Play Hard, Crash Harder ...

Owlie was SO, SO excited to head to the beach this year. I think last year it finally clicked with him how fun it could be to spend a day in a giant sandbox with yummy food and family surrounding you. He talked about it non-stop leading up to the trip, culminating the day before we left with the exclamation, "I am so excited to travel!"

He worked hard at the beach. He dug and dug in the sand. He jumped and jumped the waves. He ran and skipped, hopped and rolled around like a crazy kid. After three days of vigorous work, towards the end of the third day he simply climbed onto the lap of his Mema and cozied in for a snuggle. I am now in search a similar picture from the first year we took him to the beach. He definitely takes up more of her lap now, but he just loves his Mema so much.

With the wind whipping around and the waves crashing in, it was about thirty minutes before the sounds had lulled a squirmy, active five year old into looking like this:

He was happy to sleep there for about an hour before Mema transferred him to my arms to sleep a bit longer. Maybe because she needed to get her cell phone out of her bra? Whatever the reason, it just goes to show another way I think the beach is a perfect vacation for kids . . . play hard, crash even harder!

PS. These pictures are made even more precious to me by the fact that this was the last year my parents will join us at the beach. They are moving to Utah next Summer. Insert gigantic crocodile tears here.

Found the picture! Same towel, five years later! Look how tiny he was. Now I will go cry.