One of the things we miss most about our home in California is how close we were to the beach – just minutes away! But one of the things we were looking forward to in our new area is being able to go to beaches where the water is warm, unlike the northern California coast. This past weekend we made our first trip to a local lake beach for an afternoon in the sun.

James’ cousin was in town visiting and we brought a picnic and our “cabana,” which is like a half-tent to give us some shade. As always, we weren’t sure how Henry would handle a new experience, but it turned out to be a really nice and relaxing day.

Calvin LOVES everything about the beach. Sand, rocks, water, sun, all of it. He was happy as a clam the entire time. He spent most of the day playing at the shoreline, scooping up shovelfuls of wet sand and plopping them into the water, digging holes and hauling buckets of water to fill them up only to watch the water drain into the sand again, and finding tiny rocks to throw into the lake. James took him out into the deeper water for a bit with a life vest to splash around and practice kicking. Calvin hasn’t learned to swim yet, but we are hoping to teach him this summer.

In the past, Henry has been very hot and cold about water and particularly about bath time. At times he loved it and was all smiles and hysterical laughing during baths, and at other times he has been miserable and terrified, trying to fight his way out of the bathtub. Lately, though, he seems to be liking baths and water and although his day at the beach had a rough start, he ended up enjoying the lake very much.

I say it was a rough start because when we first arrived and got into the water, Henry was not happy at all. He seemed to be interested in the water, but bothered when the waves (from boats and jet skis out beyond the swim area) splashed him and upset his balance. He got more and more irritated and we had to just get him out of the water and try to calm him down. It was lunch time, though, and that cheered him up and then **miracuously** he actually laid down for a short nap in the cabana!

After that we tried taking him back into the water and again he showed interest in splashing and playing with our shovels and buckets. This time, the waves didn’t bother him – not sure if there were less waves or if he was just in a better mood, I suspect the latter – and he was able to enjoy himself! James did the same thing with Henry that he had with Calvin, putting a life vest on him and taking him out to the deeper water to play, and James said that Henry loved it. He said Henry was very relaxed and happy.

We are always thankful for outings that end on a high note! And thankful for days when we are able to give the boys new experiences that they really enjoy.