Swimming "Solo"

Why on earth was I imagining that taking the girls to the beach solo would be easier this year than it was last year?

Here's what I was thinking before hand:
 "This will be great... Calla be able to walk around, sit in the sand, dig with the sand toys. She won't be crawling around trying to eat the sand like a bulldozer. She will maybe even keep her sun hat on.

Here's what actually happened:
 Calla wanted nothing to do with sitting in the sand playing with sand toys. She wanted to be wading in the water with Addie. Fortunately there were no waves as we were in a sheltered Bay, but I learned the hard way at first and was not holding her hand as she teetered into the water with enthusiasm and quickly pummeled over into the water submerging her face. My hand remained glued to hers the rest of the time, which she was not happy about at all. Addie wanted to actually try swimming, which was a fabulous thing for my sometimes timid daughter to want to try. Except for the fact that I could not help her because I was tethered to a 1.5 year old potential drowning hazard. Fortunately Addie follows directions really well and was content with walking around with the water up to her belly.

After 45 min of swimming we packed up all our wet and sand-coated gear, changed, and lugged everything back to the far away parking lot through the 95 degree heat to go hear the author/illustrator Chris Van Dusen do a reading at a Stories in the Garden event. We met some friends and picnicked with the other families under some shady trees while listening to stories. That part was wonderful. I didn't even mind that my youngest sat in my lap, hand coming in and out of her water bottle, slowly drenching us both the entire time.

Sometimes days are best kept simple without trying to fit too much in. I have to try to remember this.