Take me to the beach! (And a zoo while you're at it)

 

Headed to the beach! We decided to take a little vacation with Mimi & Grandpa to the beach last weekend...here I am, ready to roll!

 

This picture may look ordinary to you. What's extraordinary about it? Tyson and I are playing in the sand....SMILING! We have a few quirks about us...we hate to swing...we didn't like TV until now...and we don't like the beach. But Mom and Dad didn't give up...they keep hauling us down here! 6th time was the charm!

 

But let's not forget what this boy is at heart...a drummer...I found 2 pieces of bamboo washed up and quickly found a use for them.

 

We played on the beach every morning and evening and had a great time...Daddy took all of our dirt digging toys so we excavated and bulldozed and shoveled to our heart's content. And Daddy, as he has every time, got out his fishing gear. But we didn't hold our breath, he hasn't had much success in our lifetimes.

 

What ho! A fish!! He actually caught a number of them - one of which we threw to a blue heron and watched him try to fit what amounted to a 6-inch saucer down his slim throat...yes, he did it.

 

Look at these two lovebirds

 

Then look at us feeding REAL birds!

 

This could summarize Tyson's complete turnaround on his feelings towards the beach. The first time out he was ROLLING in the sand...we had to hose him down head to toe just to get him clean enough for the tub.

 

We even drove to Pensacola to go to that zoo. This picture I like to call, "Mom, don't llamas spit?" But it didn't, much to our relief.

 

Cole refused to participate in this activity until Tyson did it...then he wanted a picture taken if every opportunity after this one.

 

Look how big this boy has gotten...so brave!!

 

And the last night before we came home...the biggest shocker of them all...the boys splashed in the ocean! Again, for those of you with kids who love the ocean, this ain't no thang. For these boys, who have been to the beach 3 and 6 times respectively and have never touched even a toe in the water, this is a BIG DEAL! In the past (and in the first days of this trip) they refuse to get even within 10 feet of the water's edge without falling apart in terror. But Thomas keeps working at them, inviting them to play and showing them how fun it is. And the last night Tyson got in...which then enticed Cole to get in. Once Tyson was in you had to watch him because he was like a cat in catnip, he loved it!

 

This was one of the high points for Thomas, finally getting to splash with the boys in the water. Some things just take time :)

 

Back to us! Let's talk about the real high points of this vacation...Lucky Charms and Hawaiian Punch. When asked what his favorite part of the trip was, Cole answered, "Candy and Lucky Charms."