Beach Baby

Anne spent most of July on the shores of Lake Michigan, basking in the sun, splashing in the water, and rolling in the sand. Highlights of our trip north were the private concert mom's friend gave in honor of her birthday while we were at the Lake House- Annie and Ella danced the evening away- and Anne's first Cherry Festival events, the Pet Show where she was filmed greeting costumed geese by a local tv crew and the Cherry Royal Parade, during which she'd have marched off with the drumline of a marching band if I'd let go of her. We feared the parade would be too loud for her to enjoy, but after the first band passed, once we could hear her little voice again, we heard her saying, "More, More!" When the gymnastic's club passed, Anne hurried into the street to join their acrobatics, attempting her first headstand right there on Front Street. If you'd asked her that evening what she wanted to be when she grows up, she would have answered "gymnast" or "drummer." Attending the parade was especially meaningful to me, since we went with mom and her lifelong friends Judy and Joie, plus their daughters and grandchildren. Three generations of friendship; I grew up watching the parade with these girls, now grown. The best kind of nostalgia is reliving your favorite childhood memories with your child, and with the children of those friends with whom you first enjoyed life's parades. Since it was close to mom's birthday, Judy brought a cake and we sang to her. Mom was much pleased that Anne spent most of the parade perched on her lap.

During our visit to Michigan, we spent one week at a house on Crystal Lake with my whole family. Anne could not contain her excitement when she was reunited with cousin Ella. She leaned over with her hands on her knees and let out a toddler-sized war cry before chasing Ella down the dock. The chasing continued all week and picked up intensity when Uncle Jeremy joined in. When not eating or sleeping, the girls were on the beach or at the park or floating on the oversized intertube together. Said tube also doubled as a trampoline. Cousin Ella is big into dancing, so when Saul came to play and sing for us, the girls had a blast. Anne wanted Ella to dance with her, but Ella prefers to dance solo. Undeterred, Anne found another partner- the gigantic stuffed bear that sits in the family room. Much bigger than her, he was hard to move across the floor, so Anne was fine with just swaying and moving his arms about.

Now that we're back home in Illinois, Anne is rediscovering all her toys and books. They are like old friends to her. We also discovered Tiny Tots swim time at the Sholem Aquatic Center. It's not Lake Michigan, but it's a fun place to splash and play and take a break from the heat. Anne always falls asleep in the car on the way home, as I often did as a child when we drove home from the lake. I love this girl, and I love spending these summer days with her. She is a delight.