Ali is actually taking to this whole cooking thing. She keeps saying to me, “I can’t believe I never did this when I actually had the time to do it.” In other words, pre-kids. Note: We could seriously do with a dishwasher on this boat. Note: The kids didn’t eat one bite of this meal, as is becoming their custom unless they are very, very hungry. The key appears to be to starve them for twenty-four to forty-eight hours before feeding. Another trick we’re learning is to simply rename foods. Ali makes homemade mac and cheese—call it Mac and Cheese and Ouest won’t touch it, but call it Pasta with Cheese and she’s cool with it.

Beach day this afternoon. Lowe is a madman in the water kicking and paddling for just as long as I’m willing to walk him around with my hand under his belly. It won’t be too much longer before there is enough thrust to propel himself. Which will be nice seeing as he also went swimming earlier in the day when he backed over a dock cleat, landed on his butt, and then did a slow motion roll backward entering the water head first with his arms out. Almost a perfect backwards dive actually. We’re always right there with the kids and this was no different. In fact I may have actually been able to grab his foot before he went in but decided in that split second that he would actually get hurt if I did that so instead I just let him go. I hit the water the same time he did, we climbed out, grabbed the hose for a quick rinse, then completed the trip inside for nap time. It’s actually good to have these little dips every once in a while—keeps us vigilant.

Oh, and speaking of accidents with water—the fish was on the table today when Lowe decided to grab the bowl for a closer look. The bowl tipped over and water was everywhere. Ali came running up, “Where is the fish! Where is the fish!” Personally I think she may be becoming a little too attached. Somehow Banana Ice Cream Goldfish was still inside swimming around in an eighth of an inch of water. If she ever meets another fish she is going to have so many great stories to tell.