Our summer is officially over. We said goodbye to it with a full day at the beach yesterday. As I tucked Tommy into bed, his hair still smelled like the beach even after a shower. If I could bottle up that smell and keep it with on long work days and long winter days, I would.

I'm trying not to look at the calendar, but I see you, August. I see you coming and I do not like it. I do not like it one bit. Still, I can't say that we haven't been living these summer days to our best.

We went to the beach last week after a storm. We couldn't swim because of the riptide, but there were waves that we don't usually see at our beaches. The boys loved jumping in the shallows.

And ducking beneath the crest of the waves as they'd roar over their heads.


We made it to the nursery as Luke wanted, but they were out of daisies. Instead he picked out this beautiful pink hibiscus. I think I like it better.


Monday, we went to the fair. We kind of love the fair, as evidenced by last year's post, and the year before that, and this year when Luke was only a year and a half and there was no Tommy! We also went when Tommy was a newborn, but I must not have blogged about it because I had a newborn. I remember because we saw the fireman who cut Tommy's cord and he was really excited to see us. Anyway, we've been fans of the fair since Luke was old enough to enjoy it.
This year was definitely the best, as we spent a record five hours--with a heat index of 100. We didn't intend to spend this much time at the fair, but the boys were having so much fun. Tommy is taller this year and could go on more rides and well, their smiles made the heat bearable.
Tommy rode his first roller coaster, right in front next to his big brother. We were worried that he might get scared, but he was anything but.

They were buds for most of the day at the fair.



When Tommy wasn't big enough for something, he was surprisingly understanding. The best part is that he was only three inches short for the ones Luke could go on but he couldn't, so next year... I'm certain they'll be on everything together.


On Friday, weather permitting, we plan on crossing off one more thing on Luke's summer to do list. Hopefully I can share with you next week!

I'm a really bad blogger. I was going to share more beach photos, but I realized I did that last time I blogged. Not that it matters because it's not like I have a wide audience of people that I need to keep entertained with my twice a month blog posts. Still, we have done other things than go to the beach.

I've sat at the optometrist office again.

That was fun. Diagnosis: my corneas are still jerks. I have at least four more weeks left in glasses and no eye makeup. While I know there are plenty of people who wear glasses all the time, I am not one of those people. Glasses are not what I am used to, thus this has been hard for me--especially in the summer. I'm ready to have my contacts back and hopefully when I see the doctor in four weeks, I'll get the all clear.

Tommy discovered that he loves salt and vinegar chips. Thanks to my migraine meds altering my taste buds, I've made this discovery as well. Salt and vinegar for all!


We all discovered that the grocery store has a tractor, which is confusing and entertaining.


We had a picnic lunch to celebrate my mom's birthday and Tommy put a flower in her hair.



And, of course, there's the beach, where we secretly wish we could live and dance in the waves

and fly kites



Not pictured: Luke learned to ride his bike without training wheels and I learned to maintain a sub-10 minute mile for five straight miles. Now if only Tommy would learn to SLEEP, we'd all be set. Oh, and our local Dairy Queen now serves Orange Julius. Huzzah! How has your summer been?

We kind of love the beach. I love looking back through my blog at beach posts of days of yore. Like our first beach trip last summer (I'm happy we made it much sooner this year!). Though not our beach, two summers ago, we spent some time in the salty waters of the ocean in Salem, MA. Pregnant at the beach with Tommy. Or Luke at the beach when he was only 18 months old (picture me clutching my chest).

Yesterday, we made our first beach trip of the season. It was much-awaited by two little boys, the bigger who could not believe that we had to wait until after Tommy's nap. Lucky for him, Tommy woke up stupid early as always and thus, went down for a nap early. First we went for barbecue, where Luke ate an adult-sized pulled pork sandwich. My kid, the carnivore. Not that a full stomach stopped him from climbing a sand dune seven times in a row!

Tommy grew more fearless between this summer and last. He was unafraid to dash into the water, which meant someone had to be on him at all times (this is kind of the norm for Tommy, anyway). He was undaunted, though. He would lose his balance, go under, come up spluttering and laughing, and go back for more.


And, of course, Grandma and Grandpa were more than willing to swing him around to his little heart's content.


Although the temperature passed the 90s, it was the picture perfect beach day. Blue skies, puffy white clouds. We couldn't ask for better beach weather.


We like to get to the beach in the afternoon and stay later. It starts to cool down. People start to clear out and leave for dinner. You get to watch the sun sink lower into the horizon. It makes for the perfect way to end a day.


And the best thing about the beach? The shortest person in this house is so tired that he's still sleeping. Shh....

This week has been exceptionally dumb. I took some gorgeous flower photos for You Capture with my phone, but hey, guess what decided to stop working yesterday? That's right. So said flower photos are still on my phone.

This is probably cheating, but since these kids are technically my babies, I am counting it. Especially because I don't understand how they aren't still tiny babies. How did it happen that I have a two year old and four year old?
Here's my littlest baby playing in Lake Michigan. He loves the sand and water.




My biggest baby is also a fan of it. No pictures of him in the water, because he's so fearless that he just dives right in. Both boys (ahem, I mean babies) went under the waves once or twice and both came up giggling.


I love my beach babies!

This week has not been the refreshing week that I thought. It seems as though if something can go wrong (especially the somethings that cost us money), it has.

But in the midst of the stress and heat and general overwhelming nature of this week, we took the time to cool our minds and feet (our souls and soles) at the beach.


How lucky we are to live in a world that can be so overwhelming in its beauty.