The Seaside

 

This post originally ran on the Sycamore blog.

 

What's a trip to the coast without a day (or two, or three...) at the beach? Luckily for us, our family in California lives about 10 minutes away from a beautiful beach. We spent an afternoon there, but I could have stayed for a week. Easily.

First Time at the Beach

This post originally ran on Hither & Thither.

Growing up just minutes from the Pacific, the ocean was a normal part of life for me. I learned to swim before I learned to walk. Although I've lived in a land-locked state for years now, and have no intention of moving back to the coast, Kirk and I still try to make it back for a visit as often as we can. So last week, when we loaded everything up in the car to visit to our family in California, we took it for granted that Ingrid would fall in love with the beach. We imagined her bouncing up and down with excitement at the sight of the waves. Instead, the skeptical look on her face grew into a frown, then suddenly turned into tears as the water swished around her ankles. For the remainder of the outing, she wouldn't let us set her down or even touch her feet to the sand. The following day, we opted to visit the aquarium instead of returning to the beach. She loved it.

Even as a baby, Ingrid already has such strong opinions. I've found that (surprise!) my favorite things aren't always her favorite things. And you know what? I'm okay with that. I think. :)