This week E.V. and Cricket declared themselves official bloggers. And I didn’t argue, haha! Instead I handed them my computer and told them to get writing.
Emma Vance immediately titled her blog “Guide to Adventure,” and she’s already written three posts. (She’s my reader/writer/explorer for sure. More to come on those later.)
Cricket, having recently *discovered* she is a half mermaid “who can control the waves with her hands” (sometimes it’s best not to ask questions and just go with it), decided that hers would be called “Ocean Seas.” Obviously.
So, drumroll please, for the official “Ocean Seas” first post, as dictated + emoji-ed by Cricket:
This blog is about helping the ocean. Step #1. Go to the beach. Step #2. Look around the ocean and find trash. Put that trash into a trash bag.🦞🐋🦈🐡🐠🐟🐬🐳🐙🦑🦐🦞🦀🏄🏻♀️🎏🇵🇲 Help the ocean!
And there you have it.
Unfortunately for her, although our family enjoys the beach, we’re not do-or-die sand-n-sun-type people. We didn’t even come near any sand last year, and that was totally fine. In fact, it didn’t look like we were going to the beach this year either — which would’ve been travesty for any mermaid (or half-mermaid). But, over our school’s winter break, we (somewhat unexpectedly) found ourselves running in the salty waves…and it was amazing!
But how does someone unexpectedly end up on a beach??
Last week the girls and I took our annual February trip to go see Great Grandma Vance in Orlando. We didn’t have any expectations for water beyond her backyard pool — which tends to be more of a polar plunge this time of year rather than a leisurely swim. However, when we arrived, my grandmother suggested we drive over to Vero Beach to visit with my Pop Pop’s cousin, whom she hadn’t seen in years. Mostly our trips to Orlando consist of shopping, eating and swimming, so we never imagined having a quick day at the beach on a whim. (But how do you turn down a 93rd birthday request like that? You don’t.)
To say I was unprepared for the beach is being kind. I pride myself on being low-maintenance when it comes to traveling, so we had no toys, no towels, no seats, no sunscreen. I had packed one bathing suit for each of us, and that was it as far as water-wear. (And I *almost* didn’t even pack one for myself—yikes!) To be honest, though, not having time to prep for our beach day felt so relieving. Our only option was to embrace the low-key adventure — and it was PERFECT.
I don’t think I had fully realized how much the gloom of this winter had affected my mental state, but the second I stepped onto that sand with my littles’ hands in mine, I felt so much relief. And happiness. And excitement. It was exactly what I didn’t know I desperately needed. I guess sometimes some spontaneity + sun is the perfect combination to ward off the winter blues. And the perfect way to find a topic for your next blog, whether it’s about family, adventure or the ocean. ;)
