The Sea Kayak

Today started out pretty well. Hanging laundry on the line before church, pretty dress on, sun shining.

We went to get the final Lego in the Sun's freebie series, taking the car this time. My dress strap, which I'd "fixed" last night, broke as we got to the carpark so it needed tying up. But, there was Lego. Charley was amazing and fell asleep in the wrap buying the Lego, stayed asleep on transfer to the car, stayed asleep once we were at church and was transferred again, back into the wrap. I got to listen to the entire Word for the first time in months! And I'm glad I did. Stuff that needs applying in my own life. And applying in the lives of my boys too, as far as I'm able, as a parent to them.

Ben went home with Hayley as we'd all arranged to meet later at the beach for picnicking and kayaking, and Charley and I went home via the supermarket. He was so lovely going round the shop, chattering away to me in the wrap. Blah blah blau, blau blau blah. Telling me so many things!

Once home and unloaded, it was time to load the boat onto the car and head to the beach. Charley and I were so hungry by the time we got there, and there were so many people on the beach that it took a while to find Hayley and her family! And even longer before we could eat because the boat needed unloading before we could get to the food...

Still. It was a lovely afternoon, marred only by Steve losing one of his favourite sandals to the sea. It got sucked into the sand under the kayak as they were getting it into the water. He spent half an hour before we went home searching the shoreline for it, hoping it might be washed up somewhere, and even went back after the tide had gone back out hoping to find it but no joy.

The kayaking was a success though! Ben, who last year refused to even set foot in the sea because it was moving and it freaked him out, not only stood in the sea but actually got in the kayak with Steve, Stuart and Robert!! They paddled a little way out before a wave splashed them from behind and a sobbing Ben was returned to me soaking and scared. He spent the rest of the afternoon naked but for his green towel, watching Daddy and Stuart paddle out to a buoy and back.

The particularly stressful part of the day was the getting home. Charley was tired and fell asleep in the wrap. We had help loading the boat onto the car so I didn't have to do it, but then we had to get Charley into the car and this time he was NOT happy about it and cried and wailed all the way home. I had to drive. Ben was upset about something involving yet more rocks that he'd collected from the beach, Steve was depressed about losing one of his favourite sandals, and the noise from Ben and Charley (well, mainly Charley) was sending my stress levels through the roof. Even though once we got home the stress levels subsided there was a lingering of stressness all evening. We managed to get the boat back off the car and into the garden without too much shouting though...

What with searching for lost sandals and various other things our roast chicken dinner was very very late, but it was yummy. Ben then took himself off to the sofa saying he just needed to sit down for a bit - Steve went in five minutes later to find he was putting himself to bed on the sofa! He managed to get him into pyjamas and carried him up to bed successfully and easily.

Steve and Ben have really had some fab daddy-son times this weekend. It blesses me to see their relationship changing and growing like this!