Beach days have been a plenty recently. Even after living in LA for over a decade I never spent as much time at the beach in the entire summer season as I have in just one month here in Alameda. Partly because it is so convenient and literally a walk away from home, but mainly it’s because of the little one who wakes up almost daily and says immediately, “Mama beach.”
I have found it to be the best possible way to spend our mornings. After breakfast, I pack up a basket full of essentials and a tote stuffed with a blanket and towel and we are off. Sadie alternates between digging holes, building sand castles, burying my legs, sitting right at the shore and playing with water and laying down and snacking.
After a few hours of this, we head home and she is out cold before we reach our driveway 4 minutes later. I carry her into bed and she naps like a pro and I get a nice 2-3 hour baby free afternoon to cook, clean, organize, blog and sometimes even nap myself 
It’s pure bliss, for the both of us.
Last week we met up with our friends Jen & Delphine and we tried out the lake. To Sadie it made no difference at all, it was still “mama beach!” but for me it was a very different feel. I loved wadding through the fresh water and watching the ducks swim. I hadn’t been swimming in a lake since I was a child and this definitely hit a familiar nerve with me. I’m now dreaming of tire swings and hammocks hanging over still waters.
Another one of Sadie’s favorite beach activities… see what other people have in their picnic baskets.
This really is one of the funnest parts of parenthood. It is getting the chance to relive your childhood over again. Things and experiences that you have long forgotten all come back to you one by one. And I’m only scratching the surface of it. However, I could do without living my teens over again!
