Look, I found a way to get in the pictures!
Day three of our impromptu staycation took place at Birch Bay State Park.
Read about days one and two here
I love the ocean. Most of my life has been spent near the ocean. First in Alaska, then in Hawaii, then in British Columbia and Washington. I love the fresh air, she smells (well, some of the smells), the sea life (fish are friends, not food)…the sounds…the waves…
I love watching may kids explore the natural world. It was too cold to play in the water (though my kids were hoping) so they spent several hours exploring the beach. The walked, looked for shells, threw rocks in the water…
Picked up sticks and swung them around. 
Jubilee and her friend…um, did exercises.
I’m not sure why.
Sibling bonds were forged and strengthened.
Once again, we had no agenda. Chuck and I enjoy taking the kids hiking, to the lake and beach, so they can learn to enjoy the great outdoors. Sometimes, especially after a long winter indoors, the kids need a bit of urging to get outside. 
They may complain of being bored or ask, “what are we going to do?” in the beginning…but it is important to us that our children are not constantly entertained by screens or games or even books. Ten minutes spent staring at the ocean? That’s time well spend, in our opinion.
Learning the art of contentment..and the are of Being Bored and Not Dying…those are important. And they take encouragement at times.
You may have heard about starfish in the Pacific Northwest dying off. I am happy to say we saw plenty of healthy ones (including babies) on the beach this weekend. They seem to be getting better and reproducing.
Now spring break is over (though you wouldn’t know it since I have two kids home with fevers) and its back to the daily grind…for those of you who follow me on Facebook, you may have noticed a few pictures of Kalina…in New Zealand. She is home safe and sound and I will be sharing about that soon.
