking of my parents, they are awesome. why? because they just are. never mind the fact that in another month or so i'll be driving a minivan* again thanks to them. {we're switching cars, basically. i'm giving my altima** to them & they're giving their quest to me. take that crazy car dealers who keep sending us whack ass finance offers in the mail!}
• the hubs & i saw hp7, part 2 on wednesday...in 3d. it was nothing short of spectacular. 
• the best part about going to the movies this week? how about the fact that we used a mobile coupon courtesy of yahoo for a free {small} popcorn AND our nearly $30 movie tickets didn't cost us a dime {well, technically, it cost $9} thanks to taking advantage of a living social fandango deal a month or so ago. moral of this story? if living social EVER does a "2 movie tickets for $9" deal...buy it! 
• i have a bug picture lined up for {semi} wordless wednesday on the 27th. bugs seem to be my wednesday thang.
• speaking of bugs, something killed our squash & zucchini plants. but, i suppose this is what we get considering we do NOT spray our garden with pesticides at all. 
• i have a job interview on monday morning. that is all.
• my grad school semester starts in just over a month. i wish it was going to be my last semester, but it's not. i'll be finished in the fall of 2012, so i've only got one more year left. yay!
• speaking of school, my husband is talking about going back to school. he wants to study structural engineering. um, yeah...don't get me wrong. i'm super supportive of his decision and, at the same time, i'm just glad he's good at math.
• i've been pretty mopey & down in the dumps lately. the last few years have been rough. but, i keep reminding myself to take notice of all of the wonderful things in my life: true friends, family, my home, my children, my health, school, etc. there's so much i could share with you all about my family's experiences of the past {nearly} three years, but i'd rather not.
• i had a very humbling experience yesterday afternoon. very humbling.

there is more, but this is enough. it's friday. it's hot as hell outside...already. i've got a house to clean, laundry to wash & errands to run. 

* put away all of your misconceptions about minivans. i don't care if you don't like them or say you'll never drive one. i was the same way at one point, too...until i leased a honda odyssey {the hot-essy}. hooked. it was a sad day when we brought it back to the dealer & drove off in the altima. you try taking a road trip with two kids, two adults & two dogs in a four door mid-sized sedan. yep, you'll be screaming for a minivan, too. so, ease up on the haterade & let me enjoy this moment, okay?

** the altima used to be my mom's car. i bought it for $1. 

{semi} wordless wednesday: lil' mantis.

"mom, people are going to think that all you do is take pictures of bugs!"  {malia, age 10}

yes, people, that is what i do. i take pictures of bugs & i post them for you to see every wednesday. or, so it seems {click here, here, here & here if you don't believe me}.

last wednesday, adam & malia were in the backyard. malia found a little praying mantis on her leg. it freaked her out {read: therefore, i grabbed my camera}. when i got outside, adam had the lil' bugger & was placing him on one of our sunflower plants. the leaves of our sunflower plants are huge. and, this guy was, well, he's just very small. 

i wonder what kind of bug i'll post pictures of next week?

just a few tidbits.

{i totally cropped my sissy out of the picture...this is about me, not her.}

i'm not entirely pleased about where i am in my life right now. things that have happened, things that are happening...most of it has been & is out of my control. but, i've learned to live with no regrets...or at least i try to. even the worst of times have been a blessing in some way {usually in retrospect}.

i'm not the most conventional mother. in fact, i think my parenting style and my lax attitude might actually scare people. i'm definitely not crunchy or anything, but i'm certainly not smothering or overly doting either. but, then again, i tend to micromanage & get bossy. my parenting is kind of schizo {pardon the term}.

i cuss. sometimes, i cuss a lot. my kids hear me. am i ashamed? sure. but do they repeat me? no...not yet. ugh.

my television habits are strange. joke if you must, but i love qvc. i also love re-runs of the nanny & martin. for real. i watch a lot of hgtv and food network, too. and, if there is a harry potter marathon on abc family, yeah, i'll be on the couch.

i am not an alcoholic {seems weird that i'm putting this out there, but i have been accused of being one}. i do love wine. and bud light - bottle, not canned. lemon drops? no, thanks...unless you want to see me puke. and puke. and puke.

i'm unorganized. i procrastinate. i dwell. i worry. i can be a mess. it's a wonder how i can keep it together sometimes.

i am extremely trusting...until you burn me. then, i could potentially become your worst enemy. it's not the most flattering trait for a person to have, but dammit, i'm good a being a bitch.

i've been with the same man for nearly 18 years. i'll be 34 in september. you do the math.

i catch myself wondering, "what if?" from time to time. it's not worth it, but i really do sometimes wonder, "what if?"

i used "aww...skeet, skeet" in a text message. once. really? yes, i did.

washing your hair is overrated. maybe it is a mom thing or maybe it's just me, but it's really not unusual for me to wash my hair maybe three or four times a week...sometimes less than that. perhaps i've just become lazy. i hate blow drying my hair {when i used to do it daily}.

speaking of hair...you see my hair in the picture? that's the longest it's been since my sophomore year in high school {circa 1994}. that's also not my natural color. it's close, but it's definitely from a box.

text me. don't call me. even better? email me. nah, you should just text me.

i'm not a fan of surprises. especially surprise home visits. it's not that i live in a pig sty, i just sit in my jammies all day long...sometimes. hot mess? yep, that's me.

what else? what else?
well, we'll save that for another time.

big thanks to mrs. monologues for giving me the idea to post this. love you long time!

monday musings.

keep love in your heart. a life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.

{oscar wilde}

this very moment is a seed from which the flowers of tomorrows happiness grow.
{margaret lindsey}

flowers are restful to look at. they have neither emotions nor conflict.
{sigmund freud}

flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all the utilities of the world.
{ralph waldo emerson}

happy monday, y'all.

peach enchiladas.

do you subscribe to southern living? i do. it's the best magazine ever. really,  it is. but, maybe i'm biased because i grew up reading it. my parents had a subscription for as long as i can remember.

anyways, i became a little antsy & jealous when this fabulous lady said she was baking a peach pie thanks to july's edition. i panicked. where was my magazine? was my mailman holding out on me? no, he wasn't. my mail is just slow. okay, so maybe my mailman was holding out on me. but, i digress...

peaches.

they're crazy plentiful this time of year. there was a peach festival not long ago a little bit south of me on knotts island, nc. {my friend, laura, went.} the grocery stores & farm stands in my area are overflowing with peaches. and, if you're like me, you buy peaches at the store only to find that the very next day you need to eat all two or three pounds of them because they're going bad. that can get you can get a bit flustered...and sick of peaches.

have no fear. this is where the peach enchiladas recipe steps in.

first of all, let me give credit where credit is due. this is the creation of {according to southern living} hettie wilkerson of mcbee, south carolina. this recipe won first place at the 2004 south carolina state cook-off in columbia. sounds like a winner, right? it is a winner. trust.

peach enchiladas
2 {8 oz.} cans refrigerated crescent rolls
2 lb. fresh, firm, ripe peaches, peeled & quartered {about 4 large}
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 {12 oz.} can citrus-flavored soft drink {like mountain dew}

preheat oven to 350*. unroll crescent rolls; separate into triangles. place 1 peach quarter on wide end of each triangle; roll up triangles around peaches, starting at wide end. place, point sides down, in a lightly greased 13x9 inch pan.

stir together sugar, butter & cinnamon, and drizzle over rolls; pour soft drink over rolls.

bake at 350* for 45 minutes or until golden brown & bubbly.

just so you know, i halved this recipe. easy, peasy. the first time i made it, i kept it true to the recipe. the second time i made it {we had this for dessert two nights in a row last week}, i added pecans, pitted cherries & i didn't use mountain dew at all {the version in my pictures}.

the only thing missing was vanilla ice cream.

saturday randoms.

it's been nearly a year since we {more like i} was robbed. the police never really did much. they hit a dead end. the fingerprints came up inconclusive. i'm still finding black fingerprint dust on things. my jewelry never did turned up. of course, i never went looking for the missing pieces...until a couple weeks ago. the friend i accused? haven't heard from him since adam confronted him on the phone the week i noticed things were missing. says a lot, doesn't it? i'm glad my {priceless to me} jewelry could get him {and whoever else} high for that day, weekend, whatever. hopefully, somewhere out there, someone is enjoying my {sized specifically for my small fingers} rings & wearing my earrings with pride. as for that friend? my heart has grown bitter & unforgiving in the last couple of years. it's not a healthy way to live, but it's how i choose to live my life at this very moment because when you choose to betray someone who once trusted you, well, you don't deserve my friendship...or my forgiveness.

how's that for starting the blog post off on a depressing, somber note??

---

let's continue, shall we?

the caterpillars i posted pictures of on wednesday have disappeared. here are the last pictures i have of them {taken wednesday morning}:

i'm going to assume that the reason for their disappearance is because it's time for them to transform into butterflies. from what i read on the internet, they will leave the host plant {my dill} and travel a great distance to form a chrysalis. also, finding a chrysalis is like playing "where's waldo." so, i guess i'll be that crazy woman searching high & low in the garden to find these guys. of course, i should just go with adam's theory that a bird ate them and leave things alone. nah.

---

the kids are leaving again. i repeat, the kids are leaving again. yes, my kidlets are headed home with my parents today. how long will they be gone? until they miss me...which could be two days, two weeks or never. i'm just joking about the never...that would never happen.

---

we're currently in the process of drying out the first of our three sunflowers. adam's hoping roast the seeds. i should have taken a picture of it as it's drying out. it's really neat. but, i didn't. so, instead, feast your eyes on one of the two remaining sunflowers:

---

i tend not to post much about work stuff any longer, but i do have a job interview on the 25th. positive vibes, well wishes, crossed fingers, prayers & bribes would be appreciated.

---

and, of course, i can't wait to see this:

{source}

---

there's more, but this is long. tomorrow, i'm posting a tasty recipe courtesy of southern living magazine. if you have peaches & crescent rolls on hand, you're going to want to make it. promise.

nox.*

today is the day.

no longer will i have to...

{via pinterest}

this is it. 

the end. 

seven books. eight movies. countless spells.

harry, hermione & ron have grown before our eyes.

{via pinterest}

i was late to jump on board the harry potter train. 

i remember buying a book as a gift for my nephew back in 2004.

it was about a year after that when i started reading the books...after my family watched the first three movies.

{source}

i was hooked.

so was adam.

and, so were our kids.

{source}

i own all seven books. technically, i own eight. i have two copies of deathly hallows...one copy has thirty-three blank pages in it.
i've read each book more times than i can remember.

and...

i'm the only one in my family who knows how it all plays out.

{source}

it's kind of bittersweet, actually...
both the end of deathly hallows & the end of the harry potter era.

thank goodness we own the books & every dvd {thus far}...and the harry potter version of scene it, and the lego board game, and the wii game, and the nintendo ds game...yeah, it's a little out of control.

and, i can always count on abc family for a harry potter marathon at least once a month.

{via pinterest}

*nox - which is the counter charm to the lumos spell - extinguishes light

you are my sunshine.

{source}

do you need some cheer in your life?

plant a sunflower seed.

seriously.

{semi} wordless wednesday: butterfly garden.

it's wednesday, again.  i'm going to talk about bugs, again. you know, because it's what i do on wednesdays {see here, here & here for proof}.

our dill plant is pretty popular these days. earlier in the week, we noticed a couple of caterpillars on it. as of this week, there are six caterpillars on the plant. we think they're black swallowtail larva. adam & the kids want to bring the larva inside to protect them from the birds. i said no. what do you think?

we're anxiously awaiting the formation of the first chrysalis. i can't wait to take pictures of it. i swear, our garden is not only providing us with food, but it's providing us with our very own science lesson {because the life cycle of a butterfly is part of my state's education curriculum}!

speaking of butterflies, how excited was i when i saw a monarch butterfly on our butterfly bush?!

we've also noticed two hummingbirds recently at the butterfly bush, but this post is about bugs, not birds.  so far, our backyard is becoming a place of discovery. seriously, i could take pictures of the bugs all day long. there are spiders, too, but i'll wait until our garden spiders get bigger...trust me...they get HUGE.

my kids are very excited about the caterpillars. i am, too. i can't wait to share more pictures with you all, especially when they emerge from their cocoons as butterflies!

oh, and remember when i posted pictures of the "mystery bug" or the humming-bumble-shrimp? well, we learned {thanks to google} that it is a hummingbird moth {there are three varieties...ours is a snowberry clearwing hummingbird moth...what a mouthful!}. we saw a few more at the butterfly bush over the weekend...they are neat to watch!

ten reasons why you would want to visit virginia beach.

so, i may be a little biased about virginia beach. why? because i live here. the navy brought my family here {from hawaii!} back in 1986. i basically grew up here. i graduated from high school here. i met my husband here. i am raising my family here.

this area - my area - of southeastern virginia is an amazing location filled with all kinds of things to do. this is an area that thrives from the tourism industry & is super proud of our military. virginia beach is the most populous independent city in the commonwealth of virginia {it's also the 39th largest city in the u.s. according to the 2010 census} and there is plenty to do when you're visiting...here is my list:

• surf, sun, sand - some locals may say that virginia beach has no waves, but that doesn't stop people from taking their surfboards & body boards out into the atlantic ocean on a daily basis! virginia beach is flanked by the chesapeake bay to the north & the atlantic ocean to the east. there is plenty of coastline for you to set your beach chair & umbrella. my family's favorite beach spot? sandbridge.

• sightseeing...on the water - where else can you book a tour to go dolphin or whale watching? if you're really lucky, you will see dolphins riding waves while at the beach. if you're really lucky, you'll see a whale breach the water while at the beach {trust me, this is rare, but we did see a whale on father's day 2010}. if you're too impatient to sit on the beach & wait for dolphins or whales, then book a trip with rudee tours. our local sciene museum - virginia aquarium - also offers boat excursions.
• deep sea fishing - if dolphin & whale watching isn't your thing, don't worry. there are plenty of charter boat companies that offer some of the best fishing the east coast has to offer whether you're out by the chesapeake bay bridge tunnel or out by the gulf stream. you can catch anything from spade fish to big eye tuna!

{a really bad cell phone picture of the spade fish my husband caught a couple summer's ago}

• seafood, seafood, seafood - if you are in virginia beach, you HAVE to eat seafood. i know, i know, there are people who are either allergic or don't enjoy it. don't worry, there's plenty of food for you to choose from. BUT, if you are a die hard seafood fan, virginia beach is a great place to chow down. seafood restaurants are plentiful and be sure to feast on blue crabs & oysters...both native to the area. my family's favorite seafood spot? margie & ray's.

• folklore & history - virginia beach was once princess anne county. the area is rich in history. if stories from the past & learning about the birthplace of a city is your thing, then visiting virginia beach is a good choice. you can learn about the witch of pungo, visit the francis land house, visit the old & new cape henry lighthouses, see the adam thoroughgood house, & tour the old coast guard station at the oceanfront. 
• catch a concert - whether it's a free show at the 31st street park, a weekend concert lineup as part of the american music festival, or a headlining, national act at the amphitheater...there is plenty of music to be heard in virginia beach!

• festivals & tournaments galore - once the weather warms up, it seems like there is a festival of some sort happening all the time in virginia beach. in may, pungo celebrates the strawberry with a festival. all summer long, different events associated with the neptune festival take place along the oceanfront. labor day weekend welcomes the american music festival. there are also sand soccer tournaments as well as the east coast surfing championship. seriously, there is always something going on in virginia beach.

• jet noise - virginia beach - and, quite frankly, the entire hampton roads area - loves the military. a large part of this area's population is made up of military families and the area is home to one of the largest naval bases. virginia beach is home to oceana naval air station and, every year, the blue angels come to visit as part of the air show. it's a loud, but fun time!
• amusements galore - ocean breeze...it's not just that refreshing blast of cool air you feel coming off the water, it's also a water park conveniently located minutes from the oceanfront. it's fun for the whole family. and, when you dry off, you can also check out motorworld & shipwreck golf. there are also amusement rides & miniature golf places scattered throughout the oceanfront. my family's favorite miniature golf location? jungle golf.
• something for everyone - do you want to golf? you can golf. do you want to shop? you can shop. do you want to hike? you can hike. do you want to kayak? you can kayak. there is so much to see & do in virginia beach. trust me.

my list of ten barely covers all that there is to see & do while visiting virginia beach.  the area is filled with sights, sounds, smells & tastes that will entice people of all ages.  visit us once and you'll fall in love. promise. 

disclaimer: i wrote this blog post while participating in the socialmoms & virginia beach tourism blogging program for a gift card worth $40. for more information on how you can participate, click here.

tuesday.

ugh.

it's only tuesday. i'm really longing for the weekend again. i don't know why...i just am.

my weekend was a blur. a fun blur.

as per usual, i was at the beach:

our goal for saturday morning was to crab for the cookout we were having on sunday afternoon. um, with the water as rough as it was, it was not a very successful day for crabbing. thank goodness for nathan's hot dogs & frozen hamburgers!

there were, however, other crabs out in full force on the beach...sandfiddlers! i had fun taking pictures of them. they are fascinating to watch {okay, maybe it's just me} as they dig their holes & scurry from the approaching tide.

our weekend was filled with family. we hung out at adam's mom's house on saturday night. the kids enjoyed going swimming at grandma's. on sunday, adam's aunts & uncle as well as good family friends came over for a late afternoon cookout. it was a great time.

sadly, i'm covered in mosquito bites. i guess that's what you get for playing cornhole in the grass after it rained {what seemed like} all of last week.

moon jellies.

the kids & i went to sandbridge this morning with every intention of having a photo shoot at the beach. yeah, that didn't exactly happen. first of all, the weather was gloomy. i wanted sunshine & rays of light in my pictures, not dark, gray clouds. second of all, after taking one step into the shore break, i heard nothing but squeals of delight...

moon jellies!

i'll spare you the science lecture, but moon jellies {or aurelia aurita} are pretty common on our beaches. they're harmless & i don't mind the kids playing with them. if you're curious to know more about moon jellies, then click here & here.

anyways. if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? rather than making my kids pose for pictures they didn't really want to take i decided to just follow them around. i was the papamamarazzi, if you will.

the semi-matching outfits were totally malia's idea. coincidentally, i, too, was in a turquoise shirt. my favorite beach bum & her lil' man met us out at the beach and she offered to take a pic of me with the kids {since we were all in blue}. i politely declined. 

aidan - such a ham - was pretty bummed that he wasn't in his bathing suit. he was also mad that i wouldn't let him go swimming. still, he managed to soak his shorts while wading in the shore break. boys will be boys, i suppose! malia & aidan collected quite a few moon jellies. aidan wanted to bring them home. um, no. i'm trying to purge my home of unnecessary stuff...the last thing we need is a collection of remnant jelly fish strewn across the coffee table.

even though it was very cloudy it was still a great beach day because it was not hot & there was a nice breeze blowing. too bad big rain drops started to hit us...we were at the beach for maybe a half an hour...tops.  fortunately, we live just twenty minutes away so we can try again next time for a {proper} beach photo shoot.

either with or without the moon jellies.