Joshua and Caleb Tales: July 2010

I took the boys to the beach yesterday evening, so we could enjoy the sunset. I also needed to get out of the house. Fresh air and the beach always seem to help me relax and uncoil. I wanted to breathe in that sweet salty smell and enjoy the sounds of waves and birds. Just the sight of the water splashing on the beating the shore and the sliding of sand between my toes is enough to cause me to pause a moment and thank God for His beauty and splendor He's created. MMMMM - I'm considering going again, even now.

On to the story - So, off we went to the beach. We took the minimum we needed: towels, sandals, and water bottles.

At the beach we visit, when the tide gets low, a wonderful sandbar rises out of the water and exposes thousands upon thousands of little sea creatures. Sand dollars, miniature hermit crabs, snails, starfish, some kind of squirty sea anemone like thing,....

We played a long time on the sandbar, which was completely bare of any water. Playing with crabs and squirty things (so the boys and I call them anyway) while also being able to splash in the shallow water without fear of my kids drowning is wonderful. Perfect and cheap beach haven!

When we finished splashing around, we decided to short cut back through the mangrove trees (there's a trail) to get back to our car. BIG mistake! We ended up going right through mosquito village. There must have been over a thousand mosquitoes in just one area.

When I realized what had happened and where we were, I told the boys to run. They didn't understand what was going on - only that their mama was shouting at them crazily while they were trying to swat at mosquitoes on their little bare bellies, necks, faces, and legs. It was pitiful.

I finally picked up Caleb and ran - dragging Joshua with me. We ran and ran - mosquitoes still clinging, while I swatted and fanned all the way to the showers. I put both boys in the showers, swatted some more, and wiped them both down good.

Bless their hearts (something us Southerners like to say) - they were covered in bites.

They look better today, but I wanted to post their pictures here. They are pretty proud of their itchy mosquito bites, even though they are having to put up with me putting salve on them. I just wish they didn't look like and itch like they were having an outbreak of the chicken pox. :)

My boys begged to go out in the rain and play this morning. In fact, my drama king Joshua was close to getting on his knees begging to play in the rain. So, I let them.

Their pool was already filled with some water, so why not just let them play in that, while they played in the rain. It worked great at keeping them corralled, and they had a great time splashing while the many drip drops of rain fell.