ratios

the ratio of 1 to 2 is not the same as 2 to 4. crazy statement, i know, coming from a former math teacher. any of my middle school students would assert that i must be off my rocker (or, at least, i hope they would, after completing my class.) but, in terms of adults to children on a beach, having 1 mom with 2 kids is quite different from 2 moms with 4 kids. liam isn't afraid of the ocean in any sense of the word. there is such a thing as a healthy fear of the water, and he doesn't have it. so there's just no good way to ensure that susanna is totally safe and, at the same time, keep liam from possibly being swept out to sea. therefore, having an additional adult with me (even with two of their own children) is really crucial. this past visit, i was fortunate to have lainey there to help entertain susanna while i took liam bodysurfing (only a slight exaggeration). of course, the ratio of 4 to 4 is best, which on our family trip was attained after chris and bill arrived. i'm just waiting for the day of the ratio of, say, 10 adults to my 2 children. that would allow 8 other people to unload the beach bags and spread out the towels and set up the umbrella and apply the sunscreen and get out the snacks and wipe off the sand (and all the other not-so-exciting necessities), while chris and i are able to focus solely on the fun stuff with the kids. i mean, who really wants to be dragging out chairs when you could be building sand castles, swimming, flying kites, chasing crabs, digging tunnels, and searching for those special seashells with holes just the right size to thread string through to make necklaces?