One last summer outing

Most people know that I'm just not a beach person--although many have tried to convert me.

I hate the sand everywhere....
the cold water....
the fact that I burn in less than 6 minutes...
and most importantly...
I hate wearing a swimsuit.

But the kids have been asking to go to the beach, so I decided to be a nice mom and take them before school officially started on Tuesday.

So Monday, we went to down to Newport Beach. Dana suggested it for the convenient (and cheap) parking and the park on the beach.

We stopped at this fun park on the way down. I just happened to see it while driving down Newport Blvd and so we stopped to play for a bit.

The kids loved this plane replica.

And this funky slide with the rollers.

And Helene enjoyed the swings too.

I know Hannah isn't in any of these pics....she didn't want her picture taken. But here is her photography attempt.

After some play time, it was off to the beach. I found parking literally 20 feet from the beach. It was perfect.

So I enjoyed this...

(Two of my favorite things: Diet Coke and Vanity Fair.)

While the kids did this...

Helene hated the sand and refused to walk on it, so she was pretty much confined to the blanket. Sounds mean, but she didn't complain...and it gave me plenty of time to relax and read for a bit without worrying where she was going to run off to.

Here is my favorite picture of the day.

We only stayed a little over an hour, but by then the kids were super sandy and getting cold from the water and wind. And, of course, I was totally fried. I never realize it until the drive home when I start to feel that all too familiar soreness and pain of a sunburn. I guess some people never learn.