Last night cousin JP slept over and then Mike had sailing lessons in the morning at the beach, so we spent the day there. We met up with friends, and had some friends dropped off to play ‘cause their mom had stuff to do. Eight kids…three moms. Out numbered again! But when they are all good and getting along the day seems to fly by.
( Even if Mike got a goose egg of a welt on his forehead cause some dumb kid threw a rock. Lifeguard gave us a compress. So between that, attention and some candy he was good as new in no time. And even if that stupid umbrella finally did up and blow away, impaling (kidding) a sun bather lying next to us. Lifeguard to the rescue again…dug us good hole and positioned it the right way; I got my tax dollars worth yesterday!!)

The kids swam in the warm bay, ate cheese sandwiches under the umbrella, played on the playground then ate melty ice creams with their buddies. I sat and watched them. I tried to take it all in and be in the moment, but I had a few friends on my mind who I wished I could simultaneously be with. I would give them all melty ice creams too.

I watched the kids have water bucket “fights” in the bay and thought about how lucky they are, cause some days being a grown up sucks (“sucks” being the new “shock” word the 7 year old set is using…yeah that’s gotta stop). They think the worst thing is that their older brother won’t share his fries. It is the worst thing for them right now. They have no idea what the grown ups worry about. They have no idea if mommy is about to fall apart while she makes pancakes for breakfast. They have no idea if dad is stressed at work. They have no idea about bills, commuting, running in the rat race or life just giving them a kick in the ass. Lucky stiffs.

So I take the “chicken cutlets” home from the beach, some belong to me; some don’t. Some more arrive to play and sleep over again. They hose the sand off, play the Wii, swim in the pool. They eat a big spaghetti dinner and swim some more. They wash up, put on their pjs and pop in a movie. They snack on popcorn and root beer floats. They pile in one bedroom with mattresses on the floor “borrowed” from other beds. They jump, laugh and have pillow fights. Then quiet. They fall dead asleep after playing hard and filling their bellies. Lucky stiffs, right?