One of the best things about our beach vacation was staying in a house with my wonderful parents. They love Strawberry and Curly and me, and I trust them to take care of him. It was so amazing to have other people there that love him and can care for him when we needed a break. It felt so wicked and indulgent to leave him in their care for 2 hours while we snuck off to a movie in the middle of the afternoon (Up! In 3D, highly recommended, bring tissues). So peaceful to sit on the beach with him in his baby pod and know that he was sleeping soundly in the presence of his loved ones. It makes me dream of a “village” where there are many loved ones all together and many children, of all ages, playing together. I would love to see my son playing in the sand with your sons and daughters and for you to feel safe and happy to walk off for a while to hold your sweetie’s hand and stroll along the shore. Or for you to serve up sandwiches at your house while I try to beat your sweetie at Scr@bble. And then, after the sun sets and the fireflies begin to twinkle, we each return to our own cozy homes and our own little families. Strawberry and I put Curly to bed and then head off to bed ourselves, knowing that the days ahead will bring more laughter. And when there are tears (and there are always tears) we will know, even in the dark night, that we aren’t alone. There’s a village right outside our door and they have tears at times, too.
It is nice to have all of you out there across the great wide web. But I’m a people person and I truly would cherish having all of us physically close by. An eternal optimist, I am. Sure, perhaps in the real world, we wouldn’t get along all that well, but I can dream it, right?
1 In Vermillion 
a beautiful thought…
sounds like you had a great vacation 🙂
Your village sounds like a dream. I often think about gathering all of the wonderful people we have met through blogland to meet each other. We would love to meet you both and Miles.. .and several others. If only we all lived in a special little village.
Aww, it sounds wonderful.
I would live in that village in a heartbeat. I am so glad you enjoyed your time away.
I want to live in that village! Do we have to work and pay bills too???
That gave me goosebumps. Sounds like a lovely village to be a part of – count us in! 🙂
i’ll join the village! my sweetie is always up for a game of scrabble 🙂
Wonderful sentiment. I remember fantasizing something along these same lines in a very different context (the 04 election, I think)–wanting to move everyone to a some state (Vermont, perhaps) where we all live together in peace and harmony, gay marriage is legal, everyone has all the insurance coverage we need, and Republicans don’t exist. 🙂
We’re in too. Very nice image you’ve conjured… I plan to spend a little imaginary time there myself this afternoon as I daydream my Friday away 🙂
What a lovely village. I would love to live in one like that.
I would love that too. What a lovely post.
Me too! We had a wonderful week at the beach. I am thinking I might do something different about work so I can watch Miles more frequently. Love you!
That’s a dream I have thought of before too. This community is so wonderful and I wish we had the chance to help each other and enjoy each others company in a more tangible way. If you figure out a way to develop that community I’d buy in for sure!
I’m so happy you had that vacation with your parents. I hope you have another planned in the near future.
That is indeed an awesome dream!
i think we’ve all had that dream at one point or another. lovely dream!
I’d like to live there, too– especially if there is scrabble involved. Really, though, that sounds like a lovely place to be.
Count us in! I don’t know what I’d do without this online community, and it would be so wonderful to breach the gap and have it in real life as well.
Your vacation sounds fabulous. Good luck, Nutella, heading back to work.
sounds really nice!!
Oh, that sounds so lovely! I wish for that too sometimes!
That was such a sweet post 🙂