Skip to main content

beach knitting and babies.

This week we went to the beach. Greg has a few glorious days off before he takes his Step 3 exam next week. We hung out on Neptune for a day. Jimmy decided to practice walking all-day-long... meaning Greg spent most of the day hunched over a wobbly Jimmy who refused to let go of his hands.

Where was I?
Laying out, taking pictures of them.
Where was Ray?
In the stroller, munching on a cookie and shielding himself from the chilly breeze.

Greg and I played some overdue frisbee. Wide open beach + steady wind = spectacular frisbee.

The beach was empty apart from a few walkers and a fisherman and his wife. The waves spit out dozens of jellyfish throughout the day.  I peeled Ray from his seat and dragged him to check out the jellies. The kids and I touched a bunch of their clear, stiff, slimy tips. I showed them where the tentacles were (between you and me, I *think* they were the harmless kind). I felt sorry for them laying helpless in the sand. I wanted to pick them up and chuck them out into the ocean... played it safe instead.

Ray out of the stroller is a different child than Ray in the stroller. He ran everywhere. There was a small tide pool close by and in spite of the cold wind, his fleece jacket, and basketball pants, he waded right in and stayed there throwing gloopy drip sand on the bank and scouting the pool for treasure.

Greg took Jimmy for a stroller beach run while Ray glued himself to the tide pool and I took out my knitting. I'm knitting a chunky gray "Old Shale" pattern blanket. The pattern gathers and loosens in a way that comes out to resemble clam shells. Fitting pattern for the beach, huh?

Later he wrapped Ray up and took both of them for another run which freed me up for Kindle reading.  I made a strict policy for myself when we moved to Florida: no cellphone/electrickery when the kids are around water. No exceptions. I've been working through Collected works of St. Teresa of Avila. I am loving it and highly recommend it.

Time to bow out. Jimmy is chewing apart my computer chair.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

let them be bored

Schools are cancelling.  Kids are home. Kids are homeschooling (at least for a couple of weeks). For those parents "stuck" at home with your kids (assuming they are healthy), I have one request, one social experiment I would LOVE to see play out.  Let your kids be bored! Shut down electronics. Turn off phones. Keep the television off.  Let your kids be bored out of their minds.  After a day or two of whining and complaining that will push you to your limits, they WILL find something to do. They will wander outside and play some ball, or bike, or dig in the dirt.  They will find art supplies and create something.  They will play board games. They will play and fight with their siblings.  They will read and go on literary adventures.  They will talk with you, your family and their friends.  They need to be bored out of their freaking minds before they hit a wall and decide to DO SOMETHING with their time.  Let them be bored and watch them come alive. 

heart to heart.

Greg's brother, Kevin, stayed with us for a few days. Jimmy bonded with his Uncle Kevin. Once when he was crying, Kevin and I were sitting on the couch, I opened my arms to Jimmy but he walked right past me and climbed onto Kevin's lap. If Jimmy fussed Kevin scooped him up and carried him outside, all crying ceased. He took both boys outside every morning so I could shower and get ready. Kevin and I took the boys to the beach.  It was relaxing. Kevin did the usual beach stuff, burying Jimmy in the heavy sand, chasing Ray 1/2 mile down the beach because he never stops running... ever. It was getting close to leaving time. A couple showed up and the woman started burying what I though was a spike for a beach umbrella in the sand. I thought it was strange that she was placing it in out direct path to the water from where we were sitting, and there was literally no one else around, so why there? Turns out it wasn't for an umbrella, it was a spike for not one, but two

catching up 8.16-12.16

August Aunt Anna came to visit!   Ray draws a preying mantis View this post on Instagram Greg says after residency is over all my dreams will come true ♡♡♡😂😂😂 A post shared by Toni (@toni_ellen) on Aug 22, 2016 at 8:59pm PDT Ray's birthday trip and breastfeeding next to dead animals September We visited family in Atlanta. I finished John and Kate's blanket. Warning: the first images are reality with an infant and tired momma. meanwhile... October Hurricane headed for us, we are off of an outlet of the St. John's River, so our house was considered a red zone for flooding and Grandpa Hamilton drove down to rescue the kids and me. We stayed in Albany with Uncle Kevin and ended up back in Atlanta. Our house lost power for a few days. Thankfully nothing worse happened. my brother is hilarious even Ray was