Beach Bliss

After many weekends of rain, we were finally able to take Evan's birthday day trip to the beach on Sunday! We have this trip down to a science, and we arrived at the ocean just as the last sprinkles ended and before it got too crowded. We staked out the perfect spot, and Evan set right to digging:

Issa headed straight for the water and shells:

 

She found some of the biggest shells to date, and she also found a couple of large pieces of coral that she plans to give to her teachers as end of the year gifts--so sweet.

 

After a bit of digging, Evan decided he wanted to find shells with Daddy:

 

 

He's still not totally sure about the waves, so he likes to keep a firm grasp on Daddy's hand. (This picture kind of melts my heart more than a little.)

For the first time, Issa decided she wanted to really dig, too:

 She started out trying to dig to the center of the earth, but she ended up digging a hole for a seagull nest. She did not, in fact, lure a seagull.

Evan and I made a race track, and Daddy hauled countless buckets of water up to smooth the track:

 Evan attempted to bring water by the shovel-full:

 It did not work.

After lots of playing in the waves and sand, we headed to our aquarium. The hooligans decided to pretend the alligator was eating them this time:

 Issa loved the tide tank again:

 She was showing older kids how to pet the sea stars and anemones. She really is fearless.

We of course had to take pictures in the crab:

 Can you find Evan?

 The weather was actually cool enough to make the aquarium playground fun, too:

 Issa the Surfer:

 A quick snack:

 And a visit to the frog completed the trip:

 Issa opted for an eel this trip. She creatively named it Eely.

And Evan opted for a snake:

 

His name is Snakey. We are nothing if not consistent.

 

It was a perfect beach day with an even more perfect ending. After three years of searching, we finally found an incredible seafood restaurant on the way home. We have past it every trip, but Yelp gave it rave reviews. We had always driven right past it because it is in a strip mall with a gas station out front--not ideal qualities for a seafood restaurant--but inside it is really cute and the food was incredible! Hurrah!

 

Life is always just a little better at the beach, and I am so glad we were finally able to get back to our waves and fish.