The conversation of summer and the city has been a frequent conversation around our home. In planning this current pregnancy we knew that an early summer babe would be best. The baby would still be very young, lack mobility, and still wouldn’t need much but a few feedings from mama and diaper changes. With all of that, River was on our mind the most. We wanted her summer to still be fun, but this time even more memorable as a first time big sister. Her summer could still host many explorations, days running under the broken hydrants at the endless Brooklyn block parties, stomping her feet on the warm concrete that is the local splash pad, and most importantly many hours and days at the beach.
When River is at the beach, it seems as if she’s taken away. It’s just herself, the water, and the sand. She’s completely uninhibited and to see that from a three year old is truly a site. Peter and I watched-on just the other weekend as she did this once again. This time with even more spunk and joy than she embodied the previous year. Once hitting the sand, Peter and I become invisible. She stays safely near us at all times, but often engages with her her sandy toes, hands, and the water. They come alive in her eyes.
The photo above is from our last beach day last summer. It was a glorious day, and my mind can’t stop dreaming up the glorious heat filled days to come as a family of four. The days we spend driving from Queens to Long Island and back to Brooklyn with a cooler full of delicious summer food and car full of laughter. The days where we dance like a bunch of off-beat “silly goose” (as River would say), and the days where our hearts, bodies, and spirits only want to be there in that moment, forever.
As a kick-off to what I am sure will be an amazing summer, I have teamed up with my partners Sunuva to offer one lucky instagram follower a $150 gift card! As I look back on our last beach day last summer and the ones to come, I know Sunuva will be a huge part of it. Head on over to my instagram account to see how you can enter this giveaway.
Happy start of summer!!
