August 6, 2000 - Sunday
Yesterday we drove to our annual summer retreat on the coast for Harry's first vacation at the beach. Harry's actually been here before, but it was colder then and not at all sunbathing weather. It's a slightly longer drive now that we've moved and we regrettably left home about an hour later than we had hoped, putting us awkwardly at the end of Harry's typical morning nap rather than the beginning for our departure. Fortunately, though the ride with traffic took the better part of two and a half hours, Harry did surprisingly well even with staying awake the whole time. Except for some mild protests at the beginning of the trip, he seemed happy enough listening to the cat complain about the car for most of the trip. The other times that he became disgruntled, his mother would venture to the back seat and help him out in one way or another.

Today, Harry had his first (literal) taste of the sandy beach and the surf. He certainly seemed to like it. And, why wouldn't a baby like the beach? There's new noises, new sights, new textures, new smells, and the new taste of salt. We're not sure if Harry will be a natural water baby or not, but he sure got a kick out of splashing in the little puddles that formed behind abandoned or aborted sand castles lagoons. The ocean, on the other hand, was a bit more perplexing. First off, the water in the ocean is much colder than those sun-heated pools on the low tide sand flats and, second, the waves rush in with a roar. Harry wasn't quite sure what to make of that, and who's to blame him?. Many adults eschew the cold water, including his mother.


Comments, opinions?