Great family, comes back every year

It was so nice to see a great family return this year.  The Dad, Ricardo, said, “We come here once a year, and when we see you, we know that all is well with the world.”  His wife, Mary, gets into the building, and loves seeing her boys’ creations.  David is their oldest son, 14, and is one of the best drip tree makers I know!  Michael is 11, and Henry is 8.  Sienna is a friend of the family, is 6 years old, and hopes to build this coming week.

Sienna, Dad Ricardo, Henry, David, and mom Mary

Brendan built a castle for his love, Julie

It was fun watching Brendan (my youngest son) build a castle for his fiance, Julie.  He asked her to choose the type of castle, and then choose where the door would be.  (She changed her mind, and made him change the door from facing the bay, to facing the dunes!)  He asked her where she wanted the stairs – just sheer fun for me to watch them!  They are engaged, and plan to be married next year in May.

Brendan and Julie

Colin 6, from Toughkenamon, PA

Colin had a lot of fun building today.  His older brother, Jameson, was very patient, and was reminding Colin of the ‘tricks’ of sand castle building.

Colin 6, had a lot of fun building!

Olivia, 10, from Andover Massachusetts

Olivia is 10, big sister to Sarah 6 1/2 and Ariana, 5 (who built a castle earlier.)  Olivia came down, and decided to build her own lovely castle, which had a winding pebble road.  She wanted a photo with me(!)

Olivia with me, in front of her castle

My unfinished castle on Friday, August 10, 2012

Today was another day with bad weather chasing us off the beach.  A storm came over, with thunder, lightning and rain.  I left an unfinished castle, and didn’t get a photo, but Bernard went down to the beach later, and took one for me (that I love!)

left in the rain before I could finish

Bernard, Christine, & Billy – Friday August 10, 2012

It was fun watching Bernard 18, Christine 17, and Billy 18 work together.  A few times, there was more sand on them than on their castle.  Billy was working with a bad knee, but had some great engineering ideas.  Bernard was great at making stairs; Christine kept working, with some human ‘roadblocks.

one view of the 3 friends' castle

Niamh, Caelan, Sean, Hannah & Kyle on Friday Aug 10, 2012

Niamh 12, Caelan 9, and Sean 7 – teamed up with their cousins Hannah 12, and Kyle 10 – from Havertown, PA  today.  We were ‘rained out’ yesterday, but they really made up for it today!  Wonderful young people that I was lucky to teach, and to build next to them.

Hannah, Niamh, Kyle, Caelan & Sean

Thursday, Aug 9 – storm came through

I went to the beach about 12:30, and there were 5 kids ready to build castles. But within the first half hour, we could hear thunder off in the distant Southwest. When I saw a lightning strike, I told the kids we needed to be off the beach.
We left all the buckets, shovels, and molds on the beach, thinking it would pass quickly, but it got worse – and I had to run back and get them safely up on the dune.
I barely made it back to the house before the heavy downpour started.
The forecast for tomorrow and Saturday don’t look very good, but it could be a good day for making cookies!