We Wanna Rock!

Kate has discovered the joys of throwing rocks in the water. We've been going out to the beach a lot, as the weather's getting warmer, and that's all she wants to do. Luckily there are lots and lots of rocks on the beach, so there's no chance she'll run out any time soon.

Her throwing technique has improved dramatically. A few weeks ago I took her to the duck pond, well-supplied with bread for the ducks and peanuts for any intrepid squirrels we happened to meet. The ducks were hungry and Kate was trying to feed them, but just couldn't manage it. She kept walking toward them with bread clutched in her out-stretched fist, which of course made the ducks run the other way, and then she would fling her hand out and the bread would fall right at her feet.

On this same outing we did in fact meet a squirrel who was not only intrepid but downright stalker-ish. He followed us all around the pond, begging for peanuts. He climbed halfway up my pants leg, and also climbed up trees as we went by and peeked out, right at eye-level, stretching forward and kind of bobbing his head like he was getting ready to take a flying leap. Now, I like squirrels, but I was worried that he might jump on Kate, and I could see that going badly. Don't want to give her a squirrel-phobia for the rest of her life. (I couldn't help thinking of that line from Over the Hedge--"I am a crazy rabid squirrel!") We managed to avoid being leapt upon, and after he ate up the last of our peanuts he eventually figured out that there was no more forthcoming and stopped following us around.

Kate can actually get the rocks into the water now. Or the bread to the ducks, as the case may be. Of course, she still throws like a girl. And she doesn't seem to like waves, so if the water is rough at all she doesn't get too close, and instead of throwing the rocks in herself she has me throw them. She picks up rocks and hands them to me and says, "Throw this!" (Toss) "Throw this!" (Toss) "Throw this!" Lather, rinse, repeat. As we walk around on the beach I've been picking up rocks myself. I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do with them yet, but something. My jacket pocket is now full of interesting-looking rocks. In fact, as I was putting on my jacket to leave for church this morning I noticed how heavy it was. I need to get them out of there.