lighthouse lovers

So I love lighthouses. It's not really rational. I can't explain where the love comes from, especially given that I grew up in an entirely landlocked state. And the particular part I hail from is basically dry desert. The exact opposite of any lighthouse climate. But love them I do.

North Carolina's Outer Banks are home to some of the most widely recognized Northern American lighthouses, as well as the tallest one in North America - Hatteras. (Apparently Poland has the tallest lighthouse.) We visited these lovely landmarks when Belle was a baby (and carried her to the top of one). And we visited again with two babies.

This time, Annabelle surprised us with a fervent plea of "Can I pleeasssse climb to the top?" I was hesitant because they're tall, she's short, and she tends to whine when "her legs are soooo tired." But I snapped out of it when it hit me: ANOTHER FELLOW LIGHTHOUSE LOVER?! She met the height requirement within a centimeter, so climb we did. 

She climbed to the top of Currituck (the all brick, my favorite), Bodie (pronounced "body" with straight black and white stripes), and Hatteras (with swooping black and white stripes).

And every time she climbed, she was thrilled. It was such an adventure, and reaching the top was a giant victory. These pictures here aren't posed; it's me just pretending that my baby isn't hundreds of feet in the air and shooting pictures from the hip so I can simultaneously block her from falling.

In reality, it would be impossible to fall. But you know. Paranoia. Me. We're best friends. 

It's always fulfilling when you have this idea in your head for your kids, and it actually works. We try to create little experiences like this for our babies, and they often bomb. But this time it worked. And it was particularly awesome to see my baby loving lighthouses like me. By the end of the trip, she'd scaled three lighthouse towers, by herself. She knows them all by name and has declared Hatteras her favorite. ("Is that okay Mommy? I know Currituck is your favorite. Is it okay that Hatteras is my favorite?")

Of course. Because fact is, you have a favorite in the first place. Welcome to the club baby. :)