Baby Stephanie and the unexpected

Our time at the river on Saturday felt almost magical. Thanks to the opening of the Perth Royal Show, everywhere we went was a ghost town. The streets and shops were deserted. The day was so lovely, a tremendous treat given the past several weeks of general weather yuck and sick blah-ness. The sun was warm; the wind was minimal. The sand was the perfect damp for making "kuchen" (German for "cakes"; what Ellie calls sand shapes with make with plastic molds). Baby Stephanie was very happy to settle down in the sand for a play. Markus's attempt to push her along in the kayak was met with tears and wailing, we suppose because it just felt unfamiliar. Baby Stephanie is the most peaceful baby we have ever known. She is a peaceful, calming, happy presence almost all the time...as long as nothing unexpected happens. The unexpected is almost always unwelcome and the source of great upset.

I offer Exhibit A: Contently watching Papa and Ellie come in from a little paddle


The contentment continued for over an hour, happily shoveling and shifting sand from one spot to another. She wandered to the still water's edge and just looked and looked. She was so beautiful that I reached for the camera.
And then there's Exhibit B: As I moved to take her picture, a series of (very small) waves came ashore from a distant motorboat. This was unexpected...and unwelcome.


I clicked just in time to capture a moment that was so terribly sad and so sweetly funny. Poor wee one.