Ok- for those of you who enjoy chasing children around the beach and feeling pretty much like a border collie as your toddlers venture too far one way or another- you might just stop reading here. I am not the kind of person who enjoy's chasing children down. Part of this may come from the fact that instead of having children, I had a litter, and was fairly overwhelmed and outnumbered right from the get-go. That aside, I must say- the 'litter' has finally reached a turning point and this past Saturday we took a trip to the beach for the day and, lo and behold, we actually enjoyed ourselves!! Hurray!
Ryan and I spread out a blanket on the beach and sat there reading Arthur Conan Doyle (No, not kidding) while our three children built sand castles, buried each other and collected shells- all without fighting, getting ridiculously wet and sandy (not sure how that happened) or wearing us out completely. We actually had some much needed grown up time and the kids had a chance to run and dig and play without many boundaries.
We followed this remarkable trip up with a BBQ at a friend's house on Sunday during which they did it again! No fighting, no mud, no potty accidents...and so I'm thinking, Am I being Punked?? We sat around for several hours with grown up friends, enjoying their deck and the beautiful sunshine in the Hood River Valley.
There have been moments in the last 6 years when we have questioned whether or not moving to the Gorge was the best idea- however, as I contemplate our church, our "family" and friends who invite us to BBQ's and come to our family birthday parties, who babysit our children and ask us to watch theirs- the people who see us and immediately put on a pot of coffee or yell my name in Safeway across the produce section- when I consider all of this, there is no doubt in my mind that this is where we belong, that this is the home we were meant to be in and the life we were meant to lead. I'm discovering a lot about myself, living out here- and some pretty amazing things are happening with me, with all of us.
Oh yes, on that note, for those of you who know what I've been teaching about the last 4 years- I've recently resigned from the director's position. Well, I've resigned from all of it actually. A very wise friend told me to act my age and I have to say, it was so refreshing to hear someone give me permission to do that. I'm 26. I'm not 40. And as much as I want to think that the opinions of others didn't matter to me, I think, perhaps, they did- altogether too much and in all too important ways.
So I'm looking towards a summer of relaxing, gardening, coffee dates and lazy afternoons with no 'paperwork', 'planning' or confidential phone calls. Enough is enough already. And maybe, if I'm very lucky, many more afternoons at the beach with well behaved children. :)
2 comments:
Very cute! Glad you guys had fun. I thought our beach trip Father's Day last year was fun too...hopefully this next trip we'll have a better spot.
....Oh yes, and it really IS about time that you acted your age!! :)
oh jeez- now that you say that I realize my blunder...ok, ok- SECOND FUN BEACH TRIP IN 8 YEARS. I was only thinking about the ones Ryan and I have tried to take as day trips with the kids- they were awful! Our fathers day trips are actually fun :)
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