::Sweat and Sobs & Introducing the Ocean::

::AY EIGHT::

It was time to say goodbye to our Georgia cousins. We drove back along the highway to a book store in Maryanne's end of town to trade back our children. It was a hard goodbye. "I don't want your family to go," she'd said as we got our little people buckled in. Anna and Caelah were very brave. Maryanne and I both see our younger selves in them: strong girls-- different, yet deeply compatible. In the rear view I watched a quiet girl fight with tears for a little while. I imagine my mom would have seen the very same thing in her own mirror twenty years ago.

Savannah was unanimously hailed as a must-see place. While it would have been wisest to simply drive past the exit signs and get to camp in daylight, we veered off to explore for a bit. Of course, a "bit" became a lot as we wound our way through cobbled streets and past unique garden squares filled with ornate water fountains. We walked down along the river and sampled seafood outside restaurants. Dinner was a wood-fired pizza that left us coated in cheesy grease. And slowly the daylight began to fade.

It was 7:30 pm before we got back to the van and almost 8:30 by the time we made it to ::Hunting Island State Park:: And that's when things began to descend into sweat and sobs-- went to poop, as we say. . .

We pulled up to our site and realized what a monumental challenge the next hour would be. We had to park our van and wander down a dusty, jungle-of-a pathway for a quarter of a mile just to get to the spot where we were supposed to pitch our tent. What?! The best we could do was get all of the sleepy, grumpy kids down the path first, and then have me wait there while Aidan went back and forth to grab the tent gear.

Funny things happen to me at twilight. Something about the blue light and the mind preparing itself for darkness, but my heart began to hammer hard as the kids wailed and I watched spiky palm fronds sway against the sky. I convinced myself that the weird noises were emanating from exotic jungle fauna that would bite the hapless tourists who who would quickly succumb for lack of any antibodies. {It was probably a bunch of raccoons}.

It was nearly ten o'clock by the time the oldest kids were sprawled across their sleeping bags. But Annorah , having been stretched far past her limit, cried long and hard into the night. She pitched back and forth--sweaty and miserable. And Aidan and I wondered if we would make it another ten days. I knew that we would reach this mental breaking point at some point along the way. I just didn't expect it to be the very first night. But I was ready for it. I instinctively prayed and prayed and prayed my way through the screams and the creepy noises outside. And finally, Norah snuggled close and drifted of. And we were pretty much comatose until morning.

::AY NINE::

Everything looks brighter in the morning. But in the South everything is still stinking hot too! No such thing as a cool evening breeze apparently. We woke up in the same heat we fell asleep in. The daylight revealed some cool wildlife. We saw some little green lizards and heard some brand new bird calls. The palms were dense and completely new to us. But one thing was very clear: the day had to be spent by the water or we would die from the heat. We packed our beach gear up and drove to the water.

We took a small path up over some small dunes grown with beach grass and there it was. "Welcome to the ocean guys!" I was not disappointed by the reactions. "Whoa! That's a lot of water!" In hindsight, we were truly fortunate to have come across this beach first. It was ideally suited to small kids who had no ocean experience: the water was warm--so unexpected--, it remained shallow far from shore and the waves were gentle. This meant that there was more sea life on the shore at low tide and more likelihood that the kids would even want to swim. (In the next week the beaches would get colder and the waves far more intense.)

We learned so much that first day about beach life. We had a red beach umbrella, but saw many fantastic canopies that provided much more shade. The most seasoned beach-goers pulled Radio Flyer wagons loaded with their day's necessities down the shore and set up just beyond the high tide mark. We also learned that only Northerners wear life jackets or extra items of clothing into the water. There seems to be a general immunity to the effects of waves and sun among the locals. Sigh. Fighting resentments, as I donned my long-sleeved shirt, hat and quart of sunscreen, I reassured myself with this fact: these sun babies would never survive a Canadian winter. So there.

Such beauty! Flocks of pelicans. White Egrets perched on the pier. Hermit crabs, both burdened and protected by their transient shell-homes. Sea birds dive-bombing the ocean in hope of snatching up fish. White shrimp boats slowly trawling in circles--clouds of sea gulls eagerly flying in their wake. Sand dollars peppering the ocean floor--we had to snatch them with our toes and lift them to the surface. Ignorantly, I gathered about six of them and brought them back to camp to dry. In fact, I set them on our van's dashboard to dry in the sun! Had I been caught I might have faced a "hefty fine":
And the sound... I will never tire of the sound of waves on the shore. It's a sound that pulls me and keeps we awed.

For dinner we drove into town and stopped at The Gay Fish Co. for a pound of fresh shrimp to BBQ. But we quickly learned of how the heat can limit ones appetite. We all nibbled at our food. The kids went down smoothly that night and Aidan and I enjoyed a game of cribbage by the fire before heading to bed.

::Chattanooga Days::

::AY SIX::

Many, many emotions were involved in shaping the next few days. The plan was to pack up and head over to Chattanooga to stay with Aunty B. for a few days before heading to the coast. However, two little girls had their hearts set on staying together. I considered putting my foot down and insisted on dragging Caelah along, but daughter-tears are weighty things. And so we left Caelah with Anna, exchanging her for Josh. It saddened me that Aunty B. would not get a chance to chat with my eldest, but it would have been sadder still to inhibit the cousin-bonding taking place.


Grace & Cora were waiting for us at Aunty B's, as I had hoped they would be. I have wanted to get my hands on Cora for awhile because she reminds me so much of Caelah as a baby. She is just as scrumptious as her pictures promised. Cora was very interested in Annorah, who was not nearly as interested in her. Norah kept looking up at me-- help? It was funny to watch.
The boys spent all of their time on the front lawn playing with water or watching the freight train as it passed again and again. At dinner time we finally saw the husbands: Justin and Uncle John home from work. We had great plans to travel into town that evening for a music festival, but we were rained out. It did give me a chance to chat with my long-missed Aunt and Uncle before bed though.

::AY SEVEN::

We had only a brief visit with Uncle John in the morning before he had to leave for a two-day job in Atlanta. Considering we only see him once every few years, I was sad to see him go. Shortly after breakfast Aunty B. and I took the boys into town to play at a newly renovated water feature. Beside the Aquarium a wide set of steps now cascaded with water down to a shallow pool near the river. Instant hit with the kids. I liked it because it was entirely in the shade and I could wade alongside them without wetting my skirt. Good thing because Isaiah had me climb up and down with him about twenty times!

At my insistence we walked to a local coffee shop afterwards called Greyfriars because I had a stubborn memory of it being remarkably good. They had this chocolate fudge brownie that I still remember. Aunty B. warned that new ownership had changed the quality of the desserts. She was right, but the cakes we had were not bad and the coffee was still tasty. It also happened to be that right behind our little cafe table was a suspicious mountain of old books by the curb. Free?After inquiring at the bookshop next door we were told that, yes, the books could go home with us if we wanted them. After one glance I knew they of a genre and era that were entirely unfamiliar to me. Unsurprisingly, Aunty B. sifted through them expertly and we came away with well over a dozen books that were tucked under every arm and stuffed in every available crevice of the umbrella stroller which was then sat upon by Isaiah. He was not thrilled to be placed in such a precarious position.

That evening we were unexpectedly gifted with a night off. Aunty B. did not feel up to heading to Riverbend Festival, so she offered to stay in with our sleeping brood, including Cora. So, Justin, Grace, Andrew, Aidan & I seized the opportunity.


WE strolled across the beautiful pedestrian bridge that sans the Chattanooga river and heard an eerie fusion of music drifting up from various stages. It was very hard to make out a single group or musician. Because of this we decided to fore go any hope pf actually listening to music and we explored some of Grace and Justin's favourite places. They took us up to the Art Gallery and showed us some amazing sculptures. We wandered through winding vine-covered stone alleyways and saw a beautiful Boccie Ball court shaded by a leafy arbour. Trees had actually snaked their trunks around the structure to form the canopy. We settled at a coffee shop for a latte-- (not skinny please.)

We continued to search out some worthwhile music for awhile afterwards but were unsuccessful. However we had entertainment in Justin who Yankified himself until Grace was sufficiently embarrassed. We were also accosted by a street preacher who warned us all to beware our pride. At 10:00 P.M Grace and I were ready to call lit a night but the boys had other ideas. When we ladies conceded to going to a local pub Justin yipped; "This is the best night of the year!"

It truly was a fantastic place. It was called The Terminal. A completely green building: reclaimed wood, low-water toilets, rainwater cisterns, and local farm connections. We'll drink to that! And the food was remarkably good. Aidan says the nachos were the best he's ever had, and I would say the same for my crab cakes. It was a very later night in the end. But it was such a good one.

::Long Haul & Helms Cousins::

::AY Three::

On the road after our hotel breakfast for the long haul from Michigan to Atlanta. The first thing I heard from the backseat, courtesy of Gabriel; "So, where are all the dead Bambies?" {The roadkill on U.S. highways is plentiful}. The road was conspicuously free of carcasses. Good observation, Gabriel. . .
One hour later it was Caelah's turn to yell from the backseat; "I gotta go! And when you gotta go, you gotta go." So true. . .
I saw an interesting license plate: COAX ME . . . to what? . . .
With only six hours left to go Gabriel grew animated once more; "Halfway! Yesssss!" It's all a matter of perspective, eh? Sometimes we could all use a dose of four year-old perspective to pep us up. . .
May I just say that portable DVD players saved our sanity? Although one's sanity can be tested in a special way after being subjected to Monsters v. Aliens twelve times in a row. . .
The hills of Tennessee may be the death of our overburdened van. We can hear it kick into third gear with every climb. Aidan is wincing. . .
Just passed the whimsically named town of Stinking Creek. . .
11:00 P.M. At Maryanne & Pat's.
{She had been about to call it a night. I caught her taping little notes to the floor and on the bedroom doors so we knew where to rest our heads.}
Bed.
Finally.

::AY , FOUR & Five::

Boys running and yelling at 7:00 A.M.
I guess they felt right at home.
Almost immediately Josh and Elijah began to engineer Lego creations side by side. And Caelah and Anna were immersed in super girly pastimes, including dance performances and piano duets.


The other kids quickly learned to navigate their way around one another in a new space. Home away from home. However, Gabriel did have to be set straight on urination etiquette. While it may be somewhat acceptable to drop your drawers for a pee on the Interstate, it is generally unacceptable to pee into the neighbour's bushes in an urban suburb.

As for Aidan and I, we settled right in. Aidan worked from his laptop from the comfort of an armchair in the living room. If a tornado of kids hit the area, he simply moved upstairs. It was equally easy for me to find my place. My cousin keeps house a lot like I do, so it felt completely natural to take up a broom and fight the good fight alongside her. I told her I felt compelled to keep on top of the mess because she has made such a beautiful home.


Southern summers are made more bearable by both air-conditioning and swimming pools. We had both. We frequented the community pool the second evening to cool off. Elijah and Gabriel both scared us by slipping under. I actually jumped in with my clothes on to grab Gabriel. Swimming lessons are now at the top of the priorities list when we get home. I have held off with the ambitious intent to teach them myself. But that just hasn't been happening. Our tinies cooled off on a different scale--the kiddy pool on the back porch:


Maryanne and I were able to escape in the evenings and speak long and deeply, as we have done all our lives. Our mothers were intent on building lasting relationships between their daughters. Many hours of driving to bring us all together. This was not done in vain. All five of us girls remain deeply connected to one another. The beauty of the friendships we see solidifying between our own children is not lost on us.

::Dan & Michelle's Wedding::

::AY TWO::

We were served a wonderful pancake breakfast in the morning. Twelve kids crammed around a wooden table. While we were loading the van yet again Caelah leaned her head into my side and mumbled; "I don't have to go, do I?..." Yes, my sweetheart, you do. There are oceans ahead and many more cousins to play with. I adore my Aunt Jane and found it hard to say goodbye. She has a deep soul, and a very honest tongue. When we arrived the day before she had put her arm around my waist and asked me to take off my sunglasses; "Jo? It is you! If you don't mind me saying so, there is a lot less of you this time. I hardly recognized you." Thank you, Aunt Jane, I think.

We had no trouble over the border and pulled up to our hotel with enough time for a quick change into wedding clothes. When we first opened the door to the van it felt like being whacked across the face with a hot skillet. The heat was intense. {Little did we know but we would perspire 24-7 from here to home}. It occurred to me that I faced a wardrobe dilemma: Cover up? Or cook? In heat such as this one wants to wear as little as possible but for me this would mean painful sunburn. Optimistically, I figured I could begin cultivating the art of staying cool yet protected. . . Who was a kidding? Cool was never an option. So I decided to cover up. The cost: several sweat-marred shirts and a lasting antipathy towards travel in the Southerly direction from May-September.

The wedding ceremony was very short which was convenient for a family full of restless kids. But it was also very small. This only served to highlight by boys' crazy behaviour. In the fifteen minutes it took to give the bride and groom a hug in the receiving line they literally bounced off walls, rolled on the ground, and chased one another in tight circles around people groupings. And I simply didn't have the will nor the energy to put a stop to it. I just hoped for a little grace, and grace is what I got. I overheard one woman say; "Kids will be kids." Indeed.

The reception was held at a golf course with a view. Once the heat subsided we spent a bit of time out on the balcony looking at the lovely eco-disaster of a golf green. We held an impromptu photo shoot out there. I spotted a wedding party gathered on one of the hills. The girls were wearing awful kelly-green dresses. I figure they must resent the bride for making them wear a colour that looks horrible on everyone and everything but a pool table. I bumped into them in the washroom an hour later. Their foreheads were shiny with sweat and their makeup was running down their cheeks. Now they were clover-green and soggy. Poor, girls.

Back inside a kid's table had mercifully been provided. It was mostly well though-out, apart from the bouncy balls which were soon ricocheting past the faces of the wedding party. Annorah spent lots of time under our table. We were hoping she would sleep but she found our shoes too fascinating.

The three brothers didn't get to see much of each other that evening. Evan and Stasia were placed across the room at the front. And Colin was seated way at the back of the room at the "singles" table--as Aidan called it. But once we got back to the hotel, and all were asleep on beds and floors and in closets, Aidan snuck out to hang out in their room.

::The Little Van That Could & The Very Full House ::

::AY ONE::


There is a phenomenon whereby a finite space seems to be able to hold an infinite amount. {Like the magical tents in Harry Potter}. Our little van just kept on accommodating more and more of our stuff. Aidan would come back into the house shaking his head, but I would have yet another mound waiting for him. Out he would go, only to return again shaking his head. In this way we--oh, let's be honest-- I was able to bring FAR more than I had any right to do. Of course, while the van's frame seemed happy to oblige, its shocks told a different story. During our first half hour on the road, anytime we hit a bump, Aidan would groan; "Poor van!"


The actual layout of children and stuff took some careful thought. Isaiah could not be trusted beside Annorah. Only a week earlier he had fed her a grape that nearly killed her. And Gabriel and Elijah were best kept separate for other reasons, yet similarly, with their better health--and ours-- in mind. No child had any leg room. The back seat was shoved up against the middle seat to provide more trunk space. And Elijah in the middle had to prop up his feet on three weeks worth of clothes, a stroller and a beach blanket.

As we drove, for fun, I began to keep track of pee breaks. Better to make a game of it than get angry at the natural functions of my kids' bladders. Day 1 yielded five breaks. But that was spread over 9 hours. Day 18 took the record with 6 breaks in 2.5 hours. What?! Drinks were confiscated after that.

Much of my driving experience on Day 1 was defined by "Serena," the GPS lady. Aidan paid way more attention to her than me. First, Aidan played around with the vehicle icon. We went from a being represented by a blue sports car to a yellow school bus. Much more appropriate. Then Aidan grew dissatisfied with Serena's British accent and tried Samantha-the-American. He settled on Serena in the end. Everyone loves Queen's English, right?


Serena messed with our heads a few times. She once told us to fly down a side road that looked like a gorge of death, rather than to take the nicely paved road a few meters earlier. Bad, Serena. And everyone knows the Brits don't say their 'r's in the middle of their words, but Serena never got the memo, so she was pronouncing streets in the oddest way. They nearly sounded like gibberish. Kinda like when Steve Martin, as Inspector Clouseau, tries to pronounce 'Hamburger' in The Pink Panther. Funny.

We arrived at our cousins' home around 4:30 in the afternoon. We had been warned that parking would be interesting, as our Great Aunt Jane & Uncle Albert had arrived a few weeks earlier with their behemoth RV. Road parking was not an option as the neighbourhood was plagued by particularly officious ticket-hornets. So up onto the grass we went.


What a delightful family. Seven strawberry blond heads, all willing to let us invade their home. In no time at all our kids were all swept away to various activities, including throwing gravel into each others hair and sneaking into the front yard despite strict orders not to. For awhile Caelah was running around calling after 'Benji,' though none of us had any idea who that might be. Oh, Benita. And Gabriel, always on the lookout for a shortcut, referred to every child as 'that boy'.


We tucked our dirty, gravel-haired bambinos into the tent trailer--our room for the night-- and spent an hour or so warding off curious strawberry-headed spies who wanted to peek into the windows at their cousins. That evening the adults snacked on BBQ fish and spoke deeply about faith. We challenged one another on why we believe what we believe. It was done graciously and well. I crept into my trailer bed ready for sleep, but unable to for a very long time as coffee buzzed through my veins and a train whistle blasted very nearby.

::Home!::

::Tiny Moments::

omorrow we leave for our very first big family trip. This heralds in me an excitement for the years ahead. Lord willing our family will fill many albums with photos of the experiences we share. I have set aside the camera for months now. That saddens me. I think I got so caught up in the daily grind that the beauty of capturing the everyday was lost on me for a time. I hope that I come home with a fresh eagerness to really see the tiny moments that make up a childhood.

::Flaming Dishcloth::

t says something about life around here when I scooped up a flaming dishcloth which had been set alight by the gas stove, flicked it onto the porch. Beat it with a block of wood than promptly returned to stirring the onions in the pan. "What happened, mommy?"

"Oh, nothing."

::Waterhouse::

omen are beautiful creations, but some artists capture that beauty better than others. I have been exploring art a little of late and came across John Waterhouse. I am familiar with the painting of Psyche Entering Cupid's Garden, above. It has been hanging on my wall for years. But he has painted so many more stunning works--mostly of women. He must have esteemed them, to capture them as he did. I hope to read some biographies on his life in future, but have only learned, thus far, that he was inspired by myth and classical history.

I think I am drawn to paintings from this era because of the way women are portrayed. They look so. . . healthy. And they appear so essentially feminine. Rounded curved, long hair, rosy cheeks. In my current frenzy to harness my body and drop weight, it does my heart good to see the beauty in the softer, less sculpted female body.