Block Island Bebe

I hadn't really realized it, but Henry had never been to the beach since he was an infant and incapable of truly enjoying it. I was not prepared for Henry's excitement in seeing the endless beaches covered with sand, rocks, perfect kid sized waves to play in, and the large inlet of water which, during low tide, provides a warm, super shallow water park for kids while the parents dig in the mud for yummy clams. This trip to Block Island was THE best trip we'd had up there since I started going five years ago.
What had traditionally been a very cool, overcast and rainy place was hot and sunny all week long. The usual activities of puzzles and reading one or more books was kicked to the curb as we spent most of our days at the beach. Henry and his buddies, Gabe and Nate played in huge holes in the sand dug by their fathers' all day long. Henry also loved being around all the other children and dogs playing at the beach. He made lot of new friends and some enemies as he charmed the girls and smashed the other boys' sand creations. Other kids seem to be drawn to him and are eager to know him. We ate great fresh food, our yearly lobster, home grown tomatoes from our garden, my home-made jam and bread, and other fresh veggies from the Smocks. Eating good food is always a big part of a successful vacation. Clamming was probably the most fun activity we did this year. I had always wanted to go in previous years, however we never had enough time or motivation to get the license. While the boys were clamming, Henry and I played on the beach and caught fiddler crabs. Henry isn't afraid of anything, even large crabs with huge pincers. It was also fun to see him learn the signs for everything you find at the beach. He's so eager to learn and discover new things. Henry is always so delightful to be around with his constant smiles, dancing, expressions, exclamations of discovery and bursts of energy and laughter.