The Beach.

Oooh, today has been super dooper!
Decided to hold the previously cancelled sand castle competition at the beach today.  And gosh it's been glorious!  So warm it felt like summer; and the kids had a fabulous time, and spent much of it playing in the sea....brrrr.  So not a great deal of sand castle building; but we did get a fabulous mermaid, hmm some starwars character, and a huge mound of sand with a moat around it.

I'm feeling quite chuffed with myself too because a friend gave Rye and myself a lift, and she did ask if I'd be able to manage the steps down the cliff (car parking is free up there), I knew I could make it down wasn't overly sure about going back up... but I did both and actually it was really fine.  Ok, I do ache a little now but woohooo, the weight is coming off and I'm feeling better.

I did make the fatal mistake of thinking the kids wouldn't do much more than paddle in the sea - being that's it April and we've only had 2 warm days..so the sea is FREEZING cold!   Silly mama!

No they got soaked... at this point Rye's short's were hanging over the trolley drying; and his t'shirt was absolutely sodden - thankfully I'd brought a change and a jumper in case it was nippy on the seafront (nope it was really hot!  - I've caught the sun quite a bit..and I covered up after a while).

Our first beach trip of 2011 :-)  Fabulous; and I particularly loved that I kept seeing hints of the cute toddler as he played in the sea with the other kids... though clearly not a toddler anymore, lol.  Bless him.

Then later  once the tide came in, we left did a bit of shopping, then meandered home, and soon friends were back, and the kids were enjoying playing in the garden with water soakers, more playdough fun etc.  A very successful day, methinks, and one very happy little boy :-)