Back from the Beach

We spent last week at Fort Morgan for our annual family beach vacation, and this week and weekend we hosted our Russian friend, Alec, and his brother, Arkady, so there hasn't been much opportunity for writing.

Henry had a wonderful time at the beach. I was worried when he got a nasty jellyfish sting our first day -- it was really awful, he still has a mini-rash on his forearm -- but he was absolutely committed to being in the water, no matter the cost, and went back in, day after day, regardless of how many little "irritations" he got. The wildlife was plentiful on this trip -- dolphin pods were leaping straight out of the water just yards from the shoreline, pelicans were diving, Mom caught a number of tiny sharks, and of course, there were the jellyfish. I guess nature felt it was finally our turn to remember whose ocean it really is, after summer after summer when we've barely even seen one.

Rachael and Philip came, along with Philip's parents and sister and her husband and two-year old daughter. It was great for Henry to have a playmate, and we had some delightful dinners al fresco as a group. I always like catching up with Philip's sister, Kate, since we graduated high school together. Henry just loves his "Nan" and "Rocko" and they were endlessly patient with his constant demands to "Watch this!" and "Come in the water with me!"

Friday night Alec and Arkady and Sam (sans Nicole, who is studying abroad in Austria for a month) joined us on the levee for the fireworks. It's so nice to live just two blocks from the Westbank levee, where you can get just as good a view of the fireworks as you could from the downtown side, minus the crowds. This year Henry was old enough to hold some sparklers and watch as Daddy and the boys set off some contraband down by the riverbank. My favorite part of the evening was watching the kids and teenagers do the Cupid Shuffle and the Superman to the sounds of the city-sponsored DJ wafting over from Woldenberg Park.

Yesterday Henry and I drove to Baton Rouge and had lunch with Pampaw and Jane (who gave Henry her python's discarded skin, which he proceeded to carry with him everywhere we went) and my Mom, and then Mom and Henry and I went over to Uncle Vance's to visit and to go through some of my Aunt Georgene's shoes. She was the only relative who had feet even smaller than mine -- I fit into her size 5 athletic shoes and a smattering of flip flops and sandals, but her delicate size 4s and even children's-sized pumps and dress shoes were just too tight for me. It felt strange to be back in her house without her there, but I know it meant a lot to Uncle Vance to be able to pass her things on to her nieces and friends.

Today Matthew is installing ceiling fans on the back porch, which will go a long way to making it a place we can comfortably spend time over this long, hot summer. Henry was invited next door for a Play-Doh playdate with our neighbor, Max. And I am just enjoying the quiet of the house, the relaxed feling that has finally settled over me after this long weekend, and looking forward to reading a novel while Henry naps. Or maybe (maybe) even managing a nap myself.