Seafood Gumbo for the Toddler's Soul

Riley amazes me every day. She finds wonder and magic in the most random places, places that are old news to us big people. So I really appreciate watching her tackle something new because it's a chance for me to see something I've known or done for years from a whole new perspective.

The beach is no exception. Our five days out here at Grandma's have been all about relaxing and recharging, but I'm finding fun and insight in unusual places, thanks to the blank slate that is my daughter. I tend to think of myself as Riley's teacher in pretty much everything, but if I really pay attention, I find this old soul in a tiny new body has a lot of wisdom to impart.

Lessons she's taught me this week:

1. Be proud of your belly. This is something I've struggled with my entire life, as have most women. But Riley really owns her bikini. Her perfect little tummy leads her everywhere she goes, counter-balancing her tiny hiney. She's always happy to draw attention to it. She pats it. Back on land, she lifts her shirt to show it off. It appears to be her favorite body part. I really hope that lasts. I'm still trying to find peace with my form. But I look at her and remind myself that my waistline was blown out for good reason, and paunch that haunts my closet used to be home to the greatest thing I've ever done.

2. Sand is a fabulous full-body exfoliant. Riley loves to sit in wet sand at the waves' edge. She claws through it, rubs it all over, rolls around in it and digs her heels into it. As a general rule, I hate sand. It wedges itself in uncomfortable places, tracks through the house, ruins food and makes me feel crusty. But I found myself playing in the sand with my daughter as if it were a newly-discovered artistic medium. It actually felt good on my feet. It smoothed out a few rough spots on my heels, reinvigorated the skin on my legs and made great plopping sounds as we watched it glob off our wet fingers and splash back into the tiny pool we'd dug.

3. Meet waves head-on, and don't be afraid to make them. From her first brush with a wave, Riley was enchanted. She couldn't wait for the next foamy crest to splash. She squealed, kicked, waved at them and signed "more" as each one passed. It never occurred to her to be scared, even when she got a face full of salt water. That really impressed me. We sat with her on the water's edge so they'd run over her at foot-level as they were petering out. We also carried her out far enough that we could dip her feet down into the larger ones as they rolled through. She loved both. In our little hole back on the edge of water, Riley made mini-waves in her little pool by running her hands through it. Between our dips in the surf and parking on the sand, I found myself anticipating the swells almost as much as my daughter. Until this trip, it was just rushing water that could sting my eyes and -- like sand -- the source of crusty skin.

4. Sea gulls can be cool. Riley was transfixed by what I'd always considered to be ratty garbage collectors, the pigeon's surfside counterpart. She yelled at them, told them hi, waved at them, ran after them. They'd calmly strut away as she approached, which only made them even more captivating. So I found myself studying Nemo's arch-enemy much more closely than usual. I won't go so far as to say they're pretty, but they do serve an ornamental purpose if Riley finds them so enthralling.

5. Leave the party while you're still having a great time. Riley is a very well-behaved child, and she thrives off of an audience. She loves to work a room, a crowd or a beach. Cute babies naturally draw attention to themselves simply because they're cute babies, but Riley goes the extra mile with her cheerful greetings, waves and aforementioned perfect belly. She's too little to know when she's hit the wall, but it's crystal-clear to everyone else. We had some social outings and beach trips this week that dragged on longer than they should've because my husband and I were still having a good time. That came to an abrupt end once Riley came fully in touch with her inner Grumparumpasaurus. So Mom and Dad need to work on our timing and take our exit cues from our pint-sized American Idol.

At least that lesson applies to our trip. We're headed back to Colorado today, even though I'd love a few more days of life lessons on the beach from Riley. But we'll be back, and I'll have my laptop handy so I can keep taking notes from my little girl.