Went to the Jersey Shore with the kiddles. Despite dirty looks from the patchwork plaid shorts and embroidered ducks on a kelley green polo set. We figured out it was much easier to bury our children halfway in the sand than to keep chasing them down to the water line.
They lasted all of about 30 seconds like this. They loved the water (we just let them get their feet wet) and even though it was still freezing, they didn’t seem to mind and just howled with laughter. We flew a kite and made some sandcastles. But nothing was more fun than digging a big hole and jumping in it face first. What is it about a big hole in the sand? They were squealing and laughing and covered with sand. Nothing like a warm sudsy bath and a long nap to follow fun at the beach. Way better than Ft. Lauderdale I’m sure.
I wrote about people who are not embarrassed last week. Well I am not one of those people. Tom and I brought the kids to Snug Harbor in Staten Island. Its a defunct Merchant Marine retirement center that now houses art galleries, dance and art studios, a children’s museum, playhouse, wedding hall, and expansive gardens including a beautiful Japanese Garden. We spent some time playing in the grass. Jack and Marlowe had their first taste of running in the grass with bare feet this summer.
Because it is Passover and the Jewish schools are on holiday. There were many Hasidic families there walking in groups admiring the surrounds. Tom and I had the kids in the wagon and were pulling Jack and Marlowe all around, at one point were followed by a large family group of about 10 Hasidim. I pulled the wagon over and looked in the bag we had brought and pulled out two sippy cups. Reached down and handed them to the babies and said loudly “Look sweeties, Juice!” Tom looked at me mortified. And the family of Hasidic Jews walking right next to us looked at me as if I were the rudest person alive. Perhaps they figured out that I meant “juice”, not “Jews”. Ugh… nice one. I was totally embarrassed. Can you imagine if I said that? “Look sweetie, Jews!” like we were tourists. Oh my God, horrible. We live in a neighborhood that borders where many of them live, so its no big deal to us, we see them all the time. Totally embarrassing.
This compares nicely to the embarrassing thing Tom did recently. We were traveling in the car and stopped at a rest stop along the highway to stretch our legs and grab some snacks. Ruby was in the way back of the car and Jack and Marlowe were with us. Jack was munching on something in his car seat. As Tom opened the door he looked back at Jack and said lovingly “You are a fat, fat man!” and then turned to his left to see a very very large man getting out of the car in the parking space next to ours. He gave Tom an angry look, and Tom turned red. Ruby sunk in her seat laughing hysterically. What can you say to that? …”um, no, I didn’t mean you!’? There is nothing you can say, really.
I love to people watch. There are so many amazing characters out there. I love to walk around the park. Its a 3.5 mile loop and many people run it daily so you see a lot of the same people. My favorite lady is a woman who must be in her 80’s, wears a purple puffy shouldered coat, a braided headband a-la 1980 Pat Benatar, full make-up and walks with ski poles. She is amazing. I also love this amazing African American woman who is really quite large. She wears foam headphones and completely color coordinated brightly colored (bordering on florescent) outfits with matching sneakers. She talks to herself out loud the whole time saying inspirational or motivational things. Like “You go girl”, but I have also heard her be her worst enemy and say “Oh, no, Im not goin’ down there, thats too steep, thats not for this girl, oh no.” She is wonderful. I am so inspired by these women. They may look a little outlandish, but at least they are getting out and exercising and doing something to stay healthy.
I didn’t have Ruby all week, she is with her Father for Spring Break this year. She says she dyed her hair red, I am sure she looks cute. I am all for doing whatever you want with it. Its hair, it grows back. We will see her on Thursday, we are excited to see her. Its a long block without her (3 weeks) because Spring Break fell on a week I would have usually had her and her father and I alternate (yeah, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me either). I have to take more photos of her. I have all of these baby photos of her, and everything from this age is her giving either a funny face or a peace or devil sign. Anyway, we missed her. She texted asking if she could go to a co-ed sleepover (um, no). I am sure I am not the only person who feels they are parenting via text messaging sometimes.
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