In which there's a reason we call the beach The Napmaker

Okay, so maybe it wasn't this serene the entire time.

But for about an hour of the day

it was just like this.

They played together

and I got to sit down

and let them be.

Then it was sand castles and

stepping in dog poo and

swimming in icy cold water

(my babies are as Canadian as their mama,

we all dove right in) and
hysterical laughter and
gasping at the cold water
right before we all plunged in and
their legs and arms wrapped around me
clinging tight like monkeys in the water and

this life jacket doesn't fit quite right and

eating too many Goldfish crackers and

warm water to drink with 

sand on the edges of the cup like a margarita salt rim and

making sand angels and

refereeing the use of sand toys and

flinging of sea weed and

then

the back roads home,

late afternoon lazy,

me in total silence

(air conditioner blast doesn't count)

while they

slept sound

still smelling of sand coated sunscreen

and joy.