French Beach

The best thing that we do all summer is to go to "French Beach," as Alder calls it. 
We load up the boat and usually with friends, hot dogs, shovels, buckets, some towels, a card table and folding chairs, a lighter, some wine, and the ingredients to make smores. As we speed along the river in the boat the boys scream with excitement, reach back to touch the water spray, count the wild animals we see along the way, and help Daddy drive. The excitement has built and as we reach the sandy bank, I can hardly keep them in the boat. As I lift them down into the shallow water, I watch Alder and Kingston race away down the shoreline giggling and embracing this authentic place, the freedom, and the sense of adventure. 
The Black Warrior is full of adventure and freedom and is truly an authentic place to be "raising" our boys. It is perfect for them. They bathe in the mud, swim in the dark waters, start fires with Daddy, collect sticks, and learn of the place around them. It thrills me that "French Beach" is a place that they can really be boys. A couple of times now we have taken along the wonderful Smith family and cooked out our dinner over an open fire, watch the children explore, and bask in the soothing effects of being by open water.
A simple life...and young children.
What a blessing.

Giddy Up

Well, it was a first for me. A rodeo. Does PETA know about rodeos??? I mean, I'm not an animal activist by any means, but the "festivities" at this rodeo were rather unfriendly to the bovine family. Those poor little baby cows. It was, however, a very fun outing with the boys and they loved every second of it. Alder calls it "horse racing" instead of a rodeo, which in a lot of ways makes sense. Those horses fly! We were sitting on the bottom row of the bleachers at first and then had to move up because the horses would come racing down, turn right where we were sitting, and fling dirt up into our faces. Cool, but not fun for little kids to get dirt in their eyes. Alder now says he wants to "horse race too when he gets to be 5, Mama. Ok. Does that sound like a plan?"

Sure Alder. 

And I cannot forget to mention about my little Kingsers. 

So at the rodeo they had these jumpy things. I am sure everyone has seen them, right? Well, Alder was wanting to jump. We paid $5 and when it was his turn, he chickened out. We asked Kingston if he wanted to do it and he smiled and hopped on. The man strapped him in (and he is totally fearless at this point and quite digging the cool harness, cords, and buckles) and he did it.  He loved it until the man raised him in the air too high and then he panicked, but it was fun to see Kingston climb on, fearless as usual, and enjoy the thrill of something new and different. Thats my Kingsers.