CB and HB absolutely LOVED our trip to the coast! We visited family including their cousins who are similar in age. OMG, their faces glowed with pure joy while we were on the beach. The water was so low that CB could run from Olem or I in the water, back to the base camp to pick a different toy, and then back out to us in the water. Having that kind of independence and freedom made the visit so much more enjoyable. Both kiddos stayed out in the water for at least an hour at a time. The kids got to build sand castles, touch a crab, find fish in the water, body surf (well, their version :)), crash into waves, swim like fish (CB did), chase the sea gulls and shoot them with a water gun (again CB :)), and savor in just being outdoors. Kite flying was briefly attempted on the second day, but the wind was just too strong. CB is not afraid of the water, at all, and it is great to see his free spiritedness freely flowing while at the beach.
There is also nothing like getting to stay in the same house as your cousins and really get to know them. Like CB not understanding why his cousin Kyle, 6 months younger than CB, wouldn’t want him standing beside him while he went poop. As you can see CB does not have too much understanding of others needing space. Or the times where all the kiddos would sneak off to the other room to play in the tents and with each other’s toys. It was so nice for us parents to have some time to visit or prepare meals without interruption.