Emily’s Musings

Apparently, we are still on Holiday. David stayed home from school today to study. (What is the point of going now? It’s all review from here on out.) Hannah could NOT STOP TALKING ABOUT GOING SWIMMING, so Hannah twisted David’s arm (Okay, not really. It doesn’t take much to convince him to go to the beach) by repeatedly asking him “swimming?” again and again. It was an absolutely beautiful day to be outside, doing anything, so off we went to the beach. Days like this make me sad because I know our days are numbered on this beautiful island and it would make it easier to leave if the weather was crappy.

We went down to Cove Bay, (which is really a glorified tide pool) to hang out in the ocean. Hannah enjoyed throwing rocks around and looking at the little fish swimming around her legs. She affectionately calls all of them “Nemo.” David planned to go snorkeling and when he got his gear together and started walking away from us to enter the water at the “special snorkeling spot,” Hannah had a little melt down that her daddy was leaving. She didn’t just cry, she sobbed. She sure does love her daddy. I had to reassure her again and again that he was going swimming and that he would be back.

While David had a wonderful 45 minute snorkel, Hannah and I had a the SAME CONVERSATION for 45 minutes. She would look at me with both her arms outstretched (like she was a fisherman describing the length of a fish she caught)and and say:

“Daddy, go?”

“Honey, Daddy when swimming. He’ll be back.”

“Mommy, Daddy, go?”

“Sweetie, Daddy went swimming with the fish. He’ll be right back.”

“Mommy, Daddy, go?”

This exact conversation was repeated, FOR 45 MINUTES. As much as I wanted to talk about other things, like rocks, or sand or all the little “Nemos” swimming around our feet, we only talked about Dave’s absence. She was elated to see him pop up out of the water, and walk toward us. All was right in her world.

David did have a good snorkel. He saw a stingray and some sea turtles. I asked him if he swam up to the stingray to give it a big bear hug like Steve Irwin. Fortunately, David enjoys wildlife at a distance. That means he’ll be sticking around for a little while.