A Day at the Beach

Calvin and I took a day trip to the beach last week with my friends Jenny and Kim and their babies. This was Calvin's first trip to the beach since he's been old enough to actually enjoy the sand and water. While he was tentative of both initially, he grew to enjoy the sand quite a lot. The water made him cry....it was really loud and cold.
When we arrived, I put Calvin down on the sand in his little sandals, and he stood motionless, not sure what to do with the movement under his feet. Eventually, he was comfortable enough to dig, play, and eat it.

Calvin enjoyed the washed up sticks and shells near our blankets for a while. His face was covered with sand because he kept putting the shells in his mouth.

He then moved on to bigger and better things like buckets and shovels. Though he didn't understand the concept of using a shovel to put sand into the bucket, Calvin enjoyed putting the shovel itself into the bucket and taking it back out. Close. =)

Calvin and I took a walk down by the water. The little guy kept stooping down to run his fingers through the sand. It was really cold from the water, so maybe that is why he liked it so much.

The walk proceeded very slowly because of all the interesting kids to look at. This was the scene for much of the "walk." The remainder looked like the video following it.

I have to say that the beach with a one-year-old was a totally new experience for me. Usually I would have been excited about the book or frisbee I brought, the long walk, or the tasty snacks. All the while I would have been minimizing how much sand was on my blanket and in my bag. This time, sand was in my food, there were no long walks, reading, or frisbee playing, but it was even better. Other than the meltdown on the drive back to Durham from waiting too long to take a nap, this was a perfect day at the beach!