~Summer Vacation~

Remember when "Summer Vacation" or" School Vacation" were words that aroused dreams of fun times to play and sleep late?  If you do, then you had a childhood like mine...normal.  Now that I am an adult the words don't quite have the same meaning but they certainly are meaningful.  It is especially nice this year to feel the sun on my face and the heat of Summer Days.  Rhode Island has a fairly short summer...mid June to late August at best, during which we generally experience little rain and plenty of Sunny and warm weather with high temperatures in the mid 80's to mid 90's...the higher of which we consider a Scorcher around here.  Even still, I dream of leaving here and moving to Florida where it is a constant 90.

Today was a typical Summer day in Rhode Island, here in Warwick.  We live near the Apponaug Cove of Greenwich Bay and this is where my daycare is...a short walk to 2 private-access beaches where the kids and I spend our mornings most days.  The beaches here in Apponaug only draw local crowds from the neighborhood since there is no parking permitted on the streets and no parking lots.  We pull the smallest kids and our towels and toys in a red and green wagon for the short walk.  Today was about 90*...we arrived at low tide and the beach was rather smelly.  Today was less of a swimming day and more of an exploration day.  Nicolas did enjoy riding the Boogie Board out into the bay somewhat and Carly and Annika explored the beach looking for rare shells, crabs, horseshoe crab shells and rocks.  Later we discovered Muscles along the Rocky Ledge.   I explained that the seagulls throw the shells against the rocks to open their crabs, muscles and clams.  The children tried it and they burst open. 

I think that our children are fortunate to have each other.  In the picture above, I really marvel at how Nicolas (who is 10 this year) really takes on the role of a Big Brother to Lex and Tyler (who are both 3).  Nicolas is very protective of them and likes to teach these guys about the things he knows and likes...which they happen to really enjoy.  Meanwhile, having that little extra help from Nicolas makes my work so much more manageable...it's like a family.  We all chip in and help each other.  After lunch, Nicolas enjoys reading these guys books...some of which were Nic's own books that he donated when he outgrew them...titles such as "Tonka Town", "Chuck the Tow Truck" and "How-To" books about trucks, cars, trains and planes.  Luckily Lex and Tyler are just as fascinated about Trucks and Trains as Nicolas once was himself.

We have a lot of boys in the group this summer and so Annika is a bit outnumbered on most days.  Our friend Haylee has been limited in her attendance due to her grandmother's extended illness and our other friend Juliette has also cut back hours this summer.  So on this particular day, we had a friend from Annika's School...also she is a neighbor...Carly, to play with us.  The girls get along so well and Carly is extremely joyful and polite.  She is a pleasure to have visit and they all had fun together.  Carly even read books to the boys!  Annika invented a game at the beach where there was a castle and they were attempting to dig the mote just before getting distracted by the Muscles growing in the rocks.

Nicolas and Tyler's pictures look like the same child taken 7 years apart.  Both with their golden hair and tans...it is nice to be out in the sun and fresh air all day.  Being Nicolas' childcare provider since he was 2, I feel very much like a second Mom to him.  Tyler is my nephew...technically my second cousin but that feels wrong, so I call him my nephew.  His Mother, my cousin Danielle, was my favorite chidhood relative.  we played together all the time.  Now our children get to grow up together playing with each other. Lex tells me that Tyler is his best friend.  Today as I was putting him down for his nap, Lex said that he tells Tyler "I love you" and Tyler says "No" but that Lex just keeps saying it.  Tyler may not say it, but he definitely loves his pal Lex.  In fact, all the kids really love one another very much...like a real family.  I am proud of that...and them...and myself for having the courage to create it.

~Namaste