Back to School Preparation

It's almost back to school for us beach bums. The best way to prepare for the new school year is to make sure you have a really good tan. The kids and I are definitely prepared.
I think these kids feel right at home down here in Florida.
I'm pretty sure where ever Steve's next assignment is, if it doesn't have a beach we're not going with him.
We're not cut out for life inland.
Nathan always keeps an eye out for Kathryn's beach toys and dives in the water when he sees one carried off by the waves.
Posing next to the dead fish that washed up.
This fish kept Nathan and just about everyone else who walked by entertained throughout the day. Nathan rushed over to talk to anyone who stopped to watch the fish. I'm telling you, he's a talker.

Boomba is claiming her spot in the sand.

So is Nate Dogg.
You can mark Panicky Smurf off the list. Nathan has a personal goal to collect all 16. It's serious business. He called a Skype meeting with Paw-Paw and Lady to discuss their efforts in his Smurf collection. I'm not even joking. Really. I'm not. Paw-Paw and Lady showed him which Smurfs they had for him. Mace can thank Nathan for the abundance of Happy Meals lately.
Other serious business... playing at the beach. I asked Nathan where he wanted to go, the splash park or the beach. He jumped at the opportunity to go to the beach. He said the beach is better than the splash park. Thank goodness. It's way more enjoyable for me to hang out at the beach.
Here we are eating another Happy Meal dinner.... at the kiddie table nonetheless. I swear we do have a grown-up kitchen table, we just don't use it. We have pretty much given up on anything grown-up for the next several years.
We ended the evening by hanging out on the front porch. People are going to stop walking by our house if Nathan doesn't leave them alone. He jumps at any opportunity to talk to neighbors. He has become the friendliest, most talkative kid I have ever met. He wants to tell everyone who makes eye contact with him his entire life story. He actually interrupted Steve's conversation with a neighbor to tell him that he wanted to talk to the neighbor now. Not only did we move into "that" house, but now we have "that" kid.