A Beach Birthday

Saturday, we finished the birthday celebration with a trip to the beach. We don't have as many pictures this trip, but we had just as much fun!

 

Evan is still our sand guy:

 Does life get any better than a bulldozer in the sand?

Issa is still our water girl:

 The water was perfect, and the storms had created a fabulous sand bar about 50 feet off the shore. The water in between was only about thigh high on me and very still. It also meant we were wading in a giant tide pool, and for the first time we got to experience a bit more ocean life. We saw a ton of small fish and watched some fishermen catch their own bait. Issa and I also learned how to catch sand fiddlers:

 A little boy actually taught us, and he was slightly appauled that a grown woman didn't know how to do this. They are like tiny little crabs, and you can find them by the hundreds--literally--once you learn what to look for: little antennae sticking out of the sand.

We ended our trip at the aquarium, which starts with the required alligator picture:

 Evan in the crab:

 Issa in the crab:

 We visited Hrme's friends and relations. (By the way, that is the way we are spelling Hermee these days. Issa wrote it that way, and I decided it's her crab, her spelling.) We also got to pet sting rays, sharks, and anemone--oh my!

Issa posed this picture:

 And this one:

 And the required frog on the way out picture:

There is just nothing better than a trip to the ocean, and this one was a little more special since a hermit crab has joined the family. It's funny to see the kids look for hermit crab shells, and it was the first time they were this intensely curious about ocean life. I'll take it!