Gritty sand, salty air, a light breeze, cool water, brilliant sun- these elements have the makings of a wonderful day. Add 2 cute little girls and a fun husband and you have the makings of a PERFECT day!
One of the best aspects of living where we do is the proximity to some of nature's greatest gifts. We are within an easy drive of mountains, caverns, rivers and the Pacific Ocean. This weekend, inspired by the perfectly gorgeous weather, we loaded up the girls and spent the day sunning in the sand.
That is actually oversimplifying a bit. First, we loaded up the gear- sand toys, beach bag, towels, the stroller, sun hats, sunscreen, drinks, snacks, diapers, wipes, extra clothes and all of the other junk we travel with. Then, we got the girls into their bathing suits, which took some time because Caitlyn had to seriously debate the advantages of one suit over the other. We rubbed them down with sunscreen, got ourselves ready, and off we went.
Because Jason is right in the middle of law school finals, we opted to stay close to home and hit one of the smaller beaches on the James River. They might lack the waves of VA Beach, but these little pockets are great for little kids. We enjoyed lunch at one of the great little seafood spots the area has to offer, walked across the street and plopped down in the sand.
This was Lorelei's first experience with sand, as well as water outside of a bathtub. The sand was a hit, the water was too cold. She played for a bit, then was content in the shade of the stroller, which was a relief since we worry about her fair skin.
Caitlyn, on the other hand, was a veritable whirl of energy. She loves the water, and on this trip, she discovered the thrill of that age old pastime- hole digging. All up and down the shore, little kids were happily digging holes in the sand, and Caitlyn was eager to try her hand at it. Jason and I joined her, and you know what? There really is something inherently satisfying about digging a hole! After we dug the hole, Caitlyn worked diligently to fill it with water. Then, she was happy to leave the hole, spend the rest of her time splashing in the water, only stopping to run back to check on the hole. Just like every other kid on the beach, it seemed.
After a couple of hours on the beach, we got cleaned up. It took me back to my beach memories of Galveston. As a little girl, I remember spending a long day in the sun and how good it felt to shower off at the end of the day. It was heavenly to take off my sticky, wet swimsuit, rinse off in cool water, and then put on fresh clothes that were clean and warm from being in my mom's beach bag. I hope Caitlyn and Lorelei remember these days when they are all grown up and taking their own kids to the beach.
We stopped for a post-beach smoothie at Ben & Jerry's before we headed home. The girls fell asleep in the car, Jason and I got to spend the quiet time engrossed in conversation, and the drive was beautiful!
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