A Beautiful Day: Beach & Tea Party
Capitola Beach
Last Sunday was one of my favorite days ever. I spent the day with a very special person. On Sunday morning, I picked up Mercy and we drove to the beach. I was craving time at the ocean with her, and I know she loves the ocean as much as I do. We spent the morning collecting seashells, running from the chilly waves, and building a “friendship seashell sand wall” with the hopes that people would leave their seashells on it when they pass by.
Mercy was so enamored with the ocean; I think she could have spent the entire day there if possible. However, her dress, shorts, and sandals got completely drenched from all the seashell picking. We had to do an emergency pit stop at the gift shop in town to get her a new wardrobe before going to our next activity. Her emergency shopping spree consisted of: the classic Capitola Beach t-shirt (glow in the dark of course), a pair of turquoise Capitola Beach shorts, and a new pair of flip flops. She was SO excited to wear a dry, comfy outfit, and it cracks me up that everything was branded with “Capitola Beach”. It was a cloudy but cozy morning and as we were leaving, the sun decided to come out. It was the perfect, most relaxing way to spend the morning, and with the best company I could ask for. Her little spirit is so bright; just being around her is energizing because she is so gentle, sweet, silly, and kind. She is the kind of person who will always bring a smile to your face.
Afternoon Tea Party
The second part of our day consisted of a royal tea party. I took her to an adorable tea room for lunch, where we were truly were in our element. It felt like we were in England, and we were so astonished by the intricate details of the decor, especially the tiny spoons and utensils, the beautiful dishes, and the mini food bites served on 3-tier platters. Mercy was in absolute awe of how fancy and delicate everything was (and so was I). The best purchase I have ever made in my life was the two mini hats for us to wear throughout the tea party - she was absolutely obsessed with them! I ordered a pot of tea and a salad, while she had a pot of lemonade and a kids plate with all kinds of British inspired mini foods, including biscuits, scones, pigs in a blanket, fruit, and tea sandwiches. She ate pretty much everything and absolutely loved it. In her words: “This is DELICIOUS Auntie Nay Nay!” And of course, we talked in our fake English accents, made sure to sip our tea with our pinkies in the air, and kept our elbows off the table. We are already planning our next tea party where we will be sure to dress up (AKA not go to the beach right before) - but most importantly, we will definitely be wearing our tiny hats :-)
It was my definition of a beautiful day: the kind of day that is spent completely present in the moment, in the company of someone you love being around. Her little laugh and bright, toothy smile is contagious. I will never forget this day, nor the expression of pure joy that she had throughout it all. Cheers to spending time with my favorite 8 year old (soon to be a “naughty 9 year old” - her words) on the planet. Xoxo
