Yesterday was a lazy summer vacation kind of day. We took a trip to the pool in the morning. Baby Boy loves the water. He floats around ok in his life jacket but he prefers to sit on the stairs and splash. Have to drag him out when the shivering gets going. Home for lunch, everyone takes a nap and then we were off to go fishing.

Baby boy caught his first fish, within minutes of putting his worm baited hook in the water. Hooked himself a lovely little sunfish. He was thrilled to say the least. No interest whatsoever in touching the thing and unfortunately it had swallowed the hook but good so I was forced to clip the line and hope for the best for the poor thing. Now for the record, I don't fish. For me there is a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot. I would rather read a book and leave fishing to others. This is not to say I don't know how. My father took us fishing when I was a kid and I was surprised at how much I actually remembered. While it was a father son thing and I had intended on reading away the late afternoon, I was drawn into the fishing when it seemed clear that Baby Boy needed help but still wanted Daddy to fish as well. Mommy stepped up and supervised the little one. He ended up catching three fish total, not a lot but we didn't go for a marathon session seeing as we accurately predicted his attention span.

Near the pier where we fished there was a nice municipal park which had a large play area including numerous slides, climbing opportunities and colorful bits and pieces, in other words, heaven to a 2 year old. It was dinner time so we couldn't take him so again and again we told him we couldn't go because we had to eat. He decided that we would go eat and then we would return to the park. My Darling thought he would forget after we left but the days of out of sight out of mind are over. Halfway through the meal he reminded us that we would go to the park after dinner and then when we finished he looked up and announced that he had eaten (thus fulfilling the bargain in his head) and we now had to go back to the park. I am a firm believer in some rules do not belong on vacations. Naps should be respected if possible but bedtimes are flexible. I made him promise that he would not protest when we said it was time to go and we went back to the park despite the fact that it was already past his bedtime. He ran around moving between the play sets randomly (from our perspective although I am sure he was following his whimsy). Once he had an opportunity to slide all the slides and clamber all over each section we told him he could pick one last slide and then we would go. He looked around the area, decided on his favorite and then ran over for his last slide. When I scooped him up at the bottom to leave he protested with voice and body but after I reminded him that he was there on my good graces he subsided and we headed back "home".

After another porch bath (in nice warm water, I am so very jealous) he was off to bed, stopping only long enough to eat one more humongous marshmallow.

My Darling and I then battened down the hatches in preparation for the thunder storms predicted for the night and early morning hours and then sat by the fire enjoying the quiet of the night.

Today has been nothing much. The rain trapped us on the porch for the morning and other than a trip over to the train play area we've done nothing but hang around. Not bad really, sometimes it's nice to do nothing.

I am thinking about doing a little life drawing. My Darling is reading and still enough for me to see what kind of skill I still have left in me.

I'll post a couple of the few photos we have when I have access to faster internet.

Wait till you see the fish and the happy little fisherman.

I wish you Peace

~alison~

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