Feeling Like a Tourist February 28, 2008
Posted by Emily in : Family, Princess Hannah, Saba , trackbackJust because we live in the Caribbean doesn’t mean we go to the beach everyday. We don’t go to the spa or even go shopping on a daily basis. That is because we LIVE here. We aren’t on vacation here. Unfortunately, I am that special someone who magically cleans my house and makes my bed every morning. I do the laundry, cook, clean, and shop for groceries. The mere fact that I think about what I’m going to make for dinner every night qualifies me as a local . . . not a tourist. This means I don’t go to the beach as much as I probably should and I am almost embarrassed to say this, but I’m going to tell the truth . . . Hannah and I have not been in our bathing suits for five months. Yes, it is embarrassingly true. However, it has been TOO DANG COLD to get into a pool. That’s right, 80 degree weather is not as warm to those of us closer to the equator as it is to you cold folk up North. The ocean is warm, but Hannah isn’t very interested in water that moves back and forth, and she certainly doesn’t like the feel of sand at all because even she knows it’s messy.
However, this week the temperature has been around 90 degrees and that qualifies as warm enough to get both of us into bathing suits. I pulled out her brand spanking new bathing suit (tags attached and all) from the closet. One look and I knew it was not going to fit. Still, I put her in it, and because it is stretchy . . . it sort of fit. Too bad all the polka dots were distorted over her very round belly and the straps were cutting into the skin on her shoulders . . .
Now, I’m not a big fan of baby bikinis. Mostly because it is means more skin to lather with sunblock, but a friend of mine gave her a really cute one as a gift and it is the ONLY bathing suit that fits her. So thankfully, she didn’t have to go to the beach topless.
After getting over the shock of touching the messy sand that sicks to you, Hannah was able to sit and play in it. This is HUGE. This is a child who points out messes to me and puts her toys back in her toy box because the floor is a “mess!” She even points out to her friends (who eat like normal 18 month olds . . . sort of messy) that they are a “MESS!” and she gives them a look of sheer disgust. I keep a package of baby wipes on hand when she eats because heaven forbid her hands get a little bit of food on them. She can’t think, let alone eat! I have created a very, very, very, clean problem.
I had to photograph Hannah actually sitting in the sand and playing with it for David. I knew he would need photographic proof to believe me, because lets face it, he knows how our child feels about sand. With only eight weeks left on this island of paradise, I’m sure we will be hitting the beach a lot more and hopefully, Hannah will get over her fear of the sand.
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Hannah is definitely my kind of girl. I love it! I used to be the same way at her age. I wouldn’t get off the blanket at the beach because I said the sand was dirty, I would eat like a lady, and my tops were never stained. This post totally made me smile.