Our Little Baby Blog

Sun and Sand

In the next installment of the Roth family vacation, we take you to the BEACH!!

Our first afternoon there we just settled into the cottage and Abe took a long nap. We decided to head out to play in the sand for a bit before we went to dinner. It was quite a bit hotter that evening than we'd expected and with no tree cover we opted to rent the beach umbrella.

As I mentioned before, in retrospect we wish we'd just put everyone in swimsuits. The kids' clothes were trashed. As in we were shaking sand out of those outfits for the next three days. But, that's the way it goes at the beach. It was still a blast and set the tone for the rest of the trip.



Surely this will stand up in the sand... right?


Cheerios taste best when eaten from a sandy hand.

Still trying to get this thing to stand up...

[short digression] We learned a lesson that night, however, that almost threatened to destroy the vibe of the entire evening. Do Not Feed the Geese.

The woman we were renting the cottage from told us that we could walk down and feed the ducks at night and because feeding ducks is one of my favorite things in life (my grandma used to take me to do it when I was very little) I was psyched up about this. We gathered some bread scraps and took it with us to the beach.

In one of those logistical weirdo situations, I decided to walk over to the ducks and geese with the kids while Mike finished loading the car so we could leave the beach. I'm carrying Abe, Anna is walking, we head over to small wooden bench. Lots of ducks. And lots of geese.

As soon as we sat down on the bench, Anna grabs a huge piece of bread and throws it. I'm a little disoriented because a) we weren't starting yet b) it's like half of our bread supply and c) she can only muster enough strength to throw it about two feet away.

Suddenly, all these ducks and geese started charging us. I was actually a little freaked out and Anna was REALLY FREAKED OUT. So I did what any rational human being would do. I picked up Abe in one arm, I picked up Anna in the other and I ran away.

Seriously though I did head back across the sidewalk. But the geese don't play around. The FOLLOWED us. And so I'm holding two screaming kids, I'm sweating like a pig and I'm trying to calmly walk away. And one of the geese continues to follow me. If only I had a picture of this. But I left my purse on the bench in all the excitement and so Mike had to go brave the geese territory and grab it for me. Anna was so upset by all this she was still crying when we got to the restaurant.

We did not feed any other animals at all. The end. [end of digression]

After a great dinner at the Stray Dog (Anna's new favorite restaurant), we headed back to the cottage and conked out. The next morning we ate breakfast and headed out to the beach again. This time we were prepared. Bathing suits, sunscreen, sand toys. Check, check, and check.

The kids LOVED it. Not too crowded, just sheer lovely sunshine and sand. Anna just ran herself silly, trying to transfer sand from the beach into the water, building moats and pouring water in it. Abe was so enthralled by the water. He would bolt for it every few minutes, standing at the edge, then trying to walk deeper. After a few waves hit him, he'd start to fall, but within seconds he'd be back at the water's edge again.

I don't know what it is about the beach but it has some magical quality. It's like time just slows down and everyone breathes more deeply. Relaxation comes over us like a wave. Even the kids, who normally live without pretense, seem even more open and carefree. We all felt at peace that morning. If there was a way to bottle that feeling, I'd do it in a a heartbeat.

I've almost got all the sand placed back in the lake... just a couple more bucketfuls.



Ba.. ba... ba... (that's Abe-talk for bird! bird! bird!)

The third day we were there was a rain day. Boo. But we made the best of it by touring around some antique shops in the morning and heading to a colleague of Mike's for a barbecue that evening. We had a lot of fun at the barbecue and Anna and Abe made quick friends with the kids who were there. The sound of kids screaming and footsteps pounding down the hall will always be one of my favorites. It makes my heart smile just to think about how much fun kids can have with essentially no introductions. Hello, I'm Anna. Let's play.

Our final day was shortened, but we did head down to the beach again so Anna and Abe could stick their feet in the sand one last time and we could soak in a few more minutes of sun. The beach had a small playground that Anna had begged to play at, but the timing really wasn't great until this last day.





Such a wonderful trip. We are definitely Michigan converts. Next year we're coming back for a longer stay. We can't wait.