Skinny Dipping

Our time here in Costa Rica continues to be what Matt describes as “peaks and valleys”. As I was finally sitting down to add to the blog again I came across this writing from last month. I’m glad I wrote it down because it’s sometimes easier to dwell in the valleys rather than appreciate the view from high up.

October 16

Yesterday was a really good day. I wish I could figure out what the exact mix was to make it so great. It reminds me of being a new parent and adjusting to that challenging role. Some days everything was just going and I so desperately wanted more days to be like that that I’d try to recreate scenarios that previously worked. A pointless effort, it’s true, but one I engaged in nonetheless. In this new transitional state we’ve thrust upon ourselves, I sometimes find myself reverting to this tendency. Well, I was hoping moving here would spur a period of deeper self-reflection.

But back to what was good. It was getting to be that witching hour time of afternoon, just before dinner. We’d let the kids watch shows and I was bracing myself for their inevitable post-show bad mood. I was feeling antsy and went outside. It was delightfully cool (read: 78 degrees). I whipped the kids into a frenzy to get dressed and come out for a walk. A walk? They couldn’t believe I was acting so crazy. We went tearing off down the driveway, cackling like loons, so happy to be outside and not be hot. Django was in full Wild Kratts mode, yelling that he was a devil (of the Tasmanian sort) and running full tilt. It was ridiculously magical out. The sky was big, the clouds puffy and we could actually just walk and enjoy because the rains had cooled everything down. After about 15 minutes Matt showed up in the distance, returning from his run. Now we were all enjoying it together. They got to run down an empty dirt road, perfectly softened by recent rains.
When we got back, Matt went to cool off in the pool. The kids wanted to get in too and we told them they could just go in naked. What?!? Go in naked? At NIGHT?!?!? When they were convinced no one else could see them they tried it out. And they were hooked. “Wow!” they said. “This feels amazing!!” Matt and I were cracking up. It was hilarious and sweet to see them “skinny dipping” for the first time. As was telling them that what they were doing was called skinny dipping. They guffawed and gave us that special look that kids do that says, “Grownups are a little crazy.” True that.