Letter To My Babies

I stumbled upon this post today on the blog Marc and Angel Hack Life....as I read it, I didn't see it directed to me, but could hear myself mouthing the words as if I was saying this to my children.  I'm saving this excerpt here today so that my children can read this no matter time nor place and know that I will always be their biggest fan.  I love you Caleb and Sydney!
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"I know you’re reading this.  And I want you to know I’m writing this for you.  Others will be confused.  They will think I’m writing this for them.  But I’m not.  This one’s for you.

I want you to know that life is not easy.  Every day is an unpredictable challenge.  Some days it can be difficult to simply get out of bed in the morning.  To face reality and put on that smile.  But I want you to know, your smile has kept me going on more days than I can count.  Never forget that, even through the toughest times, you are incredible.  You really are.  So smile more often.  You have so many reasons to.  Time and again, my reason is you.

You won’t always be perfect.  Neither will I.  Because nobody is perfect, and nobody deserves to be perfect.  Nobody has it easy, everybody has issues.  You will never know exactly what I’m going through.  And I will never know exactly what you’re going through.  We are all fighting our own unique war.  But we are fighting through it simultaneously, together.

Whenever somebody discredits you, and tells you that you can’t do something, keep in mind that they are speaking from within the boundaries of their own limitations.  Ignore them.  Don’t give in.  In this crazy world that’s trying to make you like everyone else, find the courage to keep being your awesome self.  And when they laugh at you for being different, laugh back at them for being the same.

Remember, our courage doesn’t always roar aloud.  Sometimes it’s the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering, “I will try again tomorrow.”  So stand strong.  Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out.
And I am committed to making the best of it along with you."

Caleb and Sydney's First Beach Expedition

I had felt like such a terrible mother when I realized that at 2 and 3 years of age, my children had never seen a REAL ocean or sandy beach.  Caleb talked about it often when he planned his pretend vacations at bedtime, but he was only able to draw on his knowledge of the beach from episodes of Dora.  At the beginning of this summer, I vowed that we were taking a mini beach vacation. 

We left on a Thursday night at 6:00 pm, hoping the kids would fall asleep for at least a portion of the 3 1/2 hour trip.  To our dismay, we made three bathroom pit stops and faced all but the last half hour of the trip with overly tired kids that all of a sudden wanted to go home.  Seeing their little angel faces sleeping as we pulled into our destination, and knowing the excitement on their faces we would see the next morning made the trip worthwhile.

The next morning, we ventured out to a small beach in Lewes, Delaware, which was PERFECT! Not crowded, and being bay side, the waves were just the right size for little people.  Fishing boats bobbed in the waves about 20 ft from shore.  We weren't sure what to expect at the beach since Caleb from time to time still exhibited his fear of water.  The waves were definitely a new concept to them, but certainly not the cold water.  In the 2 hours we spent on the water, the kiddos were shoulder deep, squealing and pulling on our arms to jump above each wave that came at them.  We had to do a brief question and answer period as we stepped around horseshoe crabs (or Hershey crabs as Caleb called them), seashells, driftwood, jellyfish, and the occasional piece of trash.  Sydney left the water ever so often to go play in the "sandbox"..the biggest one she's ever seen.  She was very bold in the water I must say.  "I walk" she informed us, until the next wave toppled her back, then back at it again.

The weekend was low key.  We stayed with Linda, my godmother, and cooked dinners at the house.  The kids loved eating under the screened in patio table, and swimming in the pool before nap time.  Caleb really impressed me.  After some brief hesitation, he was soon motoring all over the pool with his arm floaties on, stopping to float when he got tired.  Syd resorted to lounging in a raft in all her diva-ness. 

The weekend flew by fast, but the most important thing was that my children finally experienced the beach first hand, and hearing their laughter and amazement made it fulfilling.  The pictures I have posted really capture that.  They weren't the portrait opportunities most would aim for, but really show the true personalities of our kids and the joy one 3-day weekend brought them!