A Toddler Still Eats Sand

We recently took our daughter to Chincoteague for a quick beach trip.

It had been with its ominous roar of ocean waves and miles of sandy beach.

Last year she wasn’t walking yet, so she would just sit on the beach and run her hands through the sand and kick her feet to feel the texture.

And since she sucks her finger, she inevitably got some of it in her mouth.

This year, the only difference was that she could now toddle around. She found it challenging to walk in the deep, warm sand with her little feet. But once she sat down, shovel in hand, she proceeded to dig up what she could and pour it all over herself.

She kept trying to eat a banana (and hold it herself) but got incredibly frustrated with it once it looked like a sand covered piece of mush.

We tried taking her down to the water’s edge, but the quickness of her feet being engulfed by a small wave was a little too much for her and she immediately held her arms in the air and said “Up! Up!”

I accommodated.

Even the Hitchcock-like seagulls were fascinating to her this year, as they hovered to retrieve bread that we threw. She even tried imitating them, with their loud calls.

I’m pleased that she found ways to enjoy herself at the beach. It’s something we hope she’ll have a long love for, since it’s something we hope we can all share as a family.

It brings out the kid in all of us, walking with her, seeing things the way she does for the first time.

Even finding seashells.

She loved picking up shells and throughout one evening, never letting one special shell leave her grasp until we got home.

That’s one mommy will keep for a very long time.