Beach Boy

This was Ben's first time at the beach. We had a hunch that he might like it. We had NO IDEA. I believe the phrase "happy as a pig in mud" (that's the cleaned-up version, anyway) came up more than once.

Ben with Aunt Katie. Katie said this was the happiest she's ever seen Ben.

I didn't think he would be brave enough to go this far into the water, let alone kneel in it and start digging around for mysterious things.

Here he is, hanging out with Uncle Brian. Just sitting and pondering, when suddenly...

SPLASH! He gets creamed by a wave. I waited for his shocked face and some screaming. But he didn't care! He was a little stunned, shook it off, and kept playing in the water. Amazing.

When I pictured us going to the beach, I imagined Ben playing in the sand with his shovel and pail. The reality is that he could not be bothered by them. He did play with some of his bath toys. Mr. Crab was almost lost at sea.

Just happy to be.

I think he would've sat here all day if we had let him.

Making a Ben-shaped divet in the sand.

Walking through the surf with Daddy...but trying not to let Daddy hold his hand.

Walking at the base of the dunes. He went back and forth so many times, and he didn't seem bothered by the hot sand. Plus he let Mike hold his hands. Mike said his back hurt pretty bad from walking in that position for so long. Somehow Mike managed to wrangle that hat onto Ben's head. I tried to keep Ben from the sun by putting a hat and sunglasses on him, but he vetoed that idea. He threw one of his hats in the water and refused to keep the sunglasses on (though he was intrigued by them).