Tide Pools

This afternoon, B and I went and checked out one of our favorite beaches. We needed some more sand for his sand box and it was nice, though a bit chilly, to get out of the house. We were surprised that the tide was out further than it had been the other times we had visited and there were plenty of tide pools to explore. We saw tons of hermit crabs and some anemones.



After exploring the tide pools for a few minutes and showing B all the hermit crabs, I went back up to the beach and collected just a few shells. B joined me and noticed that there were quite a few broken pieces of the type of shell that the hermit crabs live in. So he started collecting those.



Then we went back to the tide pools to look around some more and I took a few pictures with my phone. Meanwhile, a few feet away, B was busy collecting more hermit crab shells in his little cup- only these still had the crabs! When I went over and noticed what he was doing, I explained to him that we couldn't take the crabs home with us because their home was the ocean; they needed it and they wouldn't be happy at our home because we don't have the ocean.



He argued only a tiny bit and then immediately seemed to grasp what I was saying. I was a little surprised at how quickly he agreed and began helping me gently return them to the water. It was a proud moment.

All in all, a good day.

Sand Castle Day

B and I spent the afternoon playing at the beach today...and for the first time ever, after we had run around in some waves for a while and eaten lunch, he laid down on the beach towel and fell asleep!! Since this event was completely unexpected (but very welcome), I had no book or anything to do while he napped (for around an hour or more). So...I built a sand castle. Today was a magnificent day for sand dollars and shells, and I decorated accordingly.

"Rock A Baby"

Since B was born, I have always sung either "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" or the "ABCs" to calm him down and help him fall asleep.

I don't know very many lullabies at all (obviously). Last summer I traveled back to where I grew up and it was my first time alone with B in a long time. GH normally helps extensively with B's night time routine and sings him several songs in Spanish.

So one night while on the trip, I started singing "Rock a Bye Baby"out of desperation. I don't really like the part about the bough breaking, etc, so I would generally just sing the same lines over and over. As repetitive as it was, at least it calmed him down and saved my sanity during the trip.

But last fall I was ready to add a new verse to our song. One night I just started singing about the fall colors, making the lines up as I went.

Recently, I have added a spring verse to our "Rock a Baby" (that is what B calls it- "Mommy, sing 'Rock a Baby!'") and I thought I would share my verses for anyone who might also want to sing this traditional lullabye without singing the part about the bough breaking.

Here is our version:

Rock a bye baby, on a treetop
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.

When the leaves change, the fall colors come.
Red, orange and yellow are the leaves.

Rock a bye baby, on a treetop
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.

When the buds break, the spring blossoms come.
Pink, white and purple are the blooms.



Happy Spring!

Anemones in a Tide Pool

Spring Time 2010

One in the bluebonnets...





And several from our spring beach vacation...

Dancing versus Dishes

GH is doing the breakfast dishes.

I am playing a CD on the computer and I started happily dancing away. I said, "Come on, B! Dance!"
To which he replied, "No! I am playing ball."
So I said, "Well, I can dance and you can play ball, ok?"

And he said, "Go wash dishes with Papi!".

Hmmmm....maybe he doesn't like my cool moves?

:-)

And one more beach pic from last week...

No picnik effects. This one is au naturale.

"That's okay. I forgive you."

We spent another afternoon at the aquarium today. B immensely enjoys the kids' play area which has various activities. One of his favorite things to do there is to "shoot" the air guns that are under water, so they make bubbles and currents in the water. The aquarium stocks the play area with various plastic toys- sea stars, fish, anemones, and a few boats.

B was playing with one of the boats in the area with the air guns, watching how the boat was affected when he "shot" it. When it was time to go, I asked him to return the boat to the area where he had found it.

He promptly turned around and threw it into that pool, splashing the back of a little boy's head who was playing there. I was embarrassed, even more so because the boy's father and grandmother were standing right there too, so I said "Look, you splashed that little boy! That isn't nice. Say you're sorry." B was taken aback and didn't say anything, just put his head down.

Then the other little boy, who was probably around 3, maybe 4, said "That's okay. I forgive you."

Wow. How sweet was that? I was so impressed. I am grateful that other people are raising their children to be so respectful and mannerly.

I hope it was a good lesson to B, even though I know he didn't mean to splash another child; maybe he will be more careful in the future.

It is so refreshing to have an experience like this in a public place in today's society where it seems like rudeness is the rule.

And one more "for the birds"...

More photos...

I just don't have much to say right now, mostly the usual going on around here. Doing a lot of waiting for different things, but trying to enjoy life on the way. So here are a few photos, as they say, "a picture's worth a thousand words," right?

















I used Picnik for the effects again...I just love playing with that site.