California Dreamin'

So it's our annual beach house trip: my parents, my family, my siblings, along with their families, and this year my grandmother and uncle all shacked up in a nice two story house in Morro Bay. That equates to five kids ages six years to six months. Good times.
During the drive over, my high school's valley champion football team was playing in a historic football game: CIF Division III state championship game in so Cal. So we had an edge of our seat drive to the coast as we listened to the game on my laptop. Despite playing on artificial turf in the rain (an experience they have no prior experience with) against a team from an affluent bay area town that is used to the fake stuff, our Easton Panthers won: 21-16. Go Union! I actually passed on wine tasting in Paso to listen to the game. What's wrong with me???? That's a little too dedicated. But hey, maybe they'll make a movie about our football team? And Marisa Tomei will play me...and David will be portrayed by Robbie Benson and my kids will be played by those ADORABLE racially mixed child models in the J.Crew catalog! I can see it now: it's the night before the big game and the star player is failing my class. Everyone's putting unfair pressure on me to change his grade and I will not relent because I believe it's not the right thing to do. So, the coach gives me the kid's home address and suggests I check out his hood. So, Marisa Tomei, dressed like Gwen Stefani, gets into a non descript car and drives past his house-slowing down to see the boy's grandfather whittling wood on the front porch and a woman (his mother? Was she 14 when she had him?) dressed in a 1950's waitress outfit walks up the sidewalk carrying a baby on her hip. I now understand that he needs to play in the game and I let him retake the big test in a room with old fashioned desks and a real chalkboard. But I'm getting ahead of myself...
So we ate at Bayside Cafe in Morro-one of our faves. The fish tacos were perfection with an airy battered fish wrapped in crunchy lettuce, soft tortilla, cheese and salsa. That was last night. Today was lunch at Custom House in Avila. We started with appetizers of calamari and fried mushrooms (pan fried- not deep. Different and tasty) before the main course: Crab Louie. The rest of the afternoon was sunny and relaxing on the beach.
With all the kids, it's easier to hang out at the beach house and snack for dinner while involved in a seriously competitive card game of "Push." Living the dream...