The Least - and Most - I Can Do

We went to the boys' first day of preschool yesterday which included orientation for the parents. Henry cried all the way there saying that he hated his school (having never been there) and then didn't even look up from the play-doh table when I said I had to go. Calvin was over the top excited when I picked him up from his classroom, and couldn't wait to go back today.

Then we noticed that what I thought were a couple bug bites right by Cal's collar turned into about thirty or forty "bug bites" all over his back and chest. Yeah. I'm a little concerned that they are chicken pox and a little perplexed because he has no other symptoms whatsoever AND was vaccinated. But I can't send him to school if he is contagious, of course. And we need to visit a doctor to be sure he's not.

So, no school AND a doctor's visit, instead of getting to go use scissors (that was to be the highlight today)? I've got a not-so-happy four-year-old on my hands.

And a not-so-potty-trained three-year-old.

And a not sleeping almost three-month-old. He teases me with a seven or eight hour stretch every once in a while, then BAM! A couple nights of partying until the sun comes up. And fuss, fuss, fussing all day long. It's what I get for bragging about his pleasantness, I think.

So how 'bout we just post some pictures and go back to the beach? It's about all I can manage today.

First off at the beach house we learned that there's more than one way to skin a watermelon. Namely, with three sppons:

The weather was perfect the whole time we were there - never much hotter than about 85 degrees. That was wonderful because I didn't have to worry as much about Charlie overheating. He enjoyed several beach baby naps in the shade of our canopy.

He also got to dip his feet in the ocean and feel warm sand on his toes for the first time in his life. (Lucky little man - I didn't do that until I was almost thirty!)

And when he wasn't relaxing, he was chatting.

Henry was more about the sand than anything. It is a marvel to note how many hours can be spent digging holes and building towers that continually get washed away.

He loved every minute of it.

He also liked going on walks and looking for shells.

Calvin fell in love with the water this time. And I kept looking at him and seeing how much he has grown up since last summer. He's a lanky tan little man now. He came up once from driving his truck into the surf and said to me, "Welp, Mom, it was really hard work getting that truck through that wet sand...but I did it."

He also got really brave about going out to swim in a little deeper water...

...And running into the "crashers." I had to call him back from running in the ocean right before we pulled out of the driveway to come home. We both cried to leave. There are just so few places to just run, unconfined and happy like that.

One of the best parts of the beach week was sharing the house with Uncle Glade and Aunt Wendy and their three children. Aunt Wendy is a great photographer and took some great shots of everyone playing, so I may have more to post later of the cousins and the beach.

Now we're home and here are a couple more things that make me smile:

I'm not really a baby gear fanatic - in fact I find most of it bulky and annoying and often nonsensical - but the bumbo sitter is one of the best things ever. For one, it makes a cute baby look even more cute. Don't you think?

And for another, it allows for a half-way decent group shot of three boys, two of whom can rarely sit still and one of whom can't sit at all. Brilliant, I say.

And last, but not least: Charlie's "back-to-school" outfit. I found this three-piece on sale for $9.88 when I was pregnant, right after I found out we were having a boy. Could I NOT buy it? And now that he has grown into it, it KILLS me. Who knew a teeny tiny blue blazer could make a woman giddy?

And now I just hope we don't have chicken pox at our house. And that I can get a shower today.