Day 26: Breathe, Seek, Play......Beach

The beach really does make everything better.  We've had a rough week, with colds, allergies, and Elliott has been having his IEP evaluations and today was the Language Arts Benchmark test for the nine weeks.  He didn't do as well as he did on his previous test and now is worried about the EOG's at the end of the year (afraid he will not pass). I found out all of this when I went to eat lunch with him today.  I hugged him and told him everything would be ok, and he told me that he didn't want to talk about it that he was hungry (he didn't get to eat his snack because of the IEP evaluation today) and he said he just wanted to eat.  When I picked him up from school he was in tears.  I thought how much more can his little heart take.  I asked what was wrong and he said he got mud on him at the playground.  He went to get a basketball and slipped in the mud and had it all over his shirt and pants.  He said was so embarrassed.  I told him we'd change as soon as we got home.  I told him that we'd go swimming at the pool tonight and he smiled but quickly the tears started to come.  When we got home, he changed his clothes but his sullen mood was still there.  We packed up the car to head to the beach, our go to Happy Place, or better known as My Whit's End.  We stopped for our Friday night Little Caesars pizza and ate on the drive down.  They were enjoying the pizza and playing games on their ipad and nexus 7....he was smiling, happy that he was breaking high scores on Royal Revolt.  My heart lifted as I myself thought I'd be in tears with him, as nothing none of us could do anything to make him smile this afternoon.  When we cross the bridge to our island it feels as if we escape from everything...it's such a great feeling to leave it all behind.   It's as if you get sucked into a happy bubble and the worries and stresses are left behind....and after today we needed it.  We arrived at our condo and quickly unpacked.  We walked to the board walk to see the HUGE pipes on the beach.  They are dredging for beach nourishment and our ramp and stairway have been taped off with caution.  We saw a worker and asked how much longer they'd be and he yelled up at least 3 to 4 more days.  Elliott sighed, we won't be able to play on the beach.  I had to act fast and said lets go to Food Lion and get some ice cream (and at this point I knew I'd need some wine).  He picked out his favorite kind of ice cream and as soon as we made it into the condo he wanted one. After the ice cream we went to the pool and enjoyed a quick swim and played with dive sticks.  Cooper said how he doesn't feel like his cold is bothering him anymore.  And my allergy symptoms are pretty much gone.  Tomorrow is the St. Patrick's Day Festival here on Emerald Isle, over 20,000 people are expected...we plan to go and make the most of our beach weekend.  Tomorrow we may sneak out to take pictures early in the morning (or take a short drive to the public beach access or pier to take a few).  Whatever comes ahead, we are thankful for the beach does make everything better, it nourishes our souls....that's the best kind of beach nourishment!