The Oyster Rule states that you can only eat oysters in months that have an "R" in them. Our Martha's Vineyard cousins come down each spring and stay at the beach for a month or so and invite us all over for an oyster roast. While the Vineyard is a goldmine of delicious seafood, their outdoor gatherings usually revolve around clam bakes and lobster bakes, not oyster roasts. So it is special for them to come down here and have this roast. Well, we were pushing it this weekend with the warm temperatures, but everything turned out great, and it had actually cooled off by late Sunday afternoon. 
I didn't eat any oysters due to the little one inside of me, but if it weren't for this child, I would have bellied right up to that table. The oysters looked beautiful - big, salty singles - and, I imagine because of all the clam and lobster bakes they do, there was plenty of melted butter on the table as well. I am a sucker for anything dipped (marinated, slathered, floating, you-name-it) in melted butter. I know, it's pretty bad, but I just comfort myself with the fact that I can pass up a chocolate bar whenever offered, so I'm allowed this indulgence when it comes available. Anyway, as there is not always melted butter at oyster roasts, I noticed this fact.
In the true spirit of regional concord, as the oysters were cooking outside, there was a huge pot of clam chowder warming on the stove inside. [And yes, it was New England Clam Chowda, not Manhattan - which is, in my opinion, nothing more than vegetable soup with some clams added in - not a chowda in the least!] 
And, as an acknowledgement to what wonderful spring weather we are in, there was a watermelon, so Reeves got his first of the year.
Reeves was fascinated with Booey, the golden retriever. He loved throwing the ball for her and petting her and feeding her pieces of ice out of the beer bin. 
Bryant now thinks we should get a dog. Yeah, right! Do you want that before or after we have this second child? And when I say after, I mean, like 10 years or so after. But it did make him so happy to throw the ball for her....
The weather was gorgeous and the light was so sweet that we just couldn't help but walk the two blocks to the beach.
It has been since last summer that I have been out there and there is a whole new sandbar. I was glad to see that the gully is still there as this is the perfect layout for beaching it with a toddler, but I am not happy about the fact that it is mud and not sand on the bottom of the gully. This is not a lake or a river. This is the beach, which is by definition, "a shore of a body of water covered by sand, gravel, or larger rock fragments." Note the distinct absence of the word "mud". I guess this summer we can't say we're going to the beach. I'll have to come up with some other term. Of course, being almost two, you have the luxury of not noticing this at all. And that may be one of the best things about being almost two. Reeves absolutely adored our little adventure. 
He loved when we took his shoes off towards the end of the path. 
He loved the loose, dunes sand running through his toes. 
He loved the ships he could see as the channel was, luckily for us, quite busy yesterday afternoon. 
He even loved the mud as is squished under his feet and made him slip and slide a little and almost fall down. But I think most of all he loved running through the water. I think something in his short little memory remembered how much he loved it last year, and this new surefootedness of his being almost two let him enjoy it even more, despite us not letting him go all the way in. 
I really can't wait until it warms up just a little bit more, and we can go to the beach for the day, with bathing suits and buckets and shovels and juice boxes and sandy snacks and sunscreen and towels. Of course, this summer, it will also be with a mommy who will be bulging at the seams, but I should make a nice float for him to climb on. Maybe Daddy and Reeves can dig a big hole for Mommy to hide in so as not to scare the other children on the beach - or whatever you want to call it!
I didn't eat any oysters due to the little one inside of me, but if it weren't for this child, I would have bellied right up to that table. The oysters looked beautiful - big, salty singles - and, I imagine because of all the clam and lobster bakes they do, there was plenty of melted butter on the table as well. I am a sucker for anything dipped (marinated, slathered, floating, you-name-it) in melted butter. I know, it's pretty bad, but I just comfort myself with the fact that I can pass up a chocolate bar whenever offered, so I'm allowed this indulgence when it comes available. Anyway, as there is not always melted butter at oyster roasts, I noticed this fact. In the true spirit of regional concord, as the oysters were cooking outside, there was a huge pot of clam chowder warming on the stove inside. [And yes, it was New England Clam Chowda, not Manhattan - which is, in my opinion, nothing more than vegetable soup with some clams added in - not a chowda in the least!] And, as an acknowledgement to what wonderful spring weather we are in, there was a watermelon, so Reeves got his first of the year.Reeves was fascinated with Booey, the golden retriever. He loved throwing the ball for her and petting her and feeding her pieces of ice out of the beer bin. Bryant now thinks we should get a dog. Yeah, right! Do you want that before or after we have this second child? And when I say after, I mean, like 10 years or so after. But it did make him so happy to throw the ball for her....The weather was gorgeous and the light was so sweet that we just couldn't help but walk the two blocks to the beach.
It has been since last summer that I have been out there and there is a whole new sandbar. I was glad to see that the gully is still there as this is the perfect layout for beaching it with a toddler, but I am not happy about the fact that it is mud and not sand on the bottom of the gully. This is not a lake or a river. This is the beach, which is by definition, "a shore of a body of water covered by sand, gravel, or larger rock fragments." Note the distinct absence of the word "mud". I guess this summer we can't say we're going to the beach. I'll have to come up with some other term. Of course, being almost two, you have the luxury of not noticing this at all. And that may be one of the best things about being almost two. Reeves absolutely adored our little adventure. He loved when we took his shoes off towards the end of the path. He loved the loose, dunes sand running through his toes. He loved the ships he could see as the channel was, luckily for us, quite busy yesterday afternoon. He even loved the mud as is squished under his feet and made him slip and slide a little and almost fall down. But I think most of all he loved running through the water. I think something in his short little memory remembered how much he loved it last year, and this new surefootedness of his being almost two let him enjoy it even more, despite us not letting him go all the way in. I really can't wait until it warms up just a little bit more, and we can go to the beach for the day, with bathing suits and buckets and shovels and juice boxes and sandy snacks and sunscreen and towels. Of course, this summer, it will also be with a mommy who will be bulging at the seams, but I should make a nice float for him to climb on. Maybe Daddy and Reeves can dig a big hole for Mommy to hide in so as not to scare the other children on the beach - or whatever you want to call it! 
Second, show Daddy just how big the pile is that Mommy raked up. Knee high! Mommy must be a very hard worker! "No, Daddy. It may not look like it, but I'm still helping. I'm here for you!" Maybe just try to kick some leaves into the bag so that Daddy thinks you actually are still helping him. This will give Mommy just a few more minutes of being able to transplant her seedlings without being called over.
Finally, forget about helping Daddy all together and instead, show him what a fast runner you are. Remember, it helps disperse the leaves now that you have learned to drag your feet through the pile as you are crossing it. Daddy, while impressed at your fantastic athletic abilities, is no longer so impressed with your "learning by example" prowess. But on a positive note, not only was Mommy able to get the seedlings transplanted, but she even had time to snap a few pictures. What a good boy!
So much for the precious linen JonJon I had chosen for Reeves to wear this Easter! I just couldn't put him in it only to freeze because, of course, he would choose to spend as much time outside as possible. 
So, we spent our Easter morning warmed by the furnace, wearing winter jammies, and bundling up for church. Reeves has really gotten into his Easter basket and eggs this year. I feel like such a tool, but I was able to find eggs with banana chips and raisins inside them rather than candy. (Boring Mommy) I should have bought more. Who knew, but this child loves banana chips. He is also quite fond of the Hot Wheels eggs he got, straining very hard to open them himself. Oh, and do you see that wide-eyed bunny we got for him? Yeah, let's just say that it's not so cute when you see those eyes reflected in the kitchen window the night before, and your husband has had to run out, so you are at home by yourself with your child. Don't shoot until you can see the whites of their eyes? Not a problem Saturday night. I almost called the police. Thought I had a creepy stalker in the back yard.
Reeves put on the charm big time to his Uncle Andy. He pulled his Thomas book out and went right up to Andy for him to read it to him. He loved it, and Andy even called me later that night to let me know that Reeves had made his day. I completely agree. 
Although I'm not sure I can forive Andy for actually reading this quite wordy book to Reeves. He had been content to flip quickly through this toddler tome, pointing out each train and maybe some sheep or a bridge or some tracks. But now, now that he knows there is more to hear than, "And where's Skarloey?", I doubt he will so readily scroll through this as part of his bedtime ritual. This could put bedtime off for at least another 10 minutes or so. I had thought I wouldn't have to actually "read" books to him until he was older. I thought I had maybe a few more months before he started pointing out to me that I had skipped 3 or 4 pages.
Miller is quickly indoctrinating Reeves into the world of soccer. I swear, he even drags one foot when he is "throwing in" the ball. Reeves is entranced by Miller's fancy footwork, and never holds back his laughter when the two of them are playing. I can't wait to take Reeves to dress parades next year when Miller is a knob at the Citadel. He will probably be saluting and marching just like his big cousin Miller does, because Miller is one of the coolest people he knows.
Here's something you don't see everyday.... Seersucker pants and a wool sweater. Glowing in the warmth of the Easter fire while watching the Masters. There are just so many things wrong with those statements.
Reeves was soaking up the love before the out of town girls had to head home. We will miss you! And we really missed Reagan. You better plan on being home for at least a week over Christmas, RayRay!! These children need you to play with them!
We headed out to the country after this full day. Unfortunately, Reeves had had just about enough and was exhausted. If he hadn't been so sticky and dirty, I wouldn't even have given him a bath, but I'm glad I did. He slept like a log last night. Although he did play a bit in his crib, which he has never done before yesterday. Is he just getting himself ready to move into his big boy bed? We'll see. Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Easter.
We couldn't have asked for better weather - sunny and relatively cool, with a nice breeze on the incoming tide. Other than the totally uninvited gnat guests, everything was perfect. (I keep trying to convince myself that they actually serve a purpose, that they are the first tiny step in the great chain of life, and without them, we, as a species, would ultimately not survive, but, My Heavens!, do there really need to be so many of them!?) I can't thank the Walpoles/Halfords enough for again volunteering their little slice of paradise for this hunt. It was perfect - playtime, anticipation in the backyard, egg hunt in the frontyard, with each child getting a little glimpse on their way in as to the location of their favorite eggs.
We headed down towards Goshen, waved at Grandmama in the yard, then found this neat little beach right on the Intercoastal. It was perfect. There was just enough sand for Reeves to have room to dig, and he found the surrounding marsh would tickle his legs when he walked through it.
Of course, there was a huge Corp of Engineers pipe left over from the dredging that took place all those years ago, but we luckily avoided it as we beached the boat. We didn't even know it was there until we got out of the boat. Reeves, of course, figured it must have been some toy the waterway gods had left for him because he headed straight for it, barnacles, slippery sides, sharp edges, and all. Why play with anything other than the most dangerous thing in our vicinity?
It took Reeves a minute or two to remember the feel of wet sand, but it wasn't long before he was running in and out of the water. I don't know how he did it because I have way more meat on my bones than he does, and that water was freezing!
I kept waiting for his lips to turn blue, but they never did. We stayed there as long as we could but were eventually run out of Dodge by more gnats than we have ever seen. It was like the movie, The Birds, but with gnats. They were in our noses, our mouths. It was horrible, and so fast! One moment, everything was fine, the next, we were throwing Reeves in the boat and pulling out as fast as we could. I couldn't even take the time to put Reeves' lifejacket on, we just had to get some air moving around us.
Then it was time for some snacks. Reeves really enjoys walking around in the boat. This doesn't work so well when we're going fast. Luckily, he does like to go fast and understands that he has to be in my lap when that is happening, so this is not such an issue. We tried to head to town to pick up Gammy and Pops, but the tide and wind had turned against each other, and we were getting beaten up pretty badly, so we had to abort the mission. Well, that and they couldn't really meet us right then anyway, but it was worth a shot. We turned around and headed back to the landing with one super tired boy curled up on his momma's lap. 
What a great day. We all slept long and hard that night. There's not a better tired than a salty, sunny, windy, watery tired. We're so lucky to live where we do.
