Sweat & Sparkle

Weekend Getaway

Ever have a weekend so peaceful, so relaxing, so beautiful, that you just don’t want it to end? My husband and I took a 3-day weekend for a beach getaway, and I am still in denial about it being over already.

This is where we spent the last few days:

The water was crystal clear, emerald green near the shore, cobalt blue as it got deeper. The sand was like white powder, soft, perfect for digging my toes into as we relaxed on the beach after a swim.

We were amazed to have the beach almost entirely to ourselves. The water was still a bit chilly, but after we eased into it and got used to it, we didn’t want to get out. The waves were gentle, just enough to give us a lift as they rolled by and crashed gently on the shore, and the water was cool and clear. We actually spotted a stingray and a sea turtle in the shallow water nearby.

We stretched out on our beach chairs to dry off. It was perfect: the sun danced in and out from behind thick, white clouds, and a breeze danced by, keeping us cool. Our bare feet sank into the smooth sand, and the water sparkled, turquoise and sapphire, as the sun skipped across the waves, their rhythmic sound threatening to lull both of us to sleep.

I glanced over at my husband as we relaxed, and with the brilliant blue sky and clouds behind him, I thought he looked so handsome. I took a picture, and it turned out to be one of my favorite pictures from the trip.

Eventually the sound of the waves and the shimmering water were too much to resist, and we played in the water a bit more, jumping into the waves, the sun warm on our shoulders, salt on our lips each time we kissed. We kept marveling at being the only people in the waves and how gorgeous the water all around us was.

When we did finally drag ourselves away from the beach, we hit some outlet stores at a beach town nearby. I laughed when I realized that, despite being surrounded by clothing and designer bag shops, the only place I bought anything was the baby and kids’ outlet store, where we had fun picking out outfits and shoes for our grandkids.

I made a joke that I wasn’t very cool, carrying a baby store shopping bag while all the other ladies were toting bags from stores like Michael Kors, Coach, or Calvin Klein. My husband squeezed my hand and said, “That makes you very cool!”

We made our way to the beach once again yesterday morning, walking down the shore with our feet in the water, taking it all in one more time before heading home. We enjoy beach trips every summer, but this one impressed us so much with how breathtakingly beautiful it was. We will definitely be going back…the sooner, the better!

Home in Motion

Slow Down and Hold On

We ended up with not one, but two, special guests over the past few days. Our littlest grandson, who is somehow 10 months old already, spent some time with us over the weekend. He is on the move now, crawling like he’s gas-powered. I got a few priceless pictures of my husband crawling next to him, with our grandson looking back at him like he’s patiently giving him pointers on how to improve his crawl game.

He woke us up at “what-the-hell-time-is-it” o’clock, and I thought for sure he’d nod back off after a bit, but nope. As far as he was concerned, it was time to play and laugh and crawl back and forth between us to offer equal opportunities to adore him. And since we are well-trained and doting grandparents, that is exactly what we did.

After work yesterday, we had a second special guest, our older grandson, who is 3. He spotted the watering can in our garage and was fascinated with it, so my husband filled it up and let him water the grass, some potted plants, the walkway, himself, and pretty much anything else that looked like it could use some hydration.

My husband decided the watering can wasn’t enough havoc and mayhem for his liking, so he hooked up the garden hose and turned it on full-blast, then handed the trigger to our grandson. For some reason, I believed that our grandson would chase his dad and his granddad with the hose, but certainly not an imposing, refined, and stringent authority figure such as his grandmother.

Well, I was certainly wrong about that. Our grandson shrieked with delight as he chased all of us, me included, around the front yard, blasting us as much as he could with the hose, each direct hit punctuated with a fresh round of uncontrollable toddler laughter. I do believe that random people walking down the street and even police officers would not have been safe from his gleeful spree. In the end, all of us were dripping wet, walking funny in our soaked shoes, hair plastered to our heads. My wet eye makeup streaked until I looked like a giant raccoon. I’m not sure who was more amused: our grandson, or my husband!

Both grandsons are growing so fast. I still remember sitting in the hospital room, waiting for the arrival of our first grandson. I love my stepchildren, and now having their children in my life is something I can’t even describe. I glimpse echoes of my stepsons in them, right alongside their own unique little personalities, and it’s beautiful and overwhelming. In the blink of an eye, they will be grown, too big for me to pick up and hold above my head, too independent for my lap, too tall for the adorable baby and toddler clothes and toys we can’t buy enough of.

But that day hasn’t come yet, so we will enjoy them being little while they still are. I already know, from watching my stepkids grow up, just how shockingly fast it all happens. This time, I feel pre-warned. I will slow down. Watch them. Enjoy them. Soak it all in. Love them. Hold them tight, but be ready to start letting go, because after all, growing up is exactly what they are supposed to do.

My Priorities this Weekend

No deep thoughts today. No inspirational quotes. I am just ready for the weekend! It’s been a long week with a lot going on, and I can think of nothing I want more than to head home, kiss my husband hello, and enjoy our evening together. We will be having a special guest tomorrow morning, and I can’t wait!

It’s going to be a busy weekend, but I am looking forward to it. Whatever doesn’t get done, simply doesn’t get done. My priorities this weekend include the people in front of me, having fun, loving my husband, and appreciating our time together, no matter what we are doing.

Some Things Never Change

When I got home from work one day last week, my younger stepdaughter was there with our older grandson, who is 3. I didn’t get to see them very long, but they had been visiting with my husband, who had obviously been quite busy entertaining our grandson, evidenced by the many toys scattered around the house.

As I was preparing my cat’s dinner in the kitchen, I heard a delighted shriek from the living room and peeked around the corner to see what was up. My husband was “sneaking up” on our grandson, wiggling his fingers in the universal “I’m going to get you” gesture, and our grandson was laughing and screaming at the same time, trying to hide behind a sofa pillow. (It didn’t work, by the way).

My stepdaughter said they had to leave for something they had going on with Psycho (my husband’s ex and my stalker), so we walked them outside. My husband picked up our grandson and put him on his shoulders, then turned him upside down, which he loved. In between laughing and shrieking, he breathlessly said, “Again!” until my husband scooped him up again.

I love watching my husband turn into a very tall little boy when he is playing with the grandkids, and I love watching our grandsons laugh and smile as he entertains them. The problem came when it was time to get into the car, and our grandson realized he was leaving.

He stopped laughing. Stopped smiling. At first it was a simple, “No”, but when he was lifted into his car seat, he burst into tears, pushed at my stepdaughter’s hands as she buckled him in, and then called out for his granddaddy.

I could tell it was getting to my husband. He hid it, leaned into the car, told our grandson they would see each other soon, and tried to comfort him. And as I watched, I was taken back to this exact same, much-too-familiar, very unpleasant scenario, played out countless times, when it was time for the kids to go back to Psycho: tears, sobbing, stalling, not wanting to go, and us having to explain that we would see them again soon, but nothing comforted them.

Our grandson was still crying as the car backed out of the driveway. My husband stood in the driveway, waving as they left, calling out “I love you” and “Be careful” until he couldn’t see them anymore. I remembered him waving to the kids as we drove away so many times after dropping them off, never showing them anything but a smile and cheery promises to be together again soon, trying to get them to laugh instead of cry.

When our older grandson is with Psycho, by all accounts, nothing is much different than it ever was with the kids: shove a TV, phone, other screen into his face so she doesn’t actually have to interact, play with, teach, or discipline him. Once the selfies are done, just go away, kid. What use could she possibly have for him anymore?

When he is with us, we go outside, make up games, chase each other, go to the park, push him on the swing, actually talk to him, and teach him. My husband and I have joked about what a workout it is when the grandkids are with us, because we are on the floor or in the yard with them, in constant motion, the entire time.

It’s no wonder our grandson didn’t want to leave. He was having fun. He was being treated like a valued person, being loved. He’s not just a photo opportunity, attention supply, or pawn to us. He may only be 3, but he certainly feels the difference already.

Damn…some things never change, do they?