BEACH, Days 4 and 5

We're gearing up as we're winding down... Relaxed into beach mode, we wander the neighborhood meeting and greeting before driving to Fresh Fields to check out the restaurant situation and grocery store--Newton Farms.

We're in love with Newton Farms. Feels like a seaside Whole Foods with lots of fresh foods, semi- and fully-prepared options. We need some sour cream, Romaine lettuce, and salsa. We're making tacos with Fritos tonight--hoped to introduce the girls to chili bellies (some call them Fritos pies) but haven't found any single-sized bags of Fritos, so we'll make Fritos Bowls.

The Subaru rolls in around 4:30pm and we have three very excited little girls ready to check-out the house and discover some presents (?). Most of our gifts to them were delivered at Thanksgiving or by mail from Lands End. But, they've been conditioned to believe that when grandparents are around, there will be gifts!

LG has a deck of Old Maid, some math dice, and a Connect Four game to share with her sisters. KF and LG have slap watches and walkie-talkies, while NJ gets a toy iPod and a bracelet. We've found scarfs for all three of our European lovelies and some sweet treats besides.

This is a very nice beach house with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, lots of open spaces inside, and both a screened porch and wrap-around deck outside. While rain is predicted for tomorrow, the rest of the week sunshine and warm temperatures--maybe even into the 70s--are expected.

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Not sure what time the rain begins on Tuesday, but the girls pass the morning with videos and artwork. By mid-morning we decide to ignore the weather and we all gear-up and hit the beach anyway. We just can't be at the beach and not be on the beach.

By 2:00pm the rain ends, and we drive both cars to Fresh Fields to check out the candy store. Soon, we're on the beach again enjoying the last rays of sunshine for today.

Tonight we'll have quiche and salad--a simple and satisfying meal just right for beach life.