A Perfect Day

At the beach in Ocean City, NJ. Natalie's first view of the ocean, her first beach experience. Erica has been telling everyone all summer long "we're going to the beach!" We're staying in Somers Point, across the causeway from Ocean City proper. So it's a short drive to the beach, not in walking distance. But the girls have enjoyed all the usual beach activities. They loved building sand castles, and jumping in the waves. We all gobbled Mack & Mancko pizza from the boardwalk for lunch one day, and sucked down fresh-squeezed lemonade.

My big indulgence was to schedule a photographer to do a family portrait photo shoot on the beach one evening. We wore those silly matching outfits, and I think they turned out really well - can't wait to see them online.

We borrowed a beach wheelchair from the city recreation dept. It has big balloon wheels and moves easily across the sand, not to mention avoiding getting sand into all the nooks and crannies of her regular wheelchair. There are issues with using it - it's very big and won't fit in the van along with her regular wheelchair, so while we are at the beach she is stuck on the sand b/c you can't use the beach chair on the boardwalk or the street. But it was worth the effort. Our backs can't handle holding her up for very long to experience the ocean, but I can stand out there forever and let the waves lap her feet while she sits in that chair!

Sitting under the beach umbrella after a long time in the waves, wrapped in beach towel, Erica sighed and said, "a perfect day." I guess that says it all.