One Last Hoorah (at the Beach)!

We met up with Mike's parents and nieces at our favorite beach, Watch Hill, yesterday for some fun in the, well, it wasn't sunny, but it was a splendid day of generational bonding!
The skies were overcast and gray but the kids still
swam,
built "swamp"castles out of seaweed,
rode waves,
rode the carousel
and ate ice cream.

"Pepere and his grandsons!"

Mike's Dad has been blessed with more granddaughters than grandsons and was so thrilled to spend the day watching Nicolas and Elias being "boys" at the beach. He even got "slimed" by Nicolas' seaweed and had sand sprinkled on him by Elias.

This was Elias' first time really enjoying the ocean. We took him to the beach several times last summer as an infant and dipped his feet into the water. This summer he was curious and loved watching the waves roll in and out but did NOT enjoy actually feeling the water. He REALLY became brave and daring (a little too much for me) and was practically catching a wave everytime he went in. He also wanted to be right in on the action with the "big kids" too... digging a sand ditch, piling seaweed and running from the "big" waves. What a big boy!
Nicolas was so focused on piling seaweed onto his lump of sand that he wouldn't even stop for a quick picture! He was begging me to buy him a new shovel. You know, the one's with the long handle and larger shovel. I guess he's outgrown our little tin set...
Sophia was pretty daring and swam out into the ocean farther than she had ever before. I guess that's what passing "Level 1" of swim class can do to a six-year old's confidence! She also made a few new friends (and their parents) on the beach as usual. Mike and I are still trying to figure out where her extreme outgoing-ness and lack of intimidation come from!! Nevertheless, we are very proud of our little extrovert!

I now can check "one last beach trip" off of my summer wish list of places to go and people to see. And although it was cloudy we still felt refreshed from a day at the ocean.