Big Puddle Alert!

This week we have family visiting.  And you know what's one of the best things about having family visit?  I don't have to always be "the adult."  Today, I took off my adult hat for about an hour and we took off to the park in search of the biggest puddle would could find.

When we lived in Vancouver, it rained a lot.  As a result the roads and highways often ended up with large puddles.  On the local radio station, drivers would call in to alert the radio that there was a big puddle on the highway--they became called "Big Puddle Alerts" which always made us giggle a little bit.  Anyway, today we found our big puddle--the melted skating rink at the park around the corner and oh man, was it fun.

Really, when you have a kid like Gabriel you couldn't stop him from jumping in puddles.  But nor would you want to.  It's just better to embrace the fun and maybe even join in. We ran through the biggest puddle in the park, jumped up and down in it and jumped off the side into it.  Gabriel was completely delighted to discover abandoned hockey pucks and carried as many as he could find home with him.  

And at the end of our walk, we came home with big smiles on our faces and completely soaked.  And we might even do it again tomorrow. We are loving the beginnings of spring here. :)

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Sunshine State: Sunset

One of my favorite things to do in Anna Maria is be on the beach in time to watch the sunset.  The air cools down and the waves wash ashore in a rhythmic, mesmerizing way, illuminated in various shades of soft blue enhancing to oranges and reds as the sun dips lower into the sky.

The one very cool evening we went to the beach to watch the sunset and grab some photos, the littles chased each other around, running after birds or digging their toes in the sand.  And after a series of family photos were snapped, and we were all satisfied, we stood shivering with sweaters wrapped tightly around us and watched as the sun touched the water like a firey match before disappearing in a brilliant last show of gold and red.  And then for all its beauty and for all its glory, we clapped and prayed our applause brought another day of sunshine. 

Believe it or not, this was the WHOLE gang.  And they are all facing the camera.  This is nothing short of amazing!

So long Anna Maria!  Good-bye warm sunshine.  Good-bye ocean.

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Sunshine State: Poolside

It was a little weird yesterday waiting for Gabriel's naptime to be up because this past week, the moment he woke up, we were excited to wiggle him into his bathing suit and jump in the pool.  At the beach house, the moment the littlest of our littles hit naptime, all the "big kids" including Jordan and I, took off for the pool, monitors in hand.  We'd lounge poolside sipping drinks and eating chips, or wade and crash into the pool.  Kids splashed around us and hung onto our arms, begging to be thrown in the air, or to jump into our arms.  They prattled on about what they could do and couldn't do, how far they could swim, chanting "watch me! watch me!"

And when naptimes were over for everyone, the littlest ones (including Gabriel) joined us in the pool too.  You had to have your wits about you and eyes in the backs of our heads with all those kiddos swimming around.  And so it was a good thing about half of us were lifeguards in our former lives.  We'd swim until supper or until our fingers and toes where shriveled and wrinkled like prunes before cuddling up in towels to eat ice cream.

I'm pretty sure this is a picture of the boys "owling" although it looks more like "eagling" or... I'm not quite sure what Steve is doing.... Baby eagle?

 Magdalene's first swim!  I wouldn't say she shrieked in delight, she was sort of pensive about the whole thing and took it rather seriously.

 View from our rooms on the top floor.  Pretty high up here on the third floor.

 All the mamas!  Looking pretty fantastic, I might add.

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Sunshine State: The Beach

Beach living in Anna Maria is complete bliss.  Every morning, we rounded up the gang, piled a wagon full of chairs, umbrellas, towels and toys and took off across the road to the azure blue waters of the Gulf Coast and its fine sands.  We pitched our umbrellas and parked ourselves in the shade and sun while the littles piled sand into buckets, made castles, hunted for shells or dug holes.  And we'd wade into the calm cool waters or crash into the large waves (depending on the day).

Our first day, the waves rose high and crashed into the sands of the shore, leaving frothy white foam on the sands.  As we watched, two pelicans flew in line, their wings brushing the inside crest of the wave, the millisecond ahead of it folding. Oh to be a bird!  As the water calmed over the week, we spotted the dark shadows of stingrays idling near the shore and the distant breaching of dolphins off in the distance.   Bright umbrellas dotted the shore beneath which other fellow beach companions set up for the day.

 The papas!

Eventually, tired after a morning of heat and sand and sunshine, we waved goodbye to the ocean and trudged home for lunch with fine sand between our toes and clinging to our legs and arms and towels that lingered in the hallways and between our bedsheets as reminders of its nearness.

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