Lunch at Lake Michigan

<p>While we saw Lake Michigan from a distance last week, today was both Andy and Isaac's first time at the water. After our usual morning activities (sort of...Isaac woke up about 9:15 and happily played in bed for another 15 minutes, so that was kind of weird but great), we picked up lunch from a deli and drove over to Esch Beach. After we spread our blankets, a lifeguard came over to say that it's a public beach so she couldn't ask us to move, but there were a hundred teenagers from Interlochen coming in about 45 minutes who were going to be contained in the area we were in, so we might consider moving. Not really wanting to hang out with the students, we ate and then moved to the very far edge if the beach and had a fun time playing in the water and sand.</p>
<p>We waited too late to put on Isaac's sunblock, not because he burned but because it hadn't soaked in yet and he was coated in sand almost immediately. So I can't tell you for sure how much sand he ate during lunch, just that he ate a lot of it. He liked putting his toes in the water at first, but it was too cold for him. After a while he would lift both feet up in the air as we held his hands so he wouldn't get wet. He also investigated the various little bugs in the sand. He now says "sha" (shoo) when he sees a bug, and then something that sounds like "yuck" before engaging in a detailed observation. So he knows that shooing and yuckiness have something to do with insects, but hasn't figured out the implication to avoid them.</p>
<p>Isaac slept a little on the way to the beach and a little on the way back, and no other nap. A weird sleep day for him. Showers/bath to get rid of sand happened for all inhabitants of this cabin. By this time it was close to dinner. We ate in the cafeteria since we missed lunch there today. Afterward was the annual "July 4" parade, which has to happen on a Monday, since it's a day off for many students. The theme was video games, so the different units of students dressed up appropriately and paraded through the main campus. The high school boys formed a little band to play the theme music to The Legend of Zelda; there's a photo below.</p>
<p>We ran into some friends and spent some time letting kids play on campus, then took a walk. We might have stayed on campus longer to hear the concert, but the walk took us back to our cabin, and Isaac had hit the stroller wall, so to speak, and wouldn't be contained any longer. So we played outside there until bedtime. Then I washed the mountain of dishes that has piled up, and here we are.</p>
<p>Pictures below from the beach and parade. Also, I want to add something about Isaac's concept of up and down. He is a champion fan spotter, and likes to tell people in the cafeteria that there's a fan above us. So he did this to a neighboring diner, who said "Yes, the fan is up, but what's down?" So Isaac looked at the floor for a few seconds before replying "uh-oh." Yes, Isaac, "down" is the place where you throw everything and then say "uh-oh."</p>