At first we weren't going to take a trip to the beach this summer, because ... covid. But once the situation started dragging on longer than we expected, and school announced that all learning would be virtual, we needed a change of scenery. To the beach we went!
We warned the kids that this beach trip would be different: we'd socially distance just like at home; they'd have to participate in virtual school every day; we wouldn't be going to restaurants or playing mini golf or taking pirate cruises. But we still had fun.
Every morning we'd go for a walk on the beach to chase seagulls and look for all kinds of amazing sea creatures. We saw dolphins, a variety of fish, stingrays, crabs, starfish, countless hermit crabs, jellyfish, and even a little squid that got stuck in a tidal pool. One morning the kids swore they saw a hammerhead shark (several other people on the beach did, too) but MJ and I couldn't confirm that one.
We tried out a new kind of beach tent this year -- a Shibumi. It was super lightweight and compact when folded, was very easy to set up, and gave us tons of shade. Unfortunately the wind made it quite noisy, but overall it was a pretty good option. Once it was set up, MJ and I could see in every direction, which was great for keeping an eye on the kids.
There was a family of deer near our condo, and the does were so tame they would literally let the kids pet and hug them. Anytime MJ and I turned our backs, the girls snuck down to feed them. An entire loaf of bread, cups of cut fruit, and a giant Costco bag of carrots quickly disappeared, and I have no doubt at all where they went. But I have to admit -- it was priceless. The girls even gave names to all the deer (pictured here: "Caramel" with CC and "Katie" with Sweet Pea).
For our last several beach trips, CC has desperately wanted to go horseback riding, but has been too terrified to get on the horse. MJ -- who had never been horseback riding -- made a deal with her: if she got on a horse, he would, too. I think it was just enough motivation to get her on! After some initial nerves, she finally sat on Pep Talk, who was an extremely gentle and patient horse.
MJ's horse was named King ("Uh ... it feels pretty high up here"); I rode Corona (named for the beer, not the virus); Little Man rode Cinnamon, and Sweet Pea was on Roanie. We went for an hour-long trail ride, and the kids loved it. They have unanimously voted to do a trail ride every time we go to the beach from now on, but I'm not sure if MJ will join us again. His verdict: "It was pretty hot. And kind of uncomfortable."
Every time we go to the beach, I take one morning to get up early and watch the sun rise. This year, I took Little Man with me. It wasn't the best sunrise ever, but we had a special morning together regardless.
Final note: School was no joke. It was 7:30 until 2:30 every day! (We didn't know the schedule when we booked the trip.)
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