surfer girl

One of my co-workers is an avid windsurfer and an organization he's a member of was having a discovery clinic this Sunday for kids. My daughter is a Pisces, so any sport that involves the water, she's there!



It was one of those absolutely beautiful and perfect summer days. Lovely breezes, sun, blue skies (almost as lovely as the blue skies of Alabama) and warm water. Chicklet and I got ready to head on over for the lessons that started at 10:30 and what we thought would be a morning event turned into a whole day affair.


First, she learned how to manoeuvre the board and sail on dry land.


And after being outfitted for a lifejacket she headed on down to the beach and waited to be assigned a board and an instructor. She passed time by looking for shells and rocks, ever the naturalist. As long as she doesn't bring home any odd creatures... That, I expect, will happen soon enough when she's a teenager. *sigh*



She hoisted up the sail and awaited further instructions from her most excellent teacher, Stéphane. This man's been windsurfing since he was kneehigh to a grasshopper and has the patience of Jobe.




In less than an hour she was gliding around on the calm waters and she never fell... not even once. I've been informed that she fully intends to do this again... and again... and again.



She loved it so much after lunch we went back and she had another go at it. Afterwards, she and I rented one of the two-seat Kayaks (you can see some in the video) and explored the waters for an hour. It was a wonderful day! And we've vowed to go again.


Yes.. I'm aware I'm going to have to beat them off with a stick... and in Canadian fashion, it'll be a HOCKEY stick.

*sigh*

My baby's growing up.

At least I got to stick my toes in the sand... *waves at Songbird*

"I am not afraid of storms: For I am learning how to sail my ship."
-Eleanoor Roosevelt

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want." (Calvin and Hobbes)

I’m trying to figure out what the summer will be like for Chicklet this year. As a single mom, it’s a challenge keeping her busy, supervised and safe.

Before entering kindergarten, she’d spend her weekdays in daycare. When she started school, we found some activities for her, and Mom covered the rest. Chicklet spent a good deal of time with my mother and she used to love running errands with her (which almost always included visiting the dollar store at the mall).

Finding ways to keep kids busy wasn’t a problem when I was a kid. I’d run out the door in the morning to go play and I’d come home for lunch… which usually consisted of a bowl of soup and a sandwich while sitting in front of the TV watching The Flintstones.

After lunch, I’d run back out and play until it was time for dinner. Afterwards, I’d go back out again and the signal to come home was when the street lights came on…

We lived outside hunting butterflies, making believe we were princesses, playing in the park and competing to see who could swing the highest and jump off the swing and land the furthest…

Now, I’m looking into sleep-away camps and day camps…

I had a great time going to sleep-away camp… shooting arrows… canoeing… swimming… poison ivy… wait, no… that was Joe Spivy. The camp I went to as a kid is still running… hmmmmm

'Being a child at home alone in the summer is a high-risk occupation. If you call your mother at work thirteen times an hour, she can hurt you.'
--Erma Bombeck