The beach has been my sanctuary this summer for one huge reason--my kids don't fight at the beach, like, at all! Recently, Jayde and Hudson have been playing together more as their interests have merged. While there are so many wonderful things about siblings playing together, there are also more sibling quarrels and conflicts happening in our household. On the daily, they fight over the same toy or get frustrated if the imaginary play doesn't go the way they picture it in their head. Somedays, it feels like if they don't get out of the house, they are at each other's neck by the end of the day.

But the beach...the beach is magic. No fighting, no arguing. Each child is content. Last weekend we decided to head up to Carpenteria Beach in the early afternoon. We got there at 3:30 pm right around the time other families started to head home. By the time the sun was setting, it felt like our private beach. The kids played happily, and mommy and daddy were able to relax and take in the vitamin sea ourselves. Having the beach within an hour drive of our house is fantastic, but if I could figure out a way to get the beach in my backyard, that would be even more amazing!