Down by the seaside

One of my list items was to go to the beach as a family. Maybe that was cheating a little, since this trip had been in the works for longer than my list has existed. Still, it's something I really wanted to do, and turning it into an actual goal made me feel like we'd be less likely to back out at the last minute.

As evidenced by my absence last week and the following photos, I'd say we can cross that one off with a big fat flourish.

Mila was there.

David was there.

Margot and I were there.

My parents, siblings, and nieces were there too.

The uncles made a giant sand car for the girls to "drive."

Mila got to "swim" in the ocean.

Most of us actually did swim in the ocean, but the only shot of that is of me and my sister-in-law Emily standing thigh-deep in the water, and forgive me but I am not posting a picture of my pasty postpartum backside in a swimming suit on the internet. I have some pride.

It was chilly and overcast in the mornings, but usually cleared up by the afternoon, and once it did the temperature was perfect. The adults all took turns watching babies and playing, so I'm pretty sure everyone had a chance to do what he or she wanted, at least for a little while.

It's probably been seventeen years since I was able to have a real beach day. My sister Kim even commented that it felt like forever since we'd had that much fun together. And of course it was different than I remembered. I'm not the gangly blind-as-a-bat tween on a boogie board I once was. I've (ahem) filled out a bit since then. Gotten married. Had a couple babies. Started wearing contacts on the regular. You know, grown-up stuff.

Still, whether because of or in spite of my childhood beach memories, I felt peaceful, uninhibited, and free there. I felt more like myself than I had in a while.

I felt like I'd come home.