Yesterday morning, we pulled out the beach chairs and tents, still slightly sandy from last season and packed them up with the sand shovels, buckets, life jackets, and piles of snacks, and trucked over to Tunnel Park in Holland. We had never been to this particular park before, but my ever-wise friend Maggie told us that it was great…and it was, especially because we arrived before the crowds streamed into the park.
Close parking, a quick trip through the tunnel, and right down the hill to the water.
And then, once everyone was hot and sweaty from carrying everything down to the beach and the tents were set up and the beach toys were dumped on the sand, and after I walked back up the hill to take Fiona to the bathroom…only then did the kids get to playing. At the beach, they play with a capital “P”.
Madi was bummed that the water was only 62 degrees, so they had to do quick trips into the water followed by mad dashes to shore.
Fiona played happily with her best friend Georgia all day, but I couldn’t get a picture of them together for the life of me. So I had to settle for taking pictures of Fiona dashing up and down the wet sand in a slightly manic, missed her nap kind of way. Pure joy all the way.
The waves were less than a foot, but Parker still found a way to jump over them…when he wasn’t building a sand castle or playing catch with Daddy…
It was an amazing day, full of warm sunshine and sticky sand…snatches of adult conversation and juicy oranges…and it made me want to burrow my feet in the sand and never leave, especially because I knew how much sand was inside my kid’s bathing suits.
Our day had to end, but many more sweet days at the beach are in our future this summer. I can guarantee it.
