We even recheck our calendar to make sure we have it correct {we have forgotten things before}
Except that on Saturday it was pouring with rain.
But it seems we like to do crazy things in the rain.
If it's raining, might as well get wet right?
{And if you're planning to get wet, then it makes planning the cleanup easier
- by packing towels, blankets, change of clothes and hot chocolate after}
IN the grey terrible weather we headed to the beach and had a terrific time.
It was seriously like the clouds parted just for us. Rain all morning and afteroon. There was foggy rain on both sides as far as the eye could see, but where we were was only very lightly pattering.
I *know* families all around the world spend time together. I've done many a family activity myself over the last 10 years. However its been on The Mr and mines minds lately and we are trying to be more thoughtful in our distribution of time. Telling ourselves and reminding ourselves {and the kids}how special it is to be out as a family. How important it is.
How important it is to plan upcoming activities and outings, to have things to look forward to.
Knowing this time as a close knit, small, nuclear family is but a short time
Life is to be lived, we don't want to have regrets of things we 'never got around to doing'
Sometimes I can feel guilt over the lack of extra curricular activities I can give my children. Be it cost, time, and not being able to split myself into 4, many activites are not possible for this family. But the other day I read an awesome comment over at SouleMama that said
"Being in a large family IS a sport" oh and that it is!
I don't really like the beach in summer. Too hot, sand burns your feet, I hate suncream and sand sticking to it. I really like going to the beach in winter. A sunny day is even better, but we had lots of fun regardless. I also like to go on low tide. When the waters high, what good is that? Low tide is where all the fun is at. We can explore, walk, find and run in the marine wilderness that is low tide.
As it was low tide we were also able to walk out to nearby King Island. We found a jelly fish on the way that provided much entertainment {dear jellyfish, if you weren't dead when we found you, I'm sorry for the way you were treated} we also found half a catfish, watched a gorgeous sea hawk flying and diving, found crabs and lots of shells.
We were alone on the island and we felt like Nim's Island. We dreamed and explored and laughed and shook our heads at eachothers crazy ways. Squeals of begging sisters to 'come and look at what I found' to squeals of pretending to be blown away by the umbrella in the wind, to hiding spots, to poking jelly fish, to collecting pockets of shells and hermit crabs, to removing shoes to let little toes feel the ground and squelch in the water. Nature is one of the few activities all ages can do without any competition or feelings of inadequacy.
These lessons are what my children need. Life lessons
Outings are starting to become easier for us. With small girls all grown up, not needing our constant vigilance it gave The Mr and I time to stroll and hold hands and talk and kiss. Each time we stopped for a quick kiss Miss G would run up to us and draw a heart in the sand at our feet. 'for love' she would say. Sometimes we were too quick and she would yell 'wait wait' and make us stand there until she had drawn our heart.
These lessons are what my children need. Life lessons.
And it's important to me.
Oh and these wet outings remind me to work on our wet weather gear. We basically don't own anything waterproof. Such is the joy of living in a sunny place :)
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