I returned from the States on Friday night and could not have been happier. I missed the kids and Otis immensely, almost painfully. While O was not very good about updating the blog, he did admit that it was hard to get anything done while taking care of the kids. In a moment of weakness, he told me how much he admired how easy I made it all seem when we lived in NY....sorry I had to get it on paper before it was retracted!
O was wonderful about sending me daily updates of the various comings and goings which were amusing. Here are a few of the funnier stories.
Wed, May ???
We spent the morning swimming, Sammy wanted to be in his car float the whole time, actually figured out a way to tow him with my feet and work the lats. We built a cool sand castle from sand, sticks and palm fronds we found on the beach, it was two stories, with a proper roof and a cool safe house built by Ben. Lunch was french fries and ting at Bumpkins while we wasted the remainder of the afternoon chasing geckos with our newly fashioned snares. No luck on the gecko hunting but several very close calls for Ben,he will get one this week i think. Sammy can run around all day with just a leaf in his hand thinking he will catch them. It makes for good entertainment.
After lunch one of Tony's friends lost his ring in the shallows and Ben spent the next 2 hours snorkeling for it as there was a hefty reward promised of a Sprite if found. No luck on the ring, but a Sprite was awarded just the same for a valiant effort. Upon arrival at the boat and a quick snack of PBJ Sam went down while Ben painted a rock he found earlier on the beach and turned it into a pretty cool ladybug "for Mom". I was down in port hull ripping up floorboards and cupboards chasing down a faint but horrendous odor to no avail. In the meantime Ben had decided he'd had enough with painting and fell asleep in the cockpit with brush still in hand and all the paints out...it was a classic exhausted artist pose.
Thursday, May ???
Ben was his usual "Big Kahuna" and caught some pretty impressive sized waves with his boogie board. Sammy waddled around in the breaking surf with his arm floaties on. I think they really gave him a confidence boost with the bigger breakers. He was pretty nonplussed by wash ups on the beach. At one point I could hear this cacophony of birds behind me and as I turned I saw Sammy standing his ground against 10 black ravens who were trying to peck a small newborn bird to death, he was triumphantly kicking dirt in their beaks while grunting obscenities at them. He spent the next hour or so playing in the sand but with a watchful eye on the little bird,protecting his new friend until a local lady came over and put the bird back in its nest. (I on the other hand just sat there watching it all go down figuring Darwinism was in play and the black birds would win once Sam succumbed to boredom) In any event the local lady told me to be careful because those "black birds will peek ya like crazy mon.... watch the lil one around them they will carry him of I tell ya tha... they peek ya like crazy!")
Friday, May ???

We beached it most of the afternoon with a fish & chips split between the boys for lunch at Bumpkins and now Sammy is sawing zzzz's in his bed and Ben is watching a movie knoshing on cherry tomatoes as his afternoon snack. He actually commented that "this fish tastes fantastic" before he devoured his whole plate, salad included. Sammy on the other hand was besotted with the goats roaming outside the fence and was hard to keep at the table long enough to really eat much, I am sure he will let me hear all about it after his nap.. We swam and collected pet snails that are sitting in the cockpit in a bucket, funny enough Sammy is not a big fan of snails...he doesn't like the way they slide along his hand when moving.
Monday
Once again we rushed out of the stern, running behind for Cowboy Training Camp ,2:15 in the middle of the day. We had a relatively relaxed morning (no beach or anywhere for that matter) yet I still find I am running behind schedule...Ben had a great day at lessons as he was very excited upon his dismounting. I talked to Terry at the beginning of the class and asked her if she felt kids do better when the parents aren't there. She was thrilled I had even thought about it and said "yes they do tend to focus more without their parents oversight" So I wandered off keeping Sammy amused while Ben trotted away, i must admit i snuck around back and had a look a few times, he did very well. Terri said he is catching on amazingly quickly for his age.

We were meant to head straight to the beach from CTC but I had forgotten my wallet and the boys wanted to finish off the Cantaloupe as a snack. Then off to PB for a short swim and a long gecko chase (unsuccessful but very noteworthy.....Sammy has a knack for it he lassos two but could not tighten down the noose on the snare. It is funny to hear him grunt when defeat is at his door. We pushed off late by consensus, the boys wanted more time on the beach in lieu of a 6:30 dinner. I had forgotten about Teamo's until the steaks were on the grill, the garlic bread was in the oven, and the salad was made. It is probably best because straight from dinner we had a group reading session in Ben's room..Harold and the Purple crayon, chapters 1& 2. Ben was barely conscious when we turned out the light and Sammy was not complaining about getting the Passie and Blanky. Once they were down, i had a quick reassessment, and decided I was fully capable and willing to throw down a primary coat on the MS table in the dark! Not a great assessment in hindsight.... First of all i appear to be suffering from 2nd degree chemical burns where i stuck the acetone rag in my boxers against my skin. And the lighting was abysmal.

That's all for now.