haul

We went to the book sale.  It was so awesome.  We just grabbed whatever we wanted, until we couldn't hold any more.  We'd brought $60, which is sort of extravagant for us.  Usually we go on one of the later days and spend about $20.  But this was the day we could go, and I it was great.  It's been a while since I've gone.  It's such a crowd and it's hard to manage with kids.  But while we have more kids now, our older 2 are old enough to browse the books themselves while I stay near.  That's such a difference from when they were too small to even look at the tops of the tables. 

lP did have to be carried, crying out of the book sale.  I don't know what transpired while P and lP were out of the building.  We try really hard to not have kids crying/tantrum in public.  G, and M browsed and I held B's hand and found books.  But I found too many so we had to check out.  G and M were sad that I'd snatched up so many books so quickly and they didn't get to browse for longer.  But P took G and M back in after he let lP have a turn. 

I really admire P's patience.  We're both sleeping better lately and that helps us tremendously.  P is so deliberate to be kind and not blame the kids on things that are beyond their control  I'm really grateful for his example. 

Looks better than it really is...

 He is as beautiful as this, and more so.  He's so delicious.

 This little beach is the perfect place for us to enjoy the shore.  It's contained enough for the kids to really appreciate the difference between high and low tide.  It's got lovely cedar trees that are good for climbing and shade!  You can park within 10 feet of all this glory. 

 I've been meaning to get a picture of the kids at this beach for some time.  Having the lighthouse in the back ground is pretty cool, I think.

 Look how cute we were on the day L got blessed!

P and I are playing our horns more often.  It's really fun.  We're having so many great moments, but there are terrible frustration moments as well.  The 5 year old has a listening problem and the mom has a patience problem...

Annual Tourist Day

 In September the green trolley is free for residents.  They also give us tickets to several of their attractions like the wax museum, jail, store, and museum.  We went last year on the last Saturday of the month and it was fun.  So this year we planned to be even more prepared.

 We got there earlier.

 We planned our our destinations a bit in advance.

P had never been to the wax museum so that was one of our main goals.

 We packed a picnic and ate on the plaza.

 We went to the castillo before everyone was so tired they were crying.  Though B was close to that point by the end of the castillo and we still had to get the trolley back to the car.

We don't do much touristy things.  I'm so grateful that these things are here and free.  

It's really such a treat. 

 There is an amazing playground on the way to the airport.  We see it whenever we go up that way but have never been able to stop until recently.  It's so awesome. 

 It has multiple spinners and bouncers and climbers and cool things!

It's also right next to the interstate.... which is why we knew about it and could find it.  So it's loud, but definitely worth a visit. 

scarcity

We don't go to the beach in the summer.  It's a funny thing.  Around September we start going, enjoying the novelty of being at the beach when school has started.  Enjoying the water, so warm, when we go for a quick trip after dinner, as the days begin to shorten.  Then we get to October and we start going weekly.  It gets dark sooner, so we go on Saturdays.  The beach is mostly empty.  It's October!  But it's still glorious and we go, savoring that it will soon be too cold.

Actually the water is about as warm in October as it is in May.  We don't really go in the spring because the water is still so cold.  And as it heats up, the difference in temperature is even more painful.  Our favorite time is the fall, when the temperatures are about the same, and when the novelty of going to the beach is delicious. 

There is a song I think of "High and Blue the Sky" as I stand on the beach in the fall.  It's so gloriously perfect.  The sky is so high, so blue.  The air is so sweet on your skin.  It's not autumn leaves, but it's fall in Florida.  I love it.

My new music

G is deaf.  He does an amazingly good job using his CI to access sound.
P and I used to be musicians.  We even went to college and had the opportunity to be immersed in ensembles, theory and history classes about music!

Recently I'm studying and teaching ASL.  I'm participating in ASL in many of the same ways I have participated in Music.  It's a community to be involved in.  It has layers of nuance to be understood.  ASL doesn't touch my heart and make me cry the way music does.  But the beauty of the gesture to communicate is profound.  When people learn to sign, so they can communicate with people that can't hear, that is pure grace.