After School Pool : Ice Cream Social

Merboy

"Long have you timidly waded
Holding a plank by the shore,
Now I will you to be a bold swimmer,
To jump off in the midst of the sea,
Rise again, nod to me, shout,
And laughingly dash with your hair." - Walt Whitman






















(Portrait on the night you passed your swim test)

Teach Them What They Are

"Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you." - Pablo Casals

Dear Satch,

I can't believe how much you've grown this summer: your decision to attend nature camp; riding your balance bike; and learning to swim. I promised you that I would make you a Merboy Talisman necklace when you learned to swim under water, and you did it! "Are you teary?", you asked with an impish grin.

Today is your first day of School. I can hardly believe it. You tell anyone within earshot, "I've achieved big boy status". You are so excited. Yesterday you made a list of the things you wanted to do on your first day.

We searched far and wide to find a school that would feel very much like home, so while I will miss spending our days together, I take comfort in knowing that you will be surrounded by kindred spirits. You will spend your days doing many of the same things we did together, looking for creatures, climbing trees, digging, drawing, writing and painting. You will be outside, not in a classroom. You will be free to run, to climb, to get messy...free to be you.

We thought long and hard about some small gift to give you to honor this new chapter in your life. Now that you have achieved big boy status, we presented you with your very own wrist watch. You are wild about your time piece, especially the flames on the wrist band.

As you race eagerly towards each new milestone, may you always remember to savor each moment. For me time passes much too quickly.

I love you,
Mama

Full Soul & Water

That summer all the world
was soul and water, light glancing off peaks...
And I learned to stand and wait
for you to swim to me. - Michael Simms


This is the boy who once screamed over a drop of water on his face.
This is the boy who just learned how to swim under water.
This is the boy who went down "THE BIG SLIDE" in the deep end.
This is the boy who passed his test and got his swimming certificate.

It's been a full week.
Full of achievements.
Full of excitement.
Full of adventure.

Full of joy.

Babysitting for our neighbor's boys and having a grand time of it. The hike to the pond and playground. The domino rallies and fudgesicles.

A playdate with a cherished old friend...two boys finding their rhythm and laughing wildly about who knows what.

Day tripping with newish friends to the National Aquarium to visit the sharks and jellies.

The exciting and powerful storm that came out of nowhere.
Making it home safely.

Getting Wet

"When you ask yourself, "Why not?" you may find yourself in motion, across a vivid and unpredictable landscape, over impossible mountains and beyond the water's edge, where you surprise yourself, once and for all, by getting wet" - Karen Maezen Miller (Momma Zen)

Mischief and merriment....squirting mama and dada...and anyone willing...

and rescuing an occasional drowning insect.


(I don't share my son's enthusiasm for insects which I know is hypocritical considering I'm a vegetarian and all. I admitted this to a friend recently and explained that I feel really guilty about it. She said, " Well maybe when you find yourself in a situation where you need to squash one of the large a/o biting variety, you should think of it as helping the creature move on to a higher and less repulsive incarnation".)

Afternoon Dip

An afternoon dip in the pool and the cutest little booty I ever did see!

There's homemade lemon popsicles in the freezer and the evening sun is casting gorgeous golden light.

(Day 2 of kitchen renovation)

Satch is walking!!!

90 Degrees

It's Father's Day.
It's 90 degrees.
Satch is napping.
Dada is mowing.

We purchased a little baby pool for Satch and it sure came in handy today. After a lunch of faux tuna salad (made with tofu) and some melon for dessert, both of which Satchel enjoyed, we went out on the front porch to splash in the pool.

Satch loves water and loves being naked!

Robert and I made our summery craves: he made a strawberry shortcake and I made iced tea.

Though the tops of the enormous maples were swaying with the breeze, one look at the sky would tell how hot it is. Everything is veiled in haze. It occurred to me today that I haven't heard any cicada songs nor the nightly cricket lullabies this season. I haven't seen any fireflies either which reminds me, I must order one of these for Satch immediately.

For the epi-curious epicures, here is the recipe for the faux tuna salad:

• 1 lb extra firm tofu (frozen over night; thaw; squeeze out water; crumble)
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/4 medium red onion, chopped
  
• 1 carrot grated
• 1/2 c Nayonaise
• 2 Tbsp Braggs or soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 - 3/4 tsp kelp powder

Mix well, and serve on wholesome bread. (adapted from, How It All Vegan)

*when making this for Satch, I omit the hard to chew veggies and use onion powder.