High Times in the Tidewater

Eloise tested her abilities by climbing all the way over the playground and letting Isaac help her down the slide. Isaac wanted sand access for his diggers, so our next stop was the beach. Isla cracked us up by hating the sand and declining to touch it. Eloise, on the other end of the spectrum, thought sand was delicious. 

Isaac chased seagulls and circled the girls with his trencher. After lunch (and a bath for Eloise), both kids slept the entire drive home. Days like this make me think I can do anything! 

A recent time the weather did not cooperate, however, was within two days of our trip to the beach. 

There’s a Japanese boy in Isaac’s preschool class whose family arrived for a one-year stay in the Tidewater shortly before school started. So many Japanese people were so kind to us during our stay there, and often I feel motivated by other cultures’ hospitality standards, so I introduced myself and decided we’d be friends and hopefully she doesn’t mind. 

After weeks of chatting, I invited her to the beautiful Norfolk Botanical Gardens. Isaac had told me her son was shy at school (of course. he doesn’t speak English) so I thought that while we were enjoying momijigari (autumn leaf-viewing), the boys could become better friends. 

I think the plan mostly worked, but IT RAINED ALL MORNING. So that was a bummer. We did the tram tour and had a picnic lunch, and it was cold and wet. Objectively, I think it was nice enough. Subjectively, I was bummed she didn’t get to see the most striking parts of the garden. A lot of what we did see was under preparation for their awesome Christmas light display. 

But we did explore the Japanese garden, and it turns out they live in Norfolk’s Japanese sister city, featured on a metal relief at the entrance. Apparently that’s why they’re here—the sister universities do an exchange program. And she said there’s a Norfolk park in her city that she’s never been to, but if I visit, she’ll take me. Ha ha!