Ocean Crabs

I love three year olds. There is something very special about being three. Not a baby, but not yet a kid. Squishy but lean. Always busy, but never hurried. Obstinate one minute, then complaisant the next. And did I mention funny? They say the most hysterical things with complete seriousness, and pretty much live for poop jokes.

I admire three. Three is free.

But to parent a three year old you need unlimited patience, flexibility, pinterest-level creativity, and fierce love. Parenting a three year old is a challenge unlike the others. Three is the year you need to teach your little the general rules of society without breaking their spirit. It's a delicate balance.

Overall I think I'm a fantastic three year old mom. Most of the time. But the first day of our vacation, I screwed up. Big time.

Last year, when little miss was two she loved the ocean. I'm talking Moana level love so I hadn't anticipated this year would be different. That was my first mistake.

When she saw the ocean she said "Wow that's really big. I'm scared of that big water." I justified her fears, I empathized. I asked if she would just go with me and hold my hand and help me be brave. She agreed of course. So we get to the water and we are putting our feet in and she's loving it.

And then I made a terrible mistake.

I called my eight year old over and pointed out the sand crabs. You know those mini little things that burrow under the sand when the tide goes out? Those things. Well... my three year old lost her mind. Terrified of the big ocean of crabs.

The damage was done. No amount of creativity could undo it. It lasted days. A few times I got her to come close to the water. But if it looked like the surf would come within two feet of her, she would run six feet up the beach and exclaim "Whew that was a close one." Hysterical, yes. Annoying, also yes.

Then something magical happened. My husband's shoe broke and he didn't have another pair. So we had to stop into a store. My three year old found a surfer toy and begged for it. The toy was designed to be thrown into the ocean and it would surf back. Every time. Boomerang technology. No batteries necessary. So my husband bought it for her.

And that Surfer Dude completely changed my daughter's feelings about the ocean. It wasn't scary anymore. It was fun. She ran through the surf to catch it as it glided back to shore. She threw it. She dug her hands in the wet sand and put it on the surf board and said "Look! He pooped!"

So thank you Surfer Dude and welcome to the family.