82 °F and a slight breeze… the perfect temperature for making sandcastles. Today, Athena and I had one goal – to kick off our shoes and get down to making sandcastles. (Well, that was my goal. Athena’s goal was to sneak in a bite of a seashell any time I wasn’t looking but it fit nicely with my sandcastle goal so she went along.) This week is all about soaking up Athena time and she loves the sand so that’s where we spent our day.

With our sunscreen on and our shoes off, we strolled through the ocean water first. Athena is still intimidated by the sound of the waves and she likes to be in my arms when they are crashing. Besides, she was more interested in the bucket and shovel that were in the bag. She had never made a sandcastle before but she was anxious to try.

First, we had to fill the bucket. Have you ever tried to fill a sand bucket with a one year old shoveling in the sand? It went something like this… Athena would get some sand on the shovel and then pour it on her legs. Then, she would give me a dirty look because the sand was on her and sticking to the sunscreen. I would unsuccessfully try to wipe the sand off her legs. While I was distracted, she would find a seashell and put it in her mouth. I’d take the seashell out of her mouth, wipe her hands, and pick up the shovel. She’d want the shovel and the cycle would continue. Somehow, as an adult mother, I wasn’t smart enough to figure out how to stop to process, yet we were both enjoying ourselves just the same. For over two hours, we played on the beach in that one spot. We were happy. We didn’t need expensive gear or a planned day of activities. We just needed a shovel, a bucket, and some sand. As an adult, it’s easy to forget the simple things in life. I think that’s what I enjoy most about being a mother. Joy, laughter, and happiness can be found in the simplest moments of the day.

Pink Shell Beach Resort is filled with families and little children. I think our goal for tomorrow will be to meet a friend for Athena at the pool. Sounds simple, right? Making friends is so much easier for kids. Wish us luck.