samuel takes on the beach

The beach.  Beaches.  So many beaches here.  And they are good to Samuel.  We pull up, he runs up and gets to work.  He builds up, he digs down, he takes on the waves.

I have finally learned that stopping at a beach, even if it's just to check it out, means that Samuel will end up drenched and looking like a sugar donut, covered in sand from head to toe.  

A simple mound of sand soon became an amazing volcano.

A place to run and do a few cartwheels.

 An awesome volcano is a perfect place to drop a rock.

And, of course, no better place to stick your leg, right?  I saw this photo and his abs o' steel cracked me up.  His workout routine?  All cardio, all the time. 

Yes, the beach is a great place for this boy and we try and go as much as we can.  Seems that when we enclose him in four walls... well... a while back I (over)shared how Samuel prefers to wipe his boogers on the side of the toilet.  For reasons that I hope are nothing more than boredom, the boogers are back.  So I told the kid (that is how I refer to him when his choices don't reflect my ideal parenting skills) that if I found one more booger then he gets to use the bathroom in the garage.  That means going down the stairs, out to the garage, and to the bathroom that is there for a future ohana (apartment that many of the houses here in Kauai have).  Even at night, which to me, seems so creepy and far.  Next day, guess what we find?  Yep.  Guess who has proudly gone to the bathroom twice in the last two hours?  Yep.  But at least my bathrooms will remain booger free.  

I take suggestions.

Oh, and we got a call from the principal's office.   Turns out "freak" is not on the least of acceptable words here.  And here's the thing, his teacher said he says it so flippantly. I think the kid (see?  There I go calling him the kid again) actually likes to see peoples' eyes get big and start to freak (whoops, looks like it's time to clean up my language) out.  

And though I take suggestions, I have to admit that my follow through is seriously lacking.

I kept finding myself telling Karl that we have no business raising kids.  I always had the vision of contributing to society.  But I feel like we are such takers.  And here we are making more takers.  All five of us, takers #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5 (I feel a little bad calling the baby a taker because that's kind of his job right now).  The husband responds, "but they're so cute." 

Oh great.  That is us doing our share.  Cute, and often times funny, but serious takers, kids.  

Two hours after his sister has fallen asleep at the appropriate bedtime and dad has fallen asleep reading them the Magic Tree House, Samuel comes walking out of the room, all scoonchy-eyed from the "too shiny lights" as he would call them.  He says to me, "I need to give you a kiss." 

The roller coaster.  The drama.  What this kid is lacking in fat on his body, he makes up for in personality.  

And I wish my good intentions could make up for my lack of follow through.

Before we left (and ripped Samuel away from two teachers that adored him and he adored back), Samuel's teacher pulled Karl aside and told him that Samuel is one of the brightest boys that she knows and because he is so active, it gets him into trouble.  She said that if someone doesn't understand that, Samuel shuts down.  And then she got kind of choked up and said that we need to remember that when we find him a new teacher.  

Her words, like those of the wise man's voice over in the movies, keep going through my head.  He is such a sweet sweet sweet kid.  A sweet kid that likes to move.  

And that is why the beach is best for Samuel.