Monday 20 May 2013

Day at the Beach

Today we went for a family excursion to the beach. We had taken our daughter there last year but events lived a year ago are faded memories to a toddler. Every bit of the experience was brand new for her. Even walking through the grass in her bare feet, which she started with caution but she thoroughly enjoyed in no time.

She tried to keep her feet off the sand. When we sat her by the water she made every attempt to hold her feet up away from the ground. I imagine the effort would eventually strain her muscles! She didn't want to play in the sand so I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk and we strolled along the beach until she was more relaxed.

Then her and her dad scooped up water bugs. She approached them with curiosity. Her fear of bugs has definitely lessoned, as long as they don't touch her skin. She calls them bee-bugs. This got her comfortable in the soft, wet sand. She attempted to shovel some into a truck.

I got her to walk into the cold water and she exclaimed, "Yay, water!" She is a little fish, just like I was as a child. Swimming, especially in a lake, was one of my favorite things to do growing up. I could spend the whole day frolicking in the water. Then I would be burnt red and so they called me a lobster. As my girl entered the water her smile was huge and infectious. She splashed around with her dad until her teeth chattered. But when she saw another child attempt to play in the water with her dad she asked to go back in again. After another bout I dried her off.

Sitting on the blanket, her eyes lit up as she stared at something. Gophers! She gleefully chased them. They let her get quite close, hoping she was bringing food. She would bend over them and say hello. Then they would disappear in the hole and one would pop up elsewhere. She would run over to see them. All the while saying "mouse" even though we repeatedly said they were gophers.

She had quite the eventful day with family. She went to the park. She chased bubbles. She ate watermelon. She had a full day to end an exciting, eventful, full weekend with her cousins. A little too full. With too many late nights and not enough napping.

Now she is having a very late nap. There was no avoiding it. She had a breakdown when we got home and it refused to let up. Overtired! I finally snuggled her to me and she went to sleep at 5:30 as dinner was being made. An hour and a half later she is deep asleep and snoring loudly. I don't want to wake her from such a solid sleep. She did wake briefly but she was still quite emotional. Back to sleep she went. (I should have napped as well!)

Usually she is awake from her afternoon nap by three or four. It may be difficulty to get her to go to sleep tonight. But it is the last night her cousins are here so it will be a late night anyway. And the next week will be an attempt to restore her schedule.

But there is no schedule today. Just fun with the family and a day at the beach.

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