Today we did a lot of things. It was a good day. Everyone was generally well-behaved, including Mommy. There was less than an hour of TV watched total (by children), over the course of the whole day, which is actually amazing considering they woke up really early, there was no school, it was just me, and more. I know you probably think this is ridiculous and that I should not let my kids watch TV at all, but that's ok - thats why you have your own kids. Do what you like with them and I will too!
Today we did have a good day. We woke up early, which is always a bummer with Mommy. To try not to encourage the early wake up I told them no TV. So, they played quietly in their room for an HOUR while I rested, watched the news, did laundry, organized the day, emailed, showered and got dressed. Then, Joel Andrew pointed out that they were so well behaved that they should get to watch one Octonauts. He likes to hold up his pointer finger and really emphasize "ONE" when he really wants something. Who am I to object? We went downstairs and while I cooked breakfast, they watched Octonauts. I had 15 extra minutes as I have scrambled eggs and yogurt shake down to a science, so I watched the Today show, uninterrupted, with coffee. Heaven.
I hope you are noticing the stark contrast to my Monday post. Night and Day. I hope you are not noticing that most of my happiness is derived from the fact that my children played well with each other and left me alone. But alas.
After breakfast we were out of the house in a reasonable fashion. So reasonable in fact that we drove to the beach, and got to the water - which in NH - there is only one road with the beaches, and we usually turn left on that road and drive until we hit a beach where there is some assemblance of parking. Well, we got to the point to turn and Joel Andrew screamed: "PARKING MOMMY" - and there it was, remarkably, metered parking at North Beach. Two steps from the steps to the beach. This was too easy I thought.
We got right down to the beach and I noticed that I need a tide clock. It was High Tide and there was hardly any beach. I was not thinking and camped out close to the water line when a really nice teenage girl got up from her post, walked over to me and said, "Move next to us back there, the tide is going to come up more and in 20 minutes you will be without a spot." I wanted to kiss her. How nice is that? Teenage girl with enough forethought to tell the poor Mom lugging everything with two young boys something that will make my day loads easier. Gold Star, person!
So we moved, we camped, we had fun. We snacked, we played in the water, we dug holes. The boys were content with their beach toys for at least an hour, They were content with the whole scene for over two hours. There was a family with SIX children in front of us, which I watched but mostly I spent the time playing with my kids and chatting with them. They are too cute.
Did I forget to mention that on the way there Joel Andrew wanted to play "I Spy" - So we did, and Joel had a turn then it was Mommy's turn, then it was James' turn. James said: "I spy, little eye, orange." Each time. So cute.
The beach was good, my car is covered in sand, we hosed down and took baths then it was nap time. James went right down, but Joel continues to resist, no worries there. I have a stash of fun puzzles and games that are really not yet appropriate for James and so I pulled out a wooden castle building set. Joel Andrew LOVED it. He and I built the castle a first time, and then I noted that it was time to rest and watch cooking shows (our new thing, instead of nap - well, I nap and he watches the cooking show. He likes Giada the best, you can probably guess why). He told me he just wanted to build a little bit longer. He did, and then got me to show me his creation, asked me to close my eyes and walked me into the room. He had rebuilt all the wooden pieces and laid them out into a "school" - it was amazing, he made a floor with all the flat pieces and built little rooms on the side. I was so impressed. I told him he would be an architect, and he seemed pleased. There was no way I was getting him to rest and watch cooking shows now. So, I laid down and he continued on.
An hour later (yikes, beach must have been tiring!), I woke up in a panic and went into the room, there he was, still building things. He gets really into things sometimes. This was about the time James usually wakes up so I noted to Joel that we should probably clean things up before James comes down and sees it and wants to destroy it. Just as I finished that sentence we heard James coming down the stairs: "Mommy, I'm a Big Boy, I napped" - and Joel had a look of sheer terror on his face before he quickly cleaned all of his items up.
Next stop - Applecrest for peach picking. Good times were had by all, and it is actually handy to have a really strong and not too shy 2 year old that you can hoist up to pick a peach up high. After picking we went to ice cream, the perfect before-dinner treat and spent Auntie Grandma's birthday money that she had sent the boys for just such a special treat. The best photos are being saved for the christmas card, it was a good time.
They are now asleep (well Joel is, James is still talking to Glow Worm now), and it was a good day. Now I am off to have my berry crumble with peach ice cream and freeze a ton of peaches to be used in yogurt shakes all winter long. Yum!
Cheers to a great day!
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