In the sand

While the others busied themselves in the waves, this one brought me endless offerings from the sea.  This little girl somehow ended up my critter catcher.  It is in odd contrast to her love for accessories.

The dance was the same all week.  Walk to ocean, dig under surf, scoop up handfuls of living creatures, bring them to mom for show-and-tell.  Listen to mom "ooh" and "ahh" and remark at the size of each one as if the differences between them are vast.  Take creature back to the ocean and watch it wriggle backward under the sand. 

Yes, I wish we were still there.  Yes, I wish I hadn't already had the post-vacation meltdown that ensues with the realization of a packed work schedule and school (and middle school) about to start and rooms messier than ever and dog smelling like skunk and (damn) rooster still crowing and garden grown over and flowers dying and unsuccessful baseball tryouts and generally wondering if you are doing everything possible to be the best parent you can be even though your littlest still has sore toes from the pool and wondering where in the world you are headed and hoping it's the right direction because you're taking your family with you.

My husband says I have pre-school jitters.  He says I get like this every year.  He says it will pass and every other mom probably feels the same way.

Some drink, some shop, some gab endlessly on the phone, some may clean the house till they're silly to cope.  Part of me wishes I still had my toes in the sand with the fiddler crabs, but of course that cannot be.