Taking My Kids to the Beach in the Winter

My kids had Monday off school, my husband had to work, so I was trying to figure out something fun the kids and I could do, and I felt like we could use a little change of scenery (see yesterday's post for reason).

So, I decided a drive (about an hour each way) to the beach might be nice.

We take the kids to the beach a few times each summer, they love it!

But, when my 2 younger kids woke me up Monday morning talking about how they weren't going to get to go as far out in the ocean since Daddy wouldn't be on the trip and Daddy is taller than Mommy and carries them on his shoulders way out into the surf, I realized they had no idea about the winter beach. When I said go to the beach they expected the beach they know of from summer -- swimsuits, sunscreen, hot sand, swimming in the ocean, diving in the waves kind of a beach.

I tried explaining it to them, about how we were just going to play in the sand and only get our feet wet because it would be cold, but they came down with their swimsuits packed any way. I threw the suits in the car to avoid their protests thinking surely once they felt the temperature at the beach they would not be putting them on.

They began the afternoon my way, fully clothed and frolicking just near the edge of the water.

But, they begged, "Swimsuits! Swimsuits! Swimsuits!"

I stood there watching them in the 50 degree cloudy, windy weather, freezing in my jeans, sweatshirt, warm boots, with a towel wrapped around my shoulders for extra warmth, and couldn't imagine why in the world they wanted to put on their swimsuits!

But, I was clearly outnumbered.

So, being the mother who doesn't believe you actually get sick from brief periods of time in the cold without sufficient clothing, I caved.

And let them do this:

It only took about 4 minutes before they were, you guessed it, cold!

Here's my daughter in what we now call the "turtle picture", curling up into her pink and white shell in an attempt to warm up!

So, we finished the day like this:

drinking hot chocolate while looking out at the ocean -- the best way to enjoy the winter beach!

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