On Saturday, one of the last days of that lovely month we call June, we went to visit our neighbors at their campsite on Muskegon Lake.
This was Iris’ first time getting truly dirty. I mean, she’s dug in the garden, been covered in her own soil and sweat and gotten oatmeal in her hair. But this was new. This was an occasion when getting dirty was basically the expectation. By the end of the day, our toddler was wearing her third outfit, and bore the residue of sand, asparagus, watermelon, dirt, red licorice, drool, smores and a hint of campfire scent (okay, more than a hint).
Needless to say, she had an amazing time. The level of partying was evidenced by the child awakening Sunday morning with her diaper around her right ankle inside her sleeper, and doing so two hours later than normal.
As he so often does, our neighbor, who is more like a bonus father/grandfather to us, spoke wisdom: “You come to the beach, you get crunchy.” Iris was indeed just that. From the stickiness on her cheeks to the grit between her toes, she’d been a living palette for the forces of fun and nature.
For me, it was one of those essential aspects of growing a person. Watching those little neurons spark and brain wrinkles form* is one of the perks of committing to eating one handed and sleeping with one ear open for years on end. I love taking time to watch Iris explore – it’s endearing and fascinating, rewarding and inspiring. I dig it.
I hope you and yours have ample opportunity to get crunchy this summer. Make sure you take pictures!
*I realize that the brain does not actually wrinkle every time we learn something. Cool image though, no?