sliding in the sand

I've been steering clear of the beach lately, because the last time I took the boys to play in the sand with no intention of going near the water (It's cold, people!), Parker had a different idea.  He threw a royal one year old fit about me not letting him go to the water.  Needless to say, that was enough to keep me away from playing on the beach for a little while.

Well I didn't have amnesia and forget about that episode when I walked the boys down the boardwalk to a slide in the sand at the far end of the beach yesterday.  I'm simply doing the mommy thing.  Come on, you know the thing we mommies do...  The crazy thing where we torture ourselves over and over again hoping "This time will be different.  Maybe he's outgrown it since the last time we tried?  If not, oh well.  At least we gave it a go.  It won't be the end of the world."  I know... Crazy.  Except it wasn't crazy this time!  P did try to walk toward the water, but as soon as I scooped him up and redirected his attention away from the water, he didn't fuss at all and actually continued playing in the sand.  Small victory, but I'll take it.  I know that he may go back to throwing himself on the sand with arms and legs flailing everywhere as if he's on fire the next time I take him to play in the sand, but I know for sure that at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later, the screaming at the top of his lungs when he is told "no sir" will stop.  And if it doesn't stop any time soon, I can at least count on Winter keeping us indoors for a few months while he outgrows that phase.  :)

But for this day, my one year old and days-away-from-being-a-3-year-old were precious and fun playing together on the beach.  I couldn't help but just sit back and observe them play and be toddlers.  Have I told you lately that I love being their mommy?!  :)

I can't even begin to tell you how much sand these boys brought home with them.  It was everywhere!  Clumps in their hair, pockets full, and even sand in between their toes even though they didn't take their shoes off at all!

I noticed on the walk back home that the moon was in a position in the sky that made it look like a crane in the distance was holding it up.  I thought it was neat looking, and it reminded me of the movie "Despicable Me" where Gru hatches a plan to steal the moon.  :)