sand castles

We met up with some friends over the weekend for some swimming and beach play. Here's what we all came up with to adorn the beach at our favorite state park pond.

This first one is my personal favorite, perched on a rock at the water front.

The Map Man and the boys built an entire walled city. Anyone want to guess what The Map Man does for a living? Anyone? Did I hear someone say "geeky structural engineer?" Ding ding ding....

(sorry honey, but you KNOW it's true, embrace the dorky-ness....)

Here's my creation. It's so,.. I dunno,.. ME.

Someone reminded me that it's supposed to be a sand CASTLE, not a sand hut.

In my defense, it DOES have a wall around it, and a flag, hence it's a castle. So there!

The Map Map plopped this unadorned castle down on an island (which the kids and I named "Pudgy Pidgey Island" in honor of a recent Pokemon episode we watched together), and told me that he built that house for me. I thought it was pretty romantic, our own tropical hideaway, surrounded by water and beautiful views. That is, until I realized that he was creating his own SEPARATE house, a ways up the beach:

He calls it his hovel. That about covers it. It's outside the walls of the great sand city, yet close enough to keep an eye on the kids (who are Kings of the city). Although Zoo Boy, looking at The Man's hovel, decided he wanted to close off the road to the city, and walled across the opening.

There are some pretty strong metaphors there somewhere. I just don't have the energy to draw them out, so I leave that in your capable hands!

It was enough for me just to spend the day with my family under a brilliant blue sky, creating nonsense and memories.