This weekend, we took another trip to the Oregon coast. We went to Yachats (pron. "ya-hots"), to spend time with Grandpa Bill and Grandma Sarah, who were visiting from Colorado. Hot it wasn't -- we wore coats and long pants the entire time -- although like true Oregonians, we didn't let the cold wind or grey skies keep us inside.
In fact, we spent a lot of time exploring the rocky beaches that surrounded the town. Although Evan showed more rock climbing agility than we've seen before -- along with a wee-bit more devil-may-care attitude than we'd like -- he and Rose has a fabulous time. It's hard to match the drama of the churning, foaming ocean, with it's 15-ft sprays sporadically shooting through rocky gaps, and the constant thumping as it pounds the coastline.
Evan scrambled across huge boulders, sandy beaches and mossy beds like a goat. It was all about limits: how close he could get to the surf, how fast he could jump across rocks and how far his parents would let him go by himself before slowly (or quickly, in some cases) pulling him back. He did have his chivalrous moments, carrying his sister across tiny rivers on the beach or helping her down from an especially daunting ledge.
Rose spent most of the time looking for "nemenies" and sea stars. She was very curious about what they feel like, how they move and what they eat. Given the slightest encouragement, she'd plunge her hand into an ice-cold tidepool and see if she could wedge her finger into a mussel or grab an errant crab. By the end, she proudly walked by herself -- carefully balancing -- across the rocks (even the "tippy" ones), and then laid herself down in a grassy area "to rest" when she finally ran out of gas.
I was reminded how great it is to spend the day with the kids at a place where they can be truly curious, test their physical skills, and yell and scream to their hearts' content (see the screaming photo below for proof). What made it all the better was coming back to a cozy cottage, tucking into one of Grandpa Bill's famous, all-you-can-eat steak dinners, and snuggling in front a giant TV with cable!
Perfection.
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