Pinnochio Ice Cream

     We are just a short waddle down the road from a great ice cream shop.  The lines are usually really long, but tonight we had about a ten minute wait which is longer than you might think if you don't  know what standing in line with four kids who really want ice cream is like.  We have a washer and dryer in the condo and may have all the kids strip to their undies as they walk in the door - they are covered with ice cream!  It was hard to keep it from dripping on this warm spring night.  For now they are having one last bike ride for the day to try to wear off some of the sugar before bed.

     The kids started the day by consuming a whole pan of scrambled eggs before biking out to the lighthouse.  It isn't a very impressive place, but a fun destination for biking.  Then it was pool time again to cool off and practice swim strokes.  The day was calm whick made it perfect for lunch on the beach.  We ser up an umbrella and the pop-up sun shade.  The kids had a great time in the water and found a bunch of sand dollars.  We are soaking them and rinsing often to get the sand out and get them bleached clean.  I still have one that i found 10 years ago.

     Stella took a walk with the two grandmas and was very interested in the many tiny lizards that like to hang out on the boardwalk.  She strolled down the beach and waves to all the passing joggers as though she was royalty.  When we got back to our front yard we found a small flock of snowy ibis.  They are such pretty little birds.  Not new ones to my list, unfortunately.  

     We are falling into a wonderful rhythm of warm sunshine, swimming, playing on the beach, and sitting on our screen porch watching the birds.  A week will not be enough.  It is just so wonderful to have this time with the whole family.