I woke up slowly this morning ... one of those undeniably luxurious summer mornings where you just take it slow and simple. As I'm stretching I realize I can't really move my left arm. Brief flash of anxiety ... are my car accident injuries acting up again? Nope, it's warm, snuggly Matthew smooshed up next to me. As I move around, he rolls over and gives me a kiss, "Good morning, Mommy," and pulls my arms back around him.
Much later we meet my Aunt Deb at the Erie Library for a juggling show. Kevin the Juggling Guy. Funny, somewhat offbeat in that frequently-entertaining-children sort of way. Decent juggling. Good patter. Turns out I can spin a plate on a stick.
Quick car ride via Subway to the Dock (I don't care how long they push it as Dobbins Landing). We meet Captain Norm of the Erie Aquabus service. He was one of those nautical types with leathery skin and white hair. Not overly chatty or anything. Kind of thought he had barely noticed us. At one point he did a quick swoop around in a circle and got out his boat hook. After several attempts, reverses and additional swerves, he manages to hook a plastic beach shovel out of the waves. He tosses it back to the kids, "Now you'll have something to play with at the beach." Not long after, he dropped us over on Presque Isle.
We picnicked in the sun (the breeze was a bit chill), and had a nice time ... Mom, Aunt Deb, the kids and me. It was a good, simple meal. We tidied up and walked over to the beach.
I'd brought the kids' swimsuits, but had already decided, after the shivering on the ferry ride, that we'd be wading at best. So, I rolled up their shorts and let them run in the wet sand and surf. It was a glorious day. Breezy, bright blue sky, teal green water. Few people. The kids just raced back and forth. Every now and then one of them would stop and analyze the wave action. Emily would wiggle her toes in the wet sand and watch little mini puddles form. Matthew would smack at the water with a stick and then throw his head back and laugh out loud. I snapped picture after picture. I liked the light. I liked the mood. I loved seeing my kids so gleeful.
Of course, when we made to leave and Emily realized she would really not be swimming, she threw a bit of a hissy fit. They were soggy to their waists and covered in wet sand. A good 40 minutes at the playground dried them off well enough for the ferry ride back. I remember lying back on a picnic table bench, a rolled beach towel under my neck, gazing up at the blue sky through a canopy of quaking poplars.
It was a Good Day.
