Beach Fun

We went to the beach two weeks ago (this post is back dated) and had a great time. I was pretty convinced that this would be a beach trip unlike any other. No longer would I sit for hours on the shore, basking in the sun, and soaking up magazine gossip. Instead, I would be chasing a toddler through the sand, helping him negotiate the water, then wondering just how much sand he could fit in the crevices I never realized he had. I was certain that the term "vacation" would need to be used with caution when describing our trip, lest some non-toddler wrangling parents though it was a time of rejuvenation. Well, I was right on some accounts, but, I'm pleased to report, was wrong on most of them. I did not get to ruin my magazine pages with sunscreen, and we didn't even bother schlepping chairs to the beach, but we all had a pretty great time otherwise.

I thought our cautious little guy might not run with abandon into the surf on his first day. I did think it was a possibility as he got used to it. Perhaps on our next trip. Instead, he was thrilled every step of the way between the condo and the shore. He would have walked up and down the ramp over the dunes all day and never seen the beach if we hadn't encouraged him otherwise.

Then, when he first got to the sand he wanted to stop and explore it. Indeed, the sand was his favorite part of the whole beach scene. Once he saw the ocean, he turned and headed back to the dunes.

We finally convinced him to have a seat and he had a grand old time scooping and dumping sand. Once we showed him he could get sea water in this bucket (which he called "cup") and make mud...well that was all she wrote. We made it out to the ocean the afternoon we arrived (the threat of severe thunderstorms every day made us wonder if we'd make it out any other day), then every morning for the next two days. Our first afternoon we took him into the water in our arms, but DH and I had three separate jelly fish encounters (touched our legs, but didn't sting us), so we didn't keep LO in very long. On our last trip to the water, we finally got LO to tolerate his loaner life jacket (thanks Sam!) and we were able to hav a little more fun in the deeper water. After that, LO asked for Sam non-stop for the next 2 days. Whether he just missed his friend or thought that "Sam" was the lifejacket and the ocean, is still unclear.

After mornings on the sand, we headed inside for lunch and naps. Once we stepped foot inside, all we heard from LO was "hot-sigh, hot-sigh" (outside) NON-STOP. Every now and then he'd throw in "bea(ch)" or "poo(l)" in case we didn't know what he meant. The transitions from beach/pool to condo the toughest part of our trip. Understandably our little guy was worn out from all his fun in the sun, wound up from the possibility of more, and out of patience for his parents who thought he should sleep or bath every now and then. On first arriving to the condo, we got this fun pic, but it was pretty much the last fun condo moment for the next four days.

(as an aside, LO does this many nights when he is running around naked after his bath. We thought he'd rather us post this version, but you get the idea)

In pre-LO trips to this beach, DH and I always frequented a local breakfast hotspot. With great food, huge portions, iffy service, and a Yankee attitude, it was always an experience. This trip we decided to take our chances and take LO with us. The staff was wonderful with him (even if the did take forever to take our order), and they rushed some toast so LO could much while waiting for his meal. He did really well and ate a HUGE breakfast of scrambled egg, cheese grits, home fries, 2 cups of milk, and his weight in toast and jelly.

We saved a few pieces of toast and fed them to the gulls off the pier. LO got a kick out of watching the birds dive for the food. We also saw a man catch a sting ray off the pier. It was a first of several exotic animal sitings to include a 2-foot shark, jelly fish, dolphins, crabs, and raccoons.

Not a great pic of us, but the only one with all three. This was taken on the pier after breakfast.

Our afternoons were spent at the pool. LO was clearly a little more comfortable there and kept us on our toes by popping in and out of the different pools. We were never sure if he was just practicing on the stairs or headed for another pool without us. Otherwise, he loved to fill and dump with his beach toys. He seemed to especially like wetting the concrete and seeing it darken. There was also good people watching of all ages, most of whom spoke, waved, or shared their toys and snacks.

Our last night there, DH and I got a little crazy and decided to take LO out when it would normally be his bedtime. It was "vacation" after all, so we headed to the best ice cream shop on the island, then to the pier one last time. I put LO in the ergo carrier, so I did not know DH was feeding him banana ice cream until I kept hearing "mo pease!" Ice cream and the pier is another favorite pre-LO activity for us, so it was fun to do it again. Bedtime and the next morning were a little tough for our over-tired guy, but I think we were glad we did it anyway.

All-in-all, it was a fun four days at one of our favorite places. I'm sure next time LO will be more bold, and we'll do all the beach chasing I had imagined for this trip. Until then, we'll remember this time fondly.