Photoshoot: Huntington Beach

I've been really lazy about going through the hundreds, yes, hundreds of photos I took while my mother-in-law was visiting. These are a few of my favorites from my favorite day we shared. We waited till about 1:30 before packing up and heading down the 405 to Huntington Beach.

Now, Alexa has been to the beach before, but she was just a wee baby. This was the first time she played in the sand, ran around by the shore and in general explored outside our beach tent. She was so excited at first that we took her down to the surf and dipped her feet in. Big mistake! Her face shriveled up with displeasure and nothing would make her happy except hanging out in the tent with me and Mima. And eating blueberries. Blueberries make everything better.

Eventually H and I walked her back toward the surf, but we stayed a few feet away and threw the frisbee around. Alexa ran back and forth between us, enjoying our little game, sometimes helping to pick up a wayward frisbee. Then she went too far and the tide dared touch her feet. Plop! She sat down right into the water, getting wet up to her waist. Cue the tears.

This time it wasn't so bad. She came back to the tent with me and we snuggled under a few beach towels to stay warm while H played frisbee with his mom. We packed up as the sun was setting.

Beach days aren't as carefree as they used to be back when I would boogie board till I was exhausted and then blast good tunes through my iPod as I let the sun dry me off. A few times I caught myself mourning the fact that I was stuck in a tent with a toddler. But then she would take my hand and we would walk around in the sand. She would babble excitedly. She would pick up shells (and try to eat them). Seeing the beach through her eyes makes up for all the lost hours of boogie boarding. It really does.

That being said, how long before Alexa and I can boogie board together? Two years? Three?