Rescue my Inner Tubie!

This week I took the boys to the beach with K.E. and her two kids. We were sure we remembered the way, until we got lost. It is then difficult to figure out which one of us would ask for directions, we were dressed in beach attire….so we went in together. Strength in numbers!

We arrived at the beach, a hidden gem that we usually have the GPS tell us how to find but the GPS broke and I am taking back teasing my hubby that I needed one now that I realize I really need one – like on this day -, with glee. In the middle of this past very bitterly cold winter, we would say “soon it will be beach days” and it was this beach we had in mind.

Arriving to the beach is a sight. One day, I will take a picture of it. It is just difficult to do because I am suddenly a pack mule when we arrive. And it’s hard to take a picture of yourself. Besides, people would think I’m odd if I ran ahead, gave someone trustworthy looking my beloved camera, and asked them to snap pictures of us as we headed down to the beach.

K.E. and I laid our towels out on the beach, loaded our kids up on spf 50 and ourselves in dark tanning oil and settled in for a fun day of catching up. It is hard work to spend the day getting our hair blonder and our skin darker, but we do the best we can.

We had just relaxed when the unexpected windiness of the day caught S3’s inner tube and floated it with lightening speed out to the deep part of the lake.

This happened to us last year with S2’s raft. It was tragic to watch it scoot across the lake but S2 shook it off quickly with the promise of a new one.

But there was no consoling S3. He has a pitiful sounding cry; it breaks strangers’s hearts to hear him cry. And on this instance, we was sobbing and screaming “Inner tubie! Inner tubie!” K.E. is gifted with young kids his age, she couldn’t get thru to him. I tried the firm Moma routine when sweetness wouldn’t work. He calmed a bit, but then he would catch sight and wail some more.

As this was happening, a couple in a canoe paddled out into the lake. I watched as they headed in the direction of S3’s blue inner tube. “Maybe they’ll pick it up for us” I whispered to K.E. We watched excitedly as they did, in fact, pick up the inner tube. “They got it!” I cheered happily. S3 was ecstatic. “Inner tubie! Inner tubie!” he jumped and shouted with glee.

I couldn’t make out if it was an older couple or young kids and wondered aloud if I should tip them for giving us a great day. They quickly paddled to the swim area where I sent S1 to retrieve the inner tube for us. “Be sure to say thank you!” I stressed.

S1 talked a moment to the older couple and then headed back with the inner tube. “What did they say?” I asked him.

“That maybe now they wouldn’t have to hear him scream and whine anymore.”

I decided to just be thankful for the inner tube and leave it at that.

I’ll tell you MORE about our beach day later………….