A Day at the Lake

I should have been wiser. I know there will come a time in my life that I will begin to use the good sense I know I must have been born with. I should have been wiser.

It did not start out like any day. There were omens all around, and I didn’t heed them. When I woke up and realized that what started out with David in the bathtub at 3:30 in the morning had turned into him wrapped in blankets and shivering on the living room floor, I should have kyboshed the plans. I should have known then to cancel our plans to go to the lake and have a nice quiet day in the backyard instead. But I had this picture in my head, and sometimes those pictures become so enticing that a gentle push in that direction is all you need to be convinced. Everything will be okay.

I even tried to tell the kids that I didn’t think we’d be able to go to the lake, but my honey-tongued son ASSURED me that if we went to the lake, “You can just sit on the blanket and watch us play!” (picture him smiling divinely and batting his eyelashes). That sounded fantastic! I’d just sit on the blanket and watch the kids, nurse Talia, relax in the warmth.

Omen number two: Sweet Marcus, the aforementioned honey-tongued son, was leaning into Talia’s face to coo at her or kiss her or love her in some other gentle, brotherly way and she THREW UP IN HIS MOUTH. A look of shear horror and panic enveloped his face and he brought his hands up to his chin to cover his mouth but it was too late. Milk was dripping off his nose, out of his mouth, down his chin. She got him GOOD. He started scream-crying and ran to the bathroom and I swear I tried SO HARD not to laugh. I really, really, really tried. When he finally emerged from the bathroom he was still crying hysterically and he was looking at her and at me trying (unsuccessfully) not to laugh and he was GLARING at us both like we were the worst traitors in the world and EVEN THEN I did not call off the trip to the lake. Of course, how could I, now? But I should have known, because whenever there is a traitorous act, there needs to be a reciprocal act of revenge.

So we got to the lake, after Marcus ASSURED me that he would be my big helper. I let the two out of the van, and Marcus starts running for the water. Beelines. And I am standing at the van, with at least three loads of things to carry PLUS the car seat with baby Talia, and Marcus is hoofing it as fast as he can for the water. Then I am hollering at him in my best trailer-park mama voice, “MARCUS!!! You get back here IMMEDIATELY!!!” He stops, turns around, and yells back, “WHY?” The answer, my friends? Yes, of course, “BECAUSE I SAID SO!!!” After about ten minutes of back and forth, I convinced him to come back and wait for me, and even to carry something.

It actually turned out to be a pretty good time at the lake, besides Skyler's little temper tantrum getting back into the van, but holy smokes I need to be a better planner the next time I leave the house with all three. Like, always bring a picnic so that when you get home you will not have three kids all squawking at you for food at the same time. Insert panic attack here. The snacks just didn't cut it, those kids needed to have lunch on the road.

Talia enjoyed her first day at the lake by lounging in her car seat in the shade. It was HOT but she stayed pretty cool. I was grateful to have friends there so that I was free to feed her while the kids played in the water.