Early morning shell hunting

My dad gets up at 5:30 am and walks on the beach.  After a few mornings of the kids seeing him when he returned with shells in hand they asked if they could go.  First to ask was Babycakes.  He told her she would have to go to bed early (an easy feat for a child who loves to sleep!) and get up very early.  She immediately agreed.  So she went to bed immediately after dinner and rose at 5:30.

(A very proud baby girl upon her return.  Her outfit of choice ... a bathingsuit and a hoodie!)

She came home around 7:30 am beaming from ear to ear.  She had seen a live starfish, a live conch in the shell and numerous live sand dollars.  She brought home a number of beautiful shells and one good size conch shell which she has been using to listen to the ocean.  The pride was oozing!  It did not take long for the middle child to decide he too would be going to bed early and participating in the early morning shell hunting.

This morning he too was up at crack thirty and out on the hunt.  They came home with sand dollars for days.  They were grey and partially still alive.  My dad cooked up a little sand dollar bleaching section on the patio and went to work making them white and georgous!

We will end up heading home with 12 perfect sand dollars.  And the kids will head home with amazing memories of early morning walks with their grandfather.

xo,

MPM