It was another great day on the island today. Luke and I spent the day with his brother and sister-in-law and their two awesome kids. The original purpose of the trip was to do some work on the computer, but it quickly turned into so much more than that. When the work was done and the kids were awake, we had some fun in the backyard. We spent a bit of time around the garden and near the water feature where we found a lot of lizards and some garter snakes. This was nothing new to the kids, but it was especially cool to me. I haven't seen lizards since Florida, and I vaguely recall seeing a garter snake in my backyard in Ancaster, but that was a LONG time ago. So of course I became a bit of a kid and just stared at the pond for a while hoping to see as many lizards as I possibly could. Eventually Luke and his brother had to pull me away, so that we could go berry picking - which would be another first for me.
I've picked some berries from my Mom's and Grandmother's raspberry bushes, and I even remember picking and eating a few blackberries on the way to the beach in Cape Cod, but I have no memory of ever investing any time in the picking and collecting of berries from any public park or berry farm. So having the opportunity to do so with some very eager children was pretty awesome. Our fingers were all red, and a very tiny bit of blood was shed (which is to be expected when you only reach for the plumpest of berries which are in the prickliest parts of the bush), but it was totally worth it. After taking the many berries back to the car, we decided to reward ourselves with a stroll to the beach.
At the beach we saw a seal, and found and picked up a snail and a couple crabs. The first crab was just a little one, but were the kids ever excited to see it. The little girl (less than 2-years old) was so excited that her limbs started shaking at the mere thought of being able to touch it. As an adult I feel like I have a good grasp on how exciting little things like that can be. When I saw the lizards and the seal I was pretty darn thrilled. But never so much that I would start shaking. The most anything will ever get from me these days is a very brief jig. But she was full on shaking. And of course we were all laughing. Probably out of jealousy that we will never experience that kind of excitement ever again. But also because it was just so darn cute.
We then went back home where I got to play with the kids some more. Having only ever met the kids once before (in an environment not conducive to playing), I'm so glad that they warmed up to me. They kept taking me around to play with them while all of the other adults were being productive. It was truly a pleasure playing with them and having their imaginative minds take me on some fun adventures. Their energy, lust for life, and intense excitement over such small things is really special and something I admire in all children. I wish I could spend more time playing games with my own niece but hopefully I'll be able to make up for it over Thanksgiving.
What a fantastic weekend! A bunch of firsts, time spent with family (even if not my own), and playtime with some awesome children. I'm just sorry that it had to end.
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