I've Created A Monster

Last year Gabriel was totally fearless out on the beach.  He'd crawl straight for the ocean...only stopping if scooped up by big arms.

This year, thankfully, when we first got out there he was not quite so fearless.  In fact, he seemed downright reluctant to venture out there initially.

On the other hand, I mentioned that G-man seemed content to spend hours digging in the sand, which was great, except I didn't want him to be actually scared of the ocean.  So a few days ago when the five kiddos and I were out on the beach, I scooped G up and told him we were going out in the waves too.  It took about 2 minutes flat and he was hooked with a capital H...if I read his squeals of delight correctly, that is.

Gabriel is such a little mimic these days, and he picked up a phrase from Noah real quick when we got out there in the waves: "I see one!" (meaning: another wave-of-great-potential was forming on the horizon)

At first he only parroted it when Noah would say it.  But he quickly moved on to saying it repeatedly...and randomly, not just when another big wave was forming on the horizon:  "I see one...I see one...I SEE ONE!!!"  Oh, how he had all of us laughing.  And next he would say "Uh oh...uh OH!" seemingly scared...except if you saw his face you could tell immediately he was not scared.  

But now he does say "I see one" at appropriate times, because he is a smarty pants, thankyouverymuch.



Being up in my arms isn't quite exciting enough either.  He wants to be down standing up in the water right in front of me, with his arms up holding my hands.  When waves roll in he will either just lift his legs up in front of him so he floats over them, or -when it is a taller wave-I will lift him up over it so he doesn't get a face full.  Try as I might, though, he does still get a face full from time to time, and he doesn't complain at all.  

The only time he does complain?  When my arms start getting tired from lifting him repeatedly and I start taking him back up on shore to dig again for a while.  He pipes up, "No...sop pease, sop pease!" (stop please)