JUST [SOME OF] US JONESES: JURASSIC CRABS

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Not all of us Joneses are in the photographs today; just [some of] us Joneses. Hero was napping in the pushchair on the beach; but if you look closely you’ll see me – and I only realised this two weeks ago when I was driving home in our [now scrapped] car after dropping Gav off at IBM whilst my boys were at Granny and Grandad’s house for the week.

It was my completely first child free time in seven years that didn’t involve a blogging conference or press trip [thank you, Mom and Dad!] and between panicking that I was never going to get the house clean and tidy, clear the garage and sort the garden, finish my work, rebrand this blog AND relax watching Murder She Wrote and Cedar Cove in the space of five days, without forgetting to celebrate our belated 9th anniversary and get everything ready for back to school whilst there were no little hands about to “help” me, I was at that very moment in time just tootling along and wondering to myself how to write my presentation for BlogOnXmas about photographing our little ones, and it came to me. And I started crying, haha, because although I’m always saying how much I need a little break, I secretly I missed my boys, in a way.

Anyhow, I finished editing this set of memories from our trip to the Isle of Wight, taken on Whitecliff Bay, the Jurassic Coast beach just off the holiday site where we were staying.  The boys love crabbing; it’s something my family always did on holiday and as much as the crabs terrify me, I love it.  Despite their tiny little mouths, I’m pretty sure they somehow will eat me.  I try my best never to have to pick them up but the boys always do.  I’m happy taking photographs to immortalise the crustaceans or referee a crab race, but that’s about as involved as I like to be.  I saw a horseshoe crab at the SeaLife centre this summer and it reaffirmed my irrational fear of them. They freak me out. Rather a croc than a crab for me, thank you.

This crabbing adventure was special because something happened that has never, ever happened before.  Although it wasn’t the nicest thing to happen, it was a first and already Jensen is looking back and reminiscing the day that he became a real “crabber” and was nipped by his first sea creature.  Whilst we were on the beach, Gav got nipped by the same crab to show Jensen that it happens to the best of crabbers, and I enjoyed taking photos of the “attack”, haha.

So where am I?  I’m in Jensen’s eyes. I’m the one he’s searching for and looking to for help and love, and the one he wants to take the pain away and make it better. And although he won’t know what I looked like on that last morning of our stay, crouched in the waves to capture his adventures, he will know he was looking at me, and that I was there.  That makes me feel a little better about not being visibly in the frame. – because there’s no one else he would search for when he’s hurt.

So here we are, just [some of us] Joneses. If you’re looking for a fun family adventure, why not try crabbing? My boys and I had a great time on our trip and we’re looking for the next beach with perfect conditions for catching crabs. I would recommend that you do a quick google search of “Crabbing Near Me” to find the perfect spot! Safe and happy crabbing!