Beach 2017

We had an awesome vacation this year at the Beach! We drove down a day early, to try to beat the weekend traffic. This means we had time to kill before we could get into the beach house, so we went mini-golfing.

In the past, this has been disastrous. Elena typically has a lot of trouble tripping over low obstacles, has had difficulty using a putter, and she wilts in the sweltering heat. This year, she rocked it! The only way we helped her was to carry/hand her a crutch as needed, or give her a hand for stability. She was patient and focused. All of us got a hole in one somewhere on the course!



We stayed in two different beach houses this year. One, on the beach, and the other two blocks away. The house with direct access is great for Elena, as she can get to the beach by herself. She has to be careful with her beach crutches going down stairs (typically I hold them, just to be safe, but she can do it without me) and needs to wear her water shoes so she doesn't burn her feet on the hot deep sand. She can go down to the beach without her crutches if the tide is high (or if she has a lot of energy to make it down to low tide). When we stayed in the house off the beach, we rented a golf cart. SO MUCH EASIER than trying to take the car, piggybacking, walking, or trying to use a wagon. If you are wondering if it's worth renting a golf cart, the answer is YES. I know it was only 1-2 blocks for us, but having the golf cart was the difference between a great vacation and one where transporting tired/wet/spastic/heavy kids (and equipment) would have made it much less enjoyable. Honestly, it made staying off the beach and on the beach basically equivalent.

Down the (public) beach access (when we stayed off the beach)

E and Viv playing in the surf. Most of the time she left her crutches just out of the surf or just walked from our chairs.

 

Vivian showing how small she is: "I can fit in a bucket"

We were joined by our friends the S family, who also have a 12-yr old girl. Elena and A had a lot to talk about, including "how mean our moms are". The winner of the "Meanest Mom in the World" award was me. Hmm.

Surfin' J!

Every day we spent a long time on the beach (except maybe one, for a sun break). We played with friends as we relaxed in the shade, or played in the sand, or swam in the water. Elena had a few firsts this year; she was able to walk past the surf, towing a boogie board, and ride in on a wave! Some days she had help, some days she did it on her own. Vivian has been pretty independent on the beach for a few years now--the only thing she has issues with are getting pinched by crabs and doesn't tolerate sea lice, which were around quite a bit this year.

 

Meanest Mom in the World towing kids upcurrent

Towing so they can "ride a wave at the same time". #tiredmom

Bocce!

Both kids love the "whoosh waves", where you just play in the deeper waves. If the mix of water depth (deep enough for Elena to be bouyant to stand), wave height (not too big), and current (not too strong) was just right, Elena could get out and play without help (with an adult close by in the water). Towing and throwing kids around in the waves is easier this year as my knee is almost recovered, but both Elena and Vivian are so much larger and heavier now, I'm not sure how much longer I can do it.

Jumpin' and whooshin'

Supervising (more hands-off this year!)

Strong Waves. Hands on.

Wave riding with Mom. This is my "hope we don't get rolled" face.

Beach Cousins! HOW CUTE!

Elena rode waves best on a raft, rather than a boogie board. She could carry a boogie board if the wind wasn't so hard, but she didn't like it when her legs would drag in shallow sand (and it took a long time to stand up as the waves hit). She couldn't carry the raft into the waves, but had a better time controlling it once she started riding.

Rafting

Rafting, Grandpa edition

Viv loved the inner tube. E, not so much.

What a great time with family and friends! It's so great to see how much progress the kids have made at the beach--especially Elena. Activities on sand, in water, were much more independent this year. The kids tolerated sun, heat, and the occasional sting very well. Aunt Kate won the Sorry! tournament AGAIN, with 12-yr old A coming in as the runner-up. The Best Beach find was a pufferfish, and best Beach Beverage was probably Jason's Mai Tais. Most Successful Surfer was Jason, and Vivian caught the most fish. Both Vivian, Elena, and cousin G made friends on the beach.

Huge thanks to the S family for joining us, and to Grandma and Grandpa for bringing the beach gear!

Family playing "surprise wave"