Day 4

Yesterday we headed to a different beach a few miles further south for 5 hours of Little Guards competition versus the nefarious cross-town rival Guards. Yeah, I am NOT kidding. Gots to represent against those Capitola Guards. ;) I came up against traffic on the way there, so the closer parking was full by the time we arrived, and I had to park at the top lot on top of the cliff. Good News: beautiful view. Bad news: had to get down, then back up this cliff via a steep switchback. Good News: check mark on my exercise for today! ;)


Those dots are the LGs, all grouped together before the battle began. For the record, Bunny was on time -- I sent her down the steps, which were a direct shot, with a fellow LG and that child's family, while I pushed the boys on the much more circuitous stroller friendly route.


We (boys and I) got down just in time to watch the first race for the 6 yr olds. That orange flag in the distance was the halfway point. Bunny is on the far right, wearing her hood up and black pants. It was chilly and foggy the first couple of hours. She was well within the middle finishing this race, a respectable finish for someone who prefers a sprint to a marathon.

There were rather large breaks between events, so I took the boys to the sand and set up our 'camp' for the next 5 hrs. I goofed and forgot the camera for Bun's next event, whic ended up being the one she did best at. Boo me! It was called the 'flag race', but really, I think they wee evoking Golden Retrievers. Huh? Well, lemme tell ya.

They separated into ages and also genders. A line in the sand was drawn. The kids had to lie on their bellies, feet towards the water on the line, heads down on their hands (arms akimbo... kind of). One less tennis ball than there were kids was thrown into the surf. A whistle sounded and they were off. They ran in, grabbed a ball if they could, then ran back to the line and returned to the prone position they started in. There were about 11 'heats', each time eliminating one child. Bunny came in third! She may just have at least been in second place had she realized a ball was still out there her last heat, but she thought both were found and headed back to the sand, despite the ball being near her. Oh well, she did great, and that was her favorite race. Probably because she did well, but I think also because it involved sprint running, which is her 'thing'. She can be pretty fast in bursts! Plus her hair stayed dry--no diving. :)

There were, man, like 100+ 6-8 yr olds in red swimsuits on the beach that day, but all I saw was this.


It was a very tiring day for her and me, both. I was up at 6, busily doing what little housework I would have time for that whole day, packing lunch and getting ready for the beach, leaving the house at 8:45, getting home at 4:00, leaving again for class at 5:30, getting back home to a thoroughly trashed house at 10... I know my husband is still figuring out how to manage all 3, and he's not exactly the multi-tasker type, but I sincerely hope soon I will not return to as many or more hours of cleaning than I was gone for. Ugh. I'd complain, but I know he was managing as best he could, since apparently Bunny was in a MOOD last night (she was tired from her day *and* she doesn't like me not being there when I am at class, so she picks on her brother, and basically pulls stuff that would NOT fly if I were home).

Anyway, today is normal schedule, so I don't have to hustle much. Just have to leave the house at about 11:15. Easy peasy, and I hope to be able to swim with the 2 big kids after dinner. Carter is doing so well in the pool. He LOVES to 'swim' with me and is jumping in like a pro. Okay, like a 2 yr old.

One last shot for today. Cole fell asleep like this. I love how his little arm is tucked in. :)