Never Tired of the Beach

Mia at Zuma Beach in Malibu, CA

I've been tired, you guys. They said that during the second trimester I'd have more energy. They lied! Well, first of all, I have been doing more than normal. In between shopping for back to school for Anneka, Mia and Laila, we've been trying to get them out of the house to have fun. We've driven around so they can find Pokemon on their phones and we've been going to the beach! We've decided the only place to go to the beach is either Pacific Palisades or Malibu. Not because we're uppity and we're like "Malibu is the only place to be!" it's because it's the easiest place to find parking, easy access to the beach bathrooms and the cleanest sand. When we first moved here, we were all about the beaches you see on tv and in movies, Santa Monica and Venice Beach. The last time we went to Santa Monica, it was over-crowded and took us forever to find parking. The last time we went to Venice Beach, it was over-crowded, took us forever just to get towards the parking only to find out it was expensive, oh and full! And then we ended up at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades. This past Sunday, we went straight to Zuma Beach in Malibu. Okay, all beach bathrooms are gross. Even in Malibu! That'll always be a complaint, especially while pregnant. That's why we do potty breaks while driving all the way from Glendale to Malibu. It's like an hour drive with three kids. We have to stop at a fast food place along the way usually. Once we were there, it was great, totally worth the trip! The twins, who are usually afraid to go near the water, got over their fear finally! There was a lot of "I'll hold your hand" at first, but then it go to a point where I was trying to explain to Mia why she couldn't go further into the water, reminding her that we need to get her swim lessons (and honestly, we should've done that already! What is wrong with us?!). But it's okay. They were just fine with the water going up to their knees and building sand castles. Then we got home in time to give everyone showers, wash hair, and get them dinner and in bed at a semi-decent time.

I love the beach, but it truly leaves me exhausted! I went to bed that night around 9:30! Then the next day, I had my prenatal appointment. I got to see the baby again on the ultrasound and she hand her hand up and moving like she was dancing. It's probably all that kpop we listen to!

I want to go back to the beach more. It's so relaxing, especially now that we have chairs and a huge beach tent that covers all of us. Now we need one of those coolers with wheels because we go with a ton of food each time!

That time we went to the beach

School is almost out for my girls. It's awesome because we have a lot of summer plans. I'm signing them up for either dance or music classes (or both), and we're going to explore all of the great things Los Angeles and beyond has to offer. I'm talking about the beach, farmer's markets, museums, the beach, the zoo, the beach, picnics in the park, the beach, oh, and did I mention the frickin' beach?

I'm sorry. I love Malibu. It's one of the reasons why living here is so awesome for me. I never thought I'd be a beach bum (especially considering I can't swim), but hey, here we are. The first time I visited the ocean was magical. We'd lived here for only 2 weeks and I needed to see the Santa Monica pier close-up. We drove all the way there just to realize that it's much colder in Santa Monica than it is in the valley. The girls had on dresses and no jackets. Thank God we had a throw from Ikea in the back of the van, so we could throw it over the twins who were 2 years old and still in a double stroller! I put my jacket on Ani and of course the husband wasn't cold. Ever. I'm pretty sure he's never been cold in his entire life.

Photo from that day, Santa Monica 2012

Nevertheless, we walked around the pier and then I announced that no matter how frickin' cold it was, I was determined to stick my feet in the ocean. I'd never been to the ocean, so I was going to stick some part of my body in it! So we all did. We took off our shoes, walked across the cold sand and stood there waiting for the tide to come in. It was so refreshing and cold! I giggled. Ani giggled. The twins cried. They were NOT having it!

I found it invigorating. We left right after that, going back to the van and apologizing profusely to the little ones. A great time was had by all. Well, not Mia and Laila. They were not happy after that. Don't worry, they fell asleep in the van 5 minutes after we drove off. Now they're beach bums too. They can't wait to go to our favorite place in the world, Zuma Beach!