Day Eight...Sand & Swimming

Wow, today was one of those days that is going to make it so hard to leave this area!  A big, beautiful beach that's a true "local's spot", so no tourists....a hundred-yard stretch of beach all to ourselves, watching sleek white sailboats glide from the marina on the glittering water.....it was breathtakingly beautiful.  And we're leaving it.

It's still hard to wrap my head around, as I was thinking while on my knees, packing sand in a bucket for another tier on the sand castle.  The kids were shrieking in the water, which was mid-tide so you could walk out almost to the end of the nearest pilings and still be just over knee-high with nearly no waves...a perfect, calm swimming spot for young kids.  If you walked out and then stood still and let the sand settle, you could look down and see the Chesapeake Bay crabs emerge as if by magic from the  floor and scuttle sideways away from your toes, dodging under wayward drifts of seaweed for cover.  The kids' skin is becoming golden and their hair a glowing blonde from the days in the sun.

Regardless, I'm still looking forward to being close to friends and family, even if it's two hours away from the nearest beach.  It will be a relief to have the kids in a good school without having to fork over thousands of dollars for private education.  It will be a HUGE relief to have help picking the kids up from school and not having to freak out about juggling work and their school schedules.  Swapping a great view and easy access to the  beach for lasting peace of mind is most definitely a worthwhile trade.

Speaking of peace of mind, Logan and I had a good conversation today...we're on the same page and looking to work everything out in a way that's best for the kids.  So no arguing, no court battles, we're finalizing our agreement and wishing each other well in our parting paths.  It's a very reassuring feeling....much better than being bitter enemies.

Tomorrow it's back to the grind with packing up books, carrying bookcases downstairs to clear off the carpet for steam cleaning, and scrubbing crayon off the walls in the family room (the kids, not me...I didn't write on the walls).  Snuggling in for a good night's sleep to prepare to work in the heat tomorrow!