Catch A Wave

As much as I tell Kel that we'd be better off moving out of state, I don't think I'd enjoy living so far away from the beach. A lot of my favorite childhood memories take place on the hot sand with the salty breeze blowing in my hair and the ocean a hop, skip and a jump away from my soft beach towel.

From swimming with Big Wave Dave to doing flips in the Pacific Ocean next to my dad.

From building sand castles complete with a moat to laying out on a soft towel with a good book.

 

  

From taking long walks along the shore searching for the perfect shells to chasing the pesky sea gulls away from our lunch.

The beach was the perfect place to be with family, and a place where I want my boys to make their own memories and build on my own.

  

Saturday, Kel and I started out the holiday weekend with a trip to the beach. We were supposed to meet up with friends, but it didn't pan out. So we spent a great four hours just enjoying each other and the outdoors.

From the beginning, C was making new friends. Two little boys behind us with the cool tent and sand toys, the little girl down the way putting sand into her mother's hand with the concentration of an artist creating a masterpiece, the boy to our left who shares the same exact birthday as D and also has a little brother, the woman on her cell phone two rows over who caved in and offered C his very own cup of Cheeto Puffs (which was promptly filled with sand and thrown at the sea gulls), and the older women from Europe who substitute C for her own grandson whom she was missing. It was hard to keep C near our own twelve by twelve stretch in the sand and content with the lunch that we made at home.

D's consensus was 50/50. He did not like it when Kel went out too far, but loved being chased by the waves with Daddy. Was over the minuscule particles of sand that snuck their way into his mouth, but enjoyed having it flow through his fingers and onto his legs.  Did not enjoy making new friends on his own, but when C brought them over to our spot he could not help but talk about his beloved McQueen and how awesome it was that he found someone with the same birthday.

While I spent the majority of the time chasing C, Kel braved the frigid waters to swim with the dolphins. Okay, so he didn't actually get to touch the porpoises, but they were really close to shore for the majority of the time we were there. Two paddle surfers (is that what they are called) paddled right into the middle of the pod, while the local lifeguard boat provided the entertainment for the dolphins. It was really exciting, especially to the fifteen kids surrounding us, to watch as they swam up and down the cost.
 

 We had a great four hour trip that I'm hoping will be repeated often this summer. And while the boys weren't too crazy about the water in the beginning, once their dad scooped them up in his arms and showed them how fun it could be, they were jumping up and down, excited for their next turn.

The plus side to four hours spent in the hot sun, running in sand? A quiet ride home with a passed out C and a drowsy D.

Make New Friends...

Today C and D got a special treat! My friend, C (I'm going to call her Miss C for the remainder of this post so there's no confusion) and her son, E came over for a play date!

I didn't tell D that he was going to have a friend come over until this morning. Knowing him, if I had told him any sooner he would have constantly been at the front door, watching as the cars drive by and asking if each car was E. As it was, this morning was spent at the door with a "E, where are you?!" followed by a "Mommy, when E gets here we are going to have a sleep over and me and E are going to sleep in your bed and you'll have to sleep on the couch." Needless to say, I nixed that idea pretty quickly. Not that E can't, or won't, ever sleep over, just that I won't be giving up my bed in order for him to do so.

C, D, and E loved playing in the backyard. It may have taking some coaxing from Moms to leave the toys and the games inside, but once they were out they were hooked.

 

   

 

 

Playing in the Cadillac was a must. Whether it D drive E, E drive C, or C drive E, all three boys had an enjoyable time.

And then the water came out. Or, to be more precise, D's pool and the hose became the main focus for the better part of an hour.

From drenching each other with the ice cold water to using the Toy Story 3 punching bag as a rolling log right out of Hume Lake, Miss C and I enjoyed watching our exuberant boys get to know each other.

 

I had to forfeit my camera batteries so that D could show E his new Cars 2 game for the XBOX , so I wasn't able to capture any pictures from lunch (I'm waiting for those pictures Miss C), however, I must say it was one of the more entertaining ones I've had in a while. Miss C and I cooked hamburgers and French fries while D was sucked into his video game and C used E as his own personal jungle gym ( what a patient little boy, E is!). It was a welcomed change to have someone my age (other than Kel) to talk to. Especially swapping stories on our boys and reminiscing about our high school days.

Once lunch was on the table, and we were eating, C decided that he wasn't getting enough attention. It started out with a contest with E to see who could make the loudest noise and ended with a (almost) full fledged food fight. I must say this kid is destined for football or baseball because his aim is accurate and he has power behind his throw. A piece here, a piece there, C was in the process of tossing the reminder of his French fries at E when I took his food away. All in all, it was a perfect lunch enjoyed by all.

After lunch, and an observation by Miss C that the boys have not behaving very energetically,  it was decided that a walk was in order. One of several reasons why we decided that our boys needed to get together was so they could wear each other out and make nap time easier. Being four years old is tough on a little boy and even more ruthless for the mommies. So we walked up the street until D decided that we were too far away from the house and then down the street until we almost reached the main road. At one point my mantra became "yes, Yes, YES! " as I watched D take off down the sidewalk, pumping his little legs to try to catch up to E and win the race. An imaginary fist pump in the air was all I'd allow myself in way of a victory dance, but I could almost taste the relaxation on the horizon. It was wonderful. Or it will be wonderful, once my little monsters guys were down for a nap.

It was an absolute success today and I can not wait to do this again next week at the park. Won't it be interesting to see how they do at the water pad, Miss C?

Nana Love

Last Thursday I received a surprise, but welcome, phone call from Kel's mom saying she was going to come down for the night. She missed her boys, and her boys sure missed their Nana. Especially D.

Thursday night was spent at home just enjoying Nana. The boys each received a new outfit from Nana and I couldn't wait for them to wear them. Of course they were dirty before I could get a decent picture of them so that'll have to be another time. I can't believe how clothing in size 24 months could make C seem so much older. Or maybe its just that he's growing up and I refuse to see it. The one hiccup of the night was when C decided that Nana's cell phone made a good boat in the bathroom sink. I am so sorry Nana! I really hoped the rice trick worked.

Thursday was a warm evening so we spent the majority of it in the backyard. Aunt B was over, and everyone enjoyed the sunset while playing basketball, badminton, and (Kel's favorite) buns up. D loved playing with everyone while C helped Uncle M water... the dirt. It was a great night.

 

  

 

Friday morning we went to our near by splash park and had breakfast. D was true to form and stayed near his Nana while C gave me the pleasure of chasing him around. Luckily once the water came on, he stayed in one place. We ended our visit with Nana with lunch at our new McDonald's and then went home to nap. C crashed out the minute I laid him down in his crib, but D had to stay awake to watch Nana drive away.

We miss you Nana! We are hoping that we can come visit you while Kel is away for the one to two weeks it'll take for his training. We love hearing about Hart park and your train station and can't wait to see them in person!

Courage

It seems that over the past month, C has gained more courage.

Jumping from heights that are best left to those who are older.

Allowing his brother to chase him with the hose knowing full well he'll be getting a face full of water of he gets caught.

And tackling the tunnel slide at the park.

Up until the beginning of May, C's itinerary at the park was geared towards climbing. Climb the stairs, climb the ladders, climb the short wall surrounding the playground...

Whatever could be climbed usually was.

While he still tends to climb more than slide, this month of June has shown C that slides are actually fun. And whether he goes by himself, with D, or with me, he'll be safe.  D has been a big help with this, as he loves to sit tandem with C and slide.

C has also over come his fear of the sprinklers at the park. Now it's so hard to tear him away!

I'm so happy that C has more fun now when we go to the park. Climbing stairs (or rocks) can get really boring. And it made me proud that D helped his little brother get over a lot of his fear of the slides.