this just in, from anne:

As my sweet hands me the computer and asks if I want to write the next new blog entry, she starts recalling the memorable details, but my mind is on fire with my own.

I think one of the highlights of the trip had to be the kite adventure. I deliberately left it in the car because, I’m sad to admit it, but I haven’t flown a kite for over 30 years and never have flown a store-bought version before. (We used to assemble them from newspapers and sticks, and we bought string for a nickel.) I must say I was greatly intimidated by this huge nylon kite with a 6’ tail and a huge, (very not-butch) multi-colored butterfly illustration on it. Later Adah noticed the missing kite and said, “Maddy get kite,” quickly followed by “ Maddy AND Adah get kite.” I realized it would take about an hour to walk the block back to the car with her, so I diverted her attention to her mama while I ran for the colorful creation. I got it back and had Megan hold the directions for me so they didn’t blow away. Adah was super excited and was piling handfuls of sand on it saying, “Adah hold it, Adah hold it!” Fortunately, it was only a matter of installing 2 cross members, untying the tail and attaching the string, dumping the sand off of it, and prying it loose from Adah’s little hands. I got it air-born for about 15 seconds with Megan in the background reading the instructions in a very serious voice: “Stand with the wind to your back” and Adah hollering repeatedly, “Adah hold it, Adah hold it” Rather quickly the kite crashed, causing one of those cross-members to shatter, ending the adventure with an amazing finality. Surprisingly, this caused no protests from either one of the family members. We tucked the kite back into its package and left the beach a little worn, only stopping twice on the way home: once for a couple of huge gourmet ding-dongs from the Rockfish Bakery, and at the Pronto Pup, a roadside stand that serves the world’s worst corn dogs.