Ocean en famille

By yesterday noon I was so antsy to get outside and the enjoy the sun.  School had been cancelled due to snow on Friday and when blue sky appeared on Saturday morning, I was ready to get out.  The beach called my name.  Selim didn't want to go:

     "Mom, it is going to be freezing."
     "No it's not.  The sun is shining; there isn't a lot of wind; and besides, you love the beach!"
     "But I'm so cozy in this spot of sun."
     "As soon as Daddy gets home, we are out of here."

Fast forward an hour or so.  All of us are in the truck heading east.

     Me:  "Isn't this great, we are all together, and going somewhere."
     Nedim: "We are going to be the only ones at the beach.  Nobody else is this crazy."
     Me: "You know, when we were dating, you used to take me to the beach whenever I asked.  We would go, even when it was snowing.  And now I have to twist your arm to get you to take me."
     "Nedim: "Selim, your Mom used to come visit me just as an excuse.  She really just wanted to go to the ocean."
     Selim: "Mom is that true?...Yeah Dad, we are going to be the only ones there.  Sheesh this is crazy."

I held my tongue.  I continued with my peppy banter, undaunted by my whiny family.  They were not going to get me down.  As we passed the Seacoast Science Center, the ocean viewing pull-out area was packed.  People had set up cameras on tripods, hoping to get the last glimpses of high surf due to the storm.

     "Oh yeah, we are going to be the only ones here."  I tried not to sound too sarcastic.

     Two sets of eyes and two frowns turned my way.  I smiled.  Just sayin'.

At Wallis Sands, we parked and walked to the beach.  Seaweed had washed up over the sea wall and covered the paths near the park benches.  It was low tide and shells and small rocks had piled up on the sand.  Selim raced to the beach and began his inspection looking for perfect shells and other treasures to bring home.

He spied sea foam bubbles.  "Mom, take a picture of the sea foam!"

     "Mom, take a picture of this pink sand.  I think it is made from crushed garnet."

      "Dad, come look."  

      "Here, get a close up on this rock."

     "Mom, can I climb up on the rocks?"

     Me: "Yes."
     Nedim: "No.  You'll hurt yourself."
     Me (to Nedim) "This is where our parenting styles differ.  I figure if Selim hurts himself, he will learn and not do it again.  You forget the risks you took as a boy and your first instinct is just to protect."

Selim didn't seem to hear his dad and soon, all three of us were on the jetty.  We were not the only ones.  But I knew enough not to test Nedim's patience and venture out to the edge as this family had done.

Pretty soon Selim had stripped off the gloves and jacket in order to get in to the tightest spaces he could, in order to find treasure.  While he hunted, Nedim and I sat on the lower rocks, faces in the sun, snuggling and watching the guys with the metal detectors wave their wands over the sand.

As Selim washed some shells in a tide pool he said, "I'm sorry Mom.  You know, sometimes my mind gets the better of me and I get tricked into a bad mood.  I shouldn't have given you a hard time about coming here.  This is the best day ever."

Bliss.

As we were walking back to the truck,  my purse now full of shells, this little voice next to be said, "This was so much fun, can we come back tomorrow?"