Happy Day

It was an ordinary day-- a day like most, but a little smidgen of something different. The sun burned a white glow, streaming through fragmented clouds that bounced off of every surface creating a shimmering effect, like silver tinsel during Christmas.  

We shifted gears this afternoon. Instead of the usual mac-n-cheese or peanut butter sandwich, we zipped to the drive-thru and took our lunch at a nearby park that was equally lined with palm trees and city buildings. Spreading our blanket under wispy palms, we ate in silence-- each of us taking in our surroundings and soaking up the local fare.

After several minutes of swiping away ants and tossing french fries at hungry birds, I gazed upon my kids. Their faces were deep in thought, their eyes filled with curiosity. They were staring at the ants-- all single file in a straight line, attempting to consume our crumbs. Krysta asked, “If we give the ants a fry, do you think they’ll carry it on their backs to the queen?” My answer was, yes. She seemed pleased with that conclusion.

A day in Hawaii isn’t complete without dipping your toes in the water, so we headed to the beach for a mid-afternoon swim. It was extremely low tide, making it perfect for wading and searching for broken coral fragments. With every found half shell and coral piece, they ran to show me. “Look at this! It’s a keeper!” they would exactly exclaim. Well, Krysta would say it; William just giggled through his words, attempting to keep up with his sister’s speech. 

We swam until our fingers and toes resembled prunes, and then we swam a bit more. Krysta practiced floating and stretching her new found sea legs. That’s right! She’s swimming all on her own with no assistance. We worked hard to get to this point-- there were many, many days that she was in tears because she just HAD to have her floaties and many days where she didn’t even want to put her head in the water. I’m amazed at how far she has come with just a little confidence and a lot of determination.

all giggles 

And little brother? He’s floating on his own as well! He still uses his floaties for swimming, but he has more than enough confidence to get out there on his own. Practice, practice, practice and he’ll be swimming like a fish in no time.

 straight into the ocean he goes | I love how he pops his feet to a perfect point

sibling kisses

Happy Wednesday!

Em