When it comes to hitting the surf, there's no doubt Ava loves the idea of the ocean. It's fun to look at, and, if you're lucky, you might just come across a sea turtle or two popping their heads up. Getting in the ocean, however, is a completely absurd notion to our cautious child. Not only did Ava not set foot in the waves, she also advised the rest of her party to avoid doing so. When we ignored her advice, she looked slightly horrified, screaming after us, "Mama, you okay? Daddy, you okay?" Ever the swimmer, Helen views this as a personal failure and has since vowed to head back to the pool for more starfish lessons.
Ocean animals, on the other hand, are right up Ava's alley. Here she is at the Maui Ocean Center:
But more than the beach, the pool, and the sharks, Ava enjoyed lots of east coast grandparent time. They spent their days eating on the lanai, coloring, reading, feeding koi fish, and playing games like "I'm Hiding" (more accurately, "I'm sitting under a glass table with my eyes shut"). All in all, pretty cute stuff.
