Beach Boy

Jumping forward to the present for a quick entry.

Today is July 17, 2008.

Ayize and I headed over to the Wild Tree Cafe to meet some of our swim class alums this morning. He was very happy and excited to see his buds but by the time we moms finished catching up and moved on to figuring out how to move our various cars, babies, strollers, etc. five blocks down to the beach, an hour had passed and the little man was rapidly losing steam. (The imminent entrance of his two bottom teeth is making him a bit fudgy these days too.)

We walked, rode and drove our various selves down to the lakefront and re-assembled near the front entrance to the Clark Street Beach. We lay the babies down in the grass near the front gate so we could dress them in their swim diapers in the shade of some trees. When I was done, I grabbed my diaper bag and my beach bag and slung them over my shoulders, loading myself up like the pack mule I generally am, then hoisted Ayize up onto my hip, and finally, one-hand manhandled my stroller into folding and grabbed it up by the handle. I turned and started striding in the direction of the beach but had only gone a few steps when I realized I was flying suspiciously solo.

I turned to see Tamara laughing because both she and and Cristin were attempting to lean over and collapse and grab their respective strollers without dropping either their kids or their cargo. They were totally complimentary about my portability. I felt very goddess-like for a moment, The Single Mom and Her Bulging Biceps (ok, NOT! but let me have my fantasy for a moment anyway). It was nice to know that there actually ARE some fringe benefits to getting used to goin' it alone -- admittedly in a fairly-narrow parameter of situations, LOL!

We searched out a spot with shade, though only the barest modicum of it existed. The sun was almost directly overhead so this entailed sitting alongside a lifeguard chair plus some creativity on our part involving my flyaway umbrella and Ayize's velcro-closure on his sun hat.
By the time we had everything settled, I looked down to see my mellow man had decided to knock off for a lengthy nap. I guess all my shade-inducing antics lacked entertainment value, so he figured, why not catch up on a few Z's? I didn't think much of it, being inured to his sloth-like ways, but Mollie, Tamara, and Cristin started laughing, and I suddenly saw the humor in it too. Jack was playing with Ayize's arm, the wind was piling sand into his hair and face and (ewww!) right ear and a goose was strutting around angrily bleating. Kids were yelling and playing all around us and water was splashing from a sand castle construction site nearby. But as usual, the dude was out like a light. (Additional single-mom fringe benefit: the baby gets used to napping anywhere since he has to be dragged everywhere. Bonus points if said single mom owns a noisy pit bull and a yappy chihuahua. Noise becomes inconsequential!)

Anyhow, by the time he decided to join the land of the living, there was just enough time to eat (aforementioned goose pecked my shoulder -- HARD -- while I nursed him, as if asking for a helping) and spend a few minutes in the warm water at the edge of the shoreline. He sat in my lap and then stood up, assisted, numerous times and each time his feet felt the water, he would screech with delight. Then he did his usual scratch-in-the-sand routine until his hands were covered, at which point he put his hands into his mouth for a fabulous meal. I think he would have stayed and done this for hours longer, given the chance (he was just starting to put his sandy toes in his mouth next) but sadly, it was well past time to go.

It was hot as Hades out, the flies were attacking, my bug spray stunk and was really sticky, and the sun lotion all over his body was assuredly improperly applied and definitely wearing off. We packed up our babies and our beach gear and our diaper bags and performed the same struggle with our stuff, only this time in reverse.

Ayize and I loved seeing everybody! It was a great day at the beach! (Now if only he'll stay awake next time...)