Sundays in Our City: Our Beach

When Paul and I were house-hunting, we wanted two things:

1) To buy a house---in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area---for less than $200,000 dollars.
2) For it not to be a shithole.

For those familiar with the real-estate market in 2004, this was no small task. 

Amazingly, we accomplished both of our goals. We found our little Cape Cod, with its green shutters and white siding. It looked like it was peeking through the trees with its dormer eyes. With three bedrooms, two baths, and a skylight in the upstairs bathroom, we had enough room for the (now deceased) dog and for the imaginary children of our future.

But, the kicker of the deal was when the Realtor said, "The community beach is about a ten minute walk away."

Sold.

This beach, on the Western edge of the Chesapeake Bay, is like opening a present, again, and again, and again. I'll forget that we live so close to the water until I drive by and see the sudden gasp of blue, or the lazy pulsing of a cargo ship, or the kite-like dance of the sailboats.

Owen and Joel have grown up by the shores of the Bay. It's a normal activity to hunt for shark's teeth and coral, or wade in the warm waters during the summer. Normal. As an Arizona desert kid, I went to the beach maybe fifteen times my entire childhood---and that's a generous number.

What lucky kids.

Here's my mother and Paul with Owen. He's about two weeks old, and it's early March.

He liked the beach more each time he visited.

See?

Now, it's his playground, another place to explore.

Joel likes the beach too, but this was the only picture I could dig up. I suppose that's the reality of having two children under the age of four that LOVE the water and exploring. I need to keep them from drowning while still drinking my coffee. And taking pictures of said coffee.

Thanks to Unknown Mami for her hosting of Sundays in my City, an opportunity to tour our world, one mouse click at a time!