The New Coconut Beach

Although Kenny and I don’t play anymore, the volleyball team we founded back in 2005 is still going strong. The number of members may have decreased to just four players (Uncle Jeff, Aunt Lizzie, Uncle Doug, and Jay), and the location of the beach may have changed (from by the lake in New Orleans to by the lake in Kenner), but they are still having some fun out there.

Kenny and I took Riley out to the beach to watch the team play on Tuesday night. Even though it wasn’t his first time in sand, it may as well have been since I’m sure Riley doesn’t remember our beach trip last September. At first, he wasn’t quite sure what to do or how to walk or how to deal with it between his fingers. But he quickly got over his hesitation and was soon covered in sand.

 

It ended up being a fairly nice night, especially considering we’re in the middle of summer in Louisiana. I had brought along a few of Riley’s pool toys from Nola’s house, and he had a ball playing in the sand with some trucks and shovels.

We moved over to behind the team’s net once their game was close to starting. Riley got to hang with Uncle Jeff and Aunt Lizzie for a bit, and Aunt E was even there to join us on the sidelines. Riley liked burying her feet in the sand. {And throwing sand all over her lap, but we won’t talk about that. Sorry, Aunt E.}

  

Riley mostly just wanted to play in the sand, but every once in a while he caught a glimpse of the volleyball game going on right behind him and stopped to watch for a bit.

Then during a timeout, Riley decided he wanted to play. He ran to get the ball and, with Daddy’s help, went up for a spike. Score!

 

He was up way past his bedtime and loved every minute of it. He even woke up on Wednesday morning asking to “go play in the sand.”

Perhaps Riley-bean will carry on the tradition of our team at Coconut Beach 15 years from now…..

…..and maybe, just maybe, Doodlebug will be standing in the sand right next to him.

Somehow I think Uncle Jeff, Aunt E, Kenny, and I will have no problem sitting on the sidelines then, drinking a few beers and watching them play.

How fun would that be??? Let’s make that happen, Jeff!