Add another first to Miss Ella’s life experiences: her first boardwalk outing! To say the least, she was fascinated. The colors, the lights, the new foods to try, the ocean; she just ate it all up. We went on a weekday morning that was a little overcast, so it was quite empty and we didn’t have to wrestle the crowds. Honestly, I don’t think the crowds would have fazed her; she loved exploring the boards that make up the boardwalk, going right up to the fence that separates the beach and boardwalk to study the ocean and watching people go by.

Ella had her first beach girl moment the second I got her out of the car. As soon as the ocean breeze hit her little face, she started running her hands through her hair and pushing it behind her ears – it’s like she was soaking it all in from the first second. We brought the stroller, but let her walk the first half of the boardwalk. She was tickled to be able to hold mommy’s hand on one side and daddy’s hand on the other and stroll as if she had done this a hundred times before.

Even though we stood out in the boardwalk crowd (I didn’t see one other transracial family and I could count the people of races other than Caucasian on one hand,) the only attention we attracted was from a group of women sitting on a bench who practically swooned at Ella. Our time at the boardwalk made me realize just how often I scan the crowd when we’re out in public. The fact that I noticed the lack of transracial and minority families without consciously looking made me aware of my heightened awareness.

As you can see from my baby’s girl face in this picture of her on my shoulders, she had a very fun day (as did her daddy and me.) We have learned that she does not like cotton candy, but loves funnel cake. She is mesmerized by the ocean and loves the sights and sounds of the boardwalk. It was our first trip, but certainly won’t be the last.

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