The boys love the beach. When they were little, they were all about the sand. They built castles, dinosaur caves and interstates. Gabe spent hours letting fistfuls run through his fingers, turning his head from side to side to see how it caught the light. At the end of the day, they left looking like sugar cookies, coated with sparkling granules.
Over the past couple of years, the water has become the bigger draw. At first, their water play was restricted to the shallows. They chased waves up and down the incline or got on all fours and let the knee-high breakers wash over them.
This year was a little intense for a lifeguarding mom. Both boys waded out to their waists and were attempting to body surf in the mid-sized waves. Both got knocked down more than once. Matt had a good head over heels wipeout once. But the boy who hates getting water in his face when he washes his hair, simply gained his feet and went back for more.
We left a little browner, with clear sinuses and a sense of a day well spent.
