Leaving the beach for the last time each summer is bittersweet. The Bitter: not hearing the waves crash, not feeling sand between your toes, not watching the kids jumping gleefully into the surf. The Sweet: not wearing a swimsuit in public for another year (can I get an amen on that?) or having to vacuum sand out of the minivan.We went to Reid State Park yesterday instead of Popham, just to mix things up a little. We haven't been there since our first summer in Maine, when Bear was four and Bug was 18 months old. That last visit there was a huge ordeal involving two fractious small children, a looooong walk from the parking area, navigating a stroller on sand, and the worst sand-in-the-diaper incident you can possibly imagine. No, worse. Really. Ask Daddy Shortbread if you don't believe me.
Reid differs quite a bit from Popham, although it's located on the next penninsula north. For one thing, it has a tidal saltwater lagoon, which is nice for kids to swim and play in without having to contend with the surf. Once you cross the dunes over to the ocean side, you notice that the waves are rougher than Popham's, since the shore faces the open ocean without the long shallows that Popham has. Here is Bear discovering that the Reid's waves are also quite a bit colder:
If there were an Olympic event for Running From and Jumping Over Waves, my kids would be gold medal contenders. Not that I'm biased.
Bug's style tends to be laid-back and lighthearted. She doesn't really risk much and mostly enjoys just galloping away and squealing.
It's all in the style for Bug. Occasionally she throws in a dance leap or pirouette.
Bear's style is more aggressive, employing a delicate balance between brinksmanship and fleet-footedness. She likes to wait until the wave is practically breaking against the backs of her legs and then RUN.
This doesn't always work out for her.
As you can see here:
Not to worry, though. She popped right back up laughing and soon moved on to this:
Bug joined right in. 
'Bye, ocean. See you next summer.
1 comment:
I'm glad you were able to squeeze in a couple of beach days before school starts. You guys sure did get shafted on summer weather this year! It's back in the 90s here - just as the area kids went back to non-air-conditioned schools, the temperature shot back up. Looks like a hot week ahead right through Labor Day weekend.
Exciting week ahead for the girls with school starting. Can't wait to hear/read all about it!
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