This morning, the Boy came into our room at 6 and snuggled with me for a while. When he got too squirmy and started telling me he wanted a snack, we got up, and he was very happy to eat handfull after handfull of strawberries from the flat in the fridge. At least he let me wash them first. These were the berries I picked yesterday at Apple Jack Orchards after dropping Boy off at daycare.
Okay, before we go any further, that last sentence? The one with "daycare" in it? That was hard to put out there. My partner, M, has stayed at home with Boy since I went back to teaching when he was 3 months old. We have been so lucky in this; she was with him during the week all this year, working weekends to make ends meet, and I have been Mama-on-Duty most of the time in the summer. But this summer, we are opening a coffee shop, and I'll be back to school in September, so we're trying something new. Boy is going to our dear friends' home childcare two days a week. In the fall, he'll be there four days, experiencing a rich Waldorf early childhood program with people who love him and whom he knows and loves.
So, back to today... as we were eating berries, making coffee, feeding pets, I told Boy that we had special plans. "We're going to the beach this morning, so we have to eat breakfast and get ready!"
There were lots of questions -- Boy is two-and-a-half, in spades, and there are always questions. Is there a park there? Where is the beach? Is Mama M going? We go there in a car? Is there a park? Will we play there?
I packed popcorn, banana chips, and raisins. I packed sunscreen and towels, diapers and wipes, camera and hats. Boy got out the big canteen and we filled it with ice water. He went several times into our bedroom to shake M awake and crow, "We're going to a beach today!"
When we arrived at the lakeshore, it was very quiet. People were biking and skating and running on the trails, but no one was at the playground yet, and there was only one quiet man pushing himself on the tire swing. I was a little nervous abou the man on the tire swing -- it was 8 in the morning, not a time when many adult men are utilizing playground equipment. Boy was not too interested in the beach at first, and who can blame him with the gorgeous playground that was next to it, dappled in leafy shade and with four different play structures and many bouncy ride-on toys? After a while, the man drifted away, and we meandered over to the beach.
The water was chilly at first, and we shared the beach with one middle-aged swimmer and some ducks. The ducks later proved to be very bold and nearly tame, coming right up to various beach towels and demanding snacks. Boy was cautious at first in the water, but caution soon gave way to laughter and requests for splashing and "Teach me to swim!" We played for an hour before I was able to coax him back to our blanket for snacks and a break. As the beach filled up with other children, parents, and grandparents, he spent more time watching how they approached the water, how the older children swam or built sand castles, how the grandmothers encouraged recalcitrant toddlers and grandfathers snapped pictures.
We went back to the playground for a while, and it was getting hotter. Boy tried out slides and ladders, played in the sand, rode a motorcycle, and was eventually tired enough to come sit on my lap for another handfull of popcorn and raisins, and to be led back to the car. He fell asleep on the way home, woke up for a while when I brought him into the house, and then settled down for a nap. He's been asleep for two hours now, so my time for writing is running out.
I feel so blessed to have this time in the summer to spend with him. It is awe-inspiring to see him trying things for the first time, to hear his laughter and see him figuring out how to do something new. The lake is only a few miles from our house, and there are dozens of lakeshore beaches, wading pools, splash parks, and big pools nearby. This afternoon, though, if we need more water play, we'll be in our own yard, with the sprinkler. The forecast is for 100ºF today, and I can only stand so much air conditioning (but I am so grateful for it)!
Where do you go to be near water? Is it the sea, the ocean, a river or creek?
What new and amazing experiences do you want to share with children this summer?
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