Beachball fun!

As it's -2 degrees back home we thought we would head down to the beach for some fun today. Baby A and E have never experienced sand before.  Not making the same mistake as last week in the snow we didn't try and take the stroller onto the sand so dear husband and I each carried a baby to the shore.

Tentatively Baby A put her feet down on the sand and climbed back to the safety of Grandma's knee. Daredevil Baby E climbed off my knee and crawled along the sand as if she had done it many times before. Not only did she crawl at a rapid speed towards the huge expanse of sea but she tried to eat the stones, rubbed the sand in her hair and I just managed to grab her before she put a dirty cigarette butt into her mouth. Looking on and realising how fun this was Baby A finally climbed down off Grandma's knee and crawled at the same speed in entirely the other direction.

Whilst I was busy concentrating on the babies I was unaware of the drama unravelling behind me. Boy in the middle had brought a giant inflatable football on holiday with him specifically to bring to the beach. Dear husband took the ball and kicked it towards boy in the middle only the wind blew it towards the sea. The ball landed on the sea and gradually floated away from boy in the middle. Dear husband waded into the sea to try and get the ball, only the further in he went the faster the ball floated out to sea. Tears started to trickle down boy in the middle's face and so dear husband promised to retrieve the ball. The sea was rather cold, he had no swimwear on and a wallet in his pocket.

The ball floated further and further away and Baby A and E were still trying out the beach delicacies. On the rocks a little way out in the sea we spotted a man with a canoe. Dear husband approached the man and explained the problem of the ball. By this time it was so far out to sea we could barely see it and boy in the middle was now making louder and louder sobs.

Then like a guardian angel, canoe hero jumped in his boat and canoed out to sea at an alarming speed. Whilst I was still trying to brush sand from 4 hands in order that Baby A and Baby E could have an edible snack, boy in the middle came charging back up the beach with a huge smile and his huge beachball. 

Who knew there could be so much drama from a simple outing to the beach!