The Beach

We went to Myrtle Beach this past weekend. It was a much needed long weekend away. Tom's been a working horse lately, with a lot of stuff going on in the office. Connor and I have been itching to go to the beach for months now, especially after reading "Goodnight Beach," and "Goodnight Cape Cod" every night before bed. So off we went. 

Connor loved digging in the sand with his big green shovel, and exporting said sand in his dump truck to another space in the never ending sandbox. 

 

{Sweet Story}

We were all sitting on our beach blanket eating a snack when a mom and her three kids (ages 2, 4, and 9) came and set up shop in front of us. The 2-year-old eyed Connor's Mickey Mouse pail and grabbed it. Connor just kinda looked at us and shrugged with a "huh?" The mother told her son to put it back because it wasn't his. Connor was observing in a kind way, like he was concerned that the boy was sad, not in the way that he didn't want to share. So, I said to Connor, "Why don't you go bring your Mickey Mouse pail over to that little boy and say, 'Here you go. You can play with this. I'll share with you.'" He looked at me, back at the pail, and got up to get it. Connor then gave it to the little boy without a fuss. He also grabbed his large orange pail to share with the boy's sister. And, when she said "no thanks. I already have one, " Connor kept shoving it in her face. After I explained to him that she already has a pail to play with, he put it down and came back to finish his snack.

I know it's such a cliche, but I have to say it. Connor really does melt my heart. He is a kind soul. A kid who always greets his friends with a "Hi," and a hug. He pats you on the back when you get hurt, saying, "It's ok." Sure, there are times when staying home with a toddler can be a challenge, but more often than not, it's a luxury. What a priveledge it is to witness such kind actions from my 2-year-old. Raising kids is no easy feat, but all the stress goes away when you look in your child's eyes and see who they really are. There is no pretense with kids. They are who they are, and we love Connor for all that he is.