There aren't too many "beach days" in March in NJ and yesterday was no exception. But, do you ever notice how, when the sun is shining, you think it'll shine forever? That was my thought on Saturday when the middle boy said, "Mommy, I want to go to the beach." "We'll go tomorrow," I assured him.

Even the optimistic oldest one did not think a beach day was possible. Jeff told me that all week the forecast called for rain on Sunday -- does he think that I have time to look at a weather forecast?! "F12, Dashboard Widgets, Weather from accuweather.com" Hey, I use the dictionary / thesaurus all the time.

Kenny suggested Seven Presidents in Long Branch ... a great idea because the playground has a covered seating area. The rain had stopped locally but we caught up to it in our drive east. I pointed out to the boys Daddy's work location as we passed, that former AT&T building near Monmouth Park (the horse track) we affectionately called "the sewer." I said to them, "This is West Long Branch; the beach is in Long Branch and there's no East Long Branch because that would be in the Atlantic Ocean!" That got them thinking about Atlantis and speculating about living under the sea ... they watch too much Science Channel!

Still, it stopped raining again by the time we unloaded at the county park. The two older boys promptly stomped through the mud puddles while I secured the baby in the stroller. Kenny was dismayed to see the pavilion area closed up and the outdoor showers removed. He almost cried but I told him that, come May, the water will be turned on and the showers set out. He doesn't understand "off season," but I'm doing my best to instill in him its value.

From the first trip down the slides, to laying out on the sand making "sand angels", they got dirty! I kept the baby in the stroller -- he was supposed to be napping anyway. He'll get his beach days this summer and I want him to like sand, etc., so I didn't want a cold, wet experience for him yesterday to prejudice him against the whole thing.

Sporadically, families with children would pass through the playground on way to their cars. None of the kids appeared as covered in sand and water as mine even though some of them had walked along the beach and in the surf -- I could see from the dunes. One family looked downright pristine, in fine wool sweaters and corduroy slacks -- Sunday beach best, no doubt. All jacketless, the mother toted an umbrella. So the example of my kids having fun enticed the pristine boy to risk the slide to his mother's chide. "Well, don't complain to me later in the car when you are wet!" Now, really, doesn't anyone prepare to go to the beach, especially on a mixed-weather day as you'll have in early, early spring? Sure, we live 40 minutes out, so it isn't as if we walk there on a Sunday after church. It's a deliberate trip with toys and a picnic lunch. We will spend hours at least. I've never thought that passing through is especially fair to young children.

At last, the rain returned and it was time to go. I got no argument; they were played out. And with everything locked up, I had no choice but to change their clothes at the car. They took one more splash in the parking lot puddle and then were stripped of their wet, sandy clothes and given dry, clean sweats and thick, fleece blankets and I blasted the heater in the car. My regrets is that I hadn't any hot chocolate in a thermos and could have used a plastic bag for their soiled clothes. Everything came clean in the wash last night -- to my surprise -- even their sneakers. It may be unconventional to play outside on a cool, wet day and they may catch colds but I'm concerned with creating memories. I grew up around many natural wonders (Niagara Falls, Letchworth State Park, the Finger Lakes) and have very few memories of visiting these places. We traveled to Hamlin Beach on Lake Ontario quite regularly with picnic lunches, that's all I remember. I don't want my kids to miss out on the wonders of nature.