We visited the beach again today. This time, with our mom's group friends. It was low tide at Saltwater State Park in Des Moines and a perfectly gray day to explore the tide pools. We saw little rock crabs, three or four starfish, and tons of big shells. Derick and I love to play on the beach. He got wet, of course! He is my son, after all. I always bring extra clothes with me, so I let him do what he wanted. Freedom is priceless, especially at his tender age of 2. He gets enough direction/correction at home; it's nice to be somewhere and just be able to let him roam. We combed the beach, threw rocks, picked up seaweed and checked out sea life. I always feel rejuvenated at the beach. After our emotional and exhausting day yesterday, a calm morning was just what we needed.







PS: the scratches on his face are from a fall he took yesterday on our neighbor's stairs. After missing his nap, Derick was a little wobbly and must have tripped on the way down. I didn't see him start the fall. By the time I turned around, all I saw was legs in the air! But, he'll be the first to tell you, he's ok now.