Rey & Chicks + Six: Day Two

Highlights from the day include:

• A super fun, labor intensive, sand consuming, sun soaking, Bob the Builder eat-your-heart-out trip to the beach
• A proper education on what really happens when a baby eats an undetermined amount of sand
• A minor scare that we'd been robbed, but really it was just a teensy case of forgetfulness
• Someone* falling on his or her ass on the slippery rain soaked garage floor
• A trip to Target (it's always a good day when a trip to Target is involved)
• A super special girls only dinner
• A raucous round of "The Force Game" a.k.a. Light Sabre play that gives me an ulcer.
• Bedtime that didn't involve a million lectures, bribes, threats and that resulted in six sleeping children instead of three giggling ones.

*Names omitted to protect the gravity challenged.

But without further ado, following is what I shall title "The Beach: A Photo Essay"...

I Hope Jabba Doesn't Come After Me For This

My husband's dreams have come true--I have allowed the world of Star Wars to enter the lives of our children.

Mason had taken to playing Lego Star Wars on the Playstation at the gym. Which is fine, I'm not anti-video games (anything in moderation, right?) but he was turning into a complete and utter freak show about it. Begging to play, being completely irrational about it, screaming bloody murder when it was time to stop playing and leave the gym... Seriously, it was behavior akin to a crack addict--except he is four and his drug of choice was an electronic game system. I tried many other solutions before I revoked his gaming privileges, but it came to a point last week where I just couldn't take it anymore, and I cut him off. At the suggestion of my ever-helpful friend Carrie, I took him to the store and let him pick a Star Wars toy in an attempt to move him from the fantasy world of the video game to the reality of imaginative play.

Of course he chose a light sabre. Lord help me now. And I actually bought it for him. Yes, I even shocked myself.

Now those of you who know me are aware of my bleeding heart liberal, anti-weaponry ways. My friend Tonya had to educate me on the Rules of Proper Swordplay (inasmuch as swords can only touch other swords, not people). But I suppose I'm loosening up in my old ways, or the children are simply beating me down a bit more effectively.

Mason picked a red light sabre, which was no shocker since red is his fav, and he also decided that Cole and Daddy should each have one too (isn't it sweet how he thinks of others?). Blue for Cole, green for Daddy, and we were on our way.

As I pushed the cart through the store I had a nagging feeling that I was going to regret this. And when Mason proudly displayed our purchases to Rey, he gave me a look of shock and disbelief that I am condoning this. But, being the Sci-Fi crazy Trekkie loving Star Wars Yoda wanna be that he is, pleased with the light sabres he was.

We went over the rules, which were taken to heart and understood. Over the past week there has only been one time each that have the boys struck a blow on one another, at which point the light sabre went to time out. This is not bad considering their propensity for beating each other down.

I have, on several occasions, been drafted to play "The Force Game" when Daddy is at work and therefore unable. So I don the green light sabre, run around making "vroom.... vroom" noises, and pray that one of my eyes doesn't get poked out. I hate every minute of it. But it makes my boys happy, and that is my purpose.

May the Force be with you.

Darth Cole

Darth Mason

Poor Lila.... mixed in with the wrong crowd.

She is the cutest little Star Wars villain I have ever seen though!