Angling for Ben: it takes a special kind of bait

It turns out that a rainy day in October is the best time to give Ben a pleasant re-introduction to the world of beaches. We decided to make a day trip down to Corpus Christi today, and although it rained off and on while we were in town, we managed to stay mostly dry.  Finally Ben understands the joys of a beach full of sand to dig in, and wet sand to squish between his toes. He didn't end up going further than a step or two into the surf, but it was real progress for him and his beachy fears.

Actually what convinced him to approach the water was a sly trick by yours truly. He LOVES to gleefully destroy things that I create-- whether it's a tower made from blocks, or lines drawn in the wet sand. So I started writing words and drawing pictures down by the water's edge, and pretty quickly he was down there trying to smoosh the lines out. Baby steps, but I'll take it.

"I make sand castle!"

(my two favorite people)

....And here's the irresistible Ben bait...

 

He was a little upset the first time the water "got" his foot,

but then got a bit more comfortable

and was pretty happy by the time we needed to leave.

...And then on the way home...