I’m totally ringing in the last days of summer, and sad to see this one end.  It’s been action packed, full of surprises, new friends and great memories.  Last weekend we took it to a new level and decided to show our kids another extreme.  We camped out on a beach in Malibu!  I know camping isn’t for everyone – trust me, most of our friends passed – but I am always up for an adventure.

My girlfriend and I coordinated all the food while our husbands (OMG! That’s the first time I’ve wrote that!) were in charge of pitching the tents before sundown.  The kids were free to rage on the beach.  The guys mastered our two hand-made beach houses.

Then they dug out a space for an awesome bonfire. Girls were in charge of the eats and finishing touches.  If any of you read the “Malibu Mood” chapter in my book, The Naked Mom, then you know I’m a sucker for setting the right mood wherever I am. I once set the “Malibu Mood” in a tent in Africa, and I was determined to make this night outdo our last.

It was a great evening.  We sat around the campfire talking until I fell asleep in my chair, Shaya in my arms, wrapped around me like a blanket.

Later we all crashed in the family size tent.  Rain slept in the next morning later than she ever has!

Unfortunately most of my kids are early risers, but not her.  Maybe it was the soothing sound of the crashing waves, or the comfort of nature.  She said she wanted to live there, on the beach in our tent.  No matter what I do for my kids, it’s fun family time that means the most, and the best times are pretty simple.  A simple camp-out on our local beach will probably be one of our best summer memories.

I snuck in a coffee pot from home with all the fixings and found an outlet nearby to brew my a.m. necessity.  I’m down for roughing it, but lets not push it!  In my family, David can count on coffee for 2.