a great day

we went to an arts in the park event on sunday.  i was so worried that it was going to be crowded and difficult to park - that there would be loud music and that i would be full of anxiety the whole time about losing ezra.  well i think it was auspicious that we saw a couple dozen wild goats next to the grounds when we were pulling up in the car.  we stopped to take some photographs and a video so the children could see them (and me the biggest child in the back seat of cat's car where i sit more comfortably than in the front seat with my knees pressed against the glove box.  it's not that i'm a giant, but that her car is very tiny and bianca sits in a rear-facing car seat behind the passenger seat).

so i ride in the back with these two little angels.  they are such a pleasure to listen to.  they say the sweetest things to each other.  there is a lot of love between these two.  

this was taken from the parking lot.  i was wrong about the event.  it wasn't crowded.  there were many parking spaces in this grassy field (a rare beautiful thing in itself on this island), there was no music, and ezra and bianca stayed by us the whole time.  

cat, bianca, ezra, and i held hands along the pathway to the park

we saw these buoys,

and some paintings.  ezzy is holding bianca back in case she feels tempted to touch the paintings which i told them at the beginning not to do.  ez loves to enforce the rules.  bianca usually doesn't mind these protective gestures from him.  (they're checking out the penguin, by the way)

and then they found this structure which i think is some kind of historical piece of architecture here on the island.  there was no information about it but they loved playing in it for a bit while i took pictures.  they climbed through different holes and ezra said, "i'm climbing through the window like pippi!"  these kids both have a love for pippi longstocking thanks to their pippi longstocking loving mommies.

they found a playground and climbed this ladder together before going down a pole, a slide, and swinging on tire swings.  it was hard to get them to leave, but it was hot out and they both had to pee so we took the opportunity to leave and headed for the car.  ezra really wanted to come back to "the biggest playground" but it was so hot we decided it was time to have a picnic on the beach.  so we headed to dawn beach where neither bianca or cat had been yet.

we parked facing the oyster pond marina and the kids had to explore some little dinghies on the grass.

bianca, little girl that she is, started cleaning out this boat and was ready to set up house.

but, we called them away from the boats so we could get to this.

with st. barth's in the distance, the layers of amazing blues, gently tumbling waves on the soft sand and these two cuties to watch while they play, i am in heaven.  there is also a heavenly breeze always blowing on this side - the leeward side - of the island.

the beach is flanked by two resorts and surrounded by beautiful residences.

i noticed bianca and ezra were wearing color coordinated swim suits on this day.

they ran around at the shoreline

and made tracks with their shovels.

i love their little shadows.

after the beach we went to the marina at oyster pond and walked along the planks of the dock,

looked at all the catamarans,

crossed a bridge,

admired the boats up close,

and found this old pirate ship again.

i think i could live on a boat here.

at the end of our adventure we took a rest at the "dinghy dock bar" for some french fries and drinks.  there was a duo cover band playing their guitars and singing songs from eric clapton, U2, and pink floyd.  it was great.  they could really play and it wasn't too loud for us to hear each other talk.  the kids danced and had a great time at the end of a great day.  bianca slept the whole way home and ezra and i sat in the back and shared a baguette.  we enjoy our friends so much.  the other night when we lay in bed before we fell asleep, ezra asked if bianca was moving back to america too.  i said that she would someday but that we would make new friends.  he said, "will we get a new bianca?  and a new cat?"  i know we'll never make another bianca or cat but i had to say yes to him.  we will miss them so much!