After taking an unintentional two-year hiatus from blogging, I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome myself back. My soul is wired for words, and I have missed the expression, creativity and mostly the ability to capture experiences that this forum provides. Welcome back, self. (handshake) No. (hug)
Last week, I got a harebrained idea. I often get harebrained ideas. Not even sure what harebrained means, but I know those are the kinds of ideas I get, because when I share the outcome of my ideas with others, I often get that look that I know must mean they were harebrained. Their faces just look like what I think that word means. I guess for some, 1 mom taking 6 kids to the lake for the day is a stretch...even harebrained....for me, it's what I do.
This adventure started like most others, with me waking the kids up early to get their jobs done before we could hit the road. We had been anticipating this day, and they were motivated. I had begun to pack the car the night before, but between getting my exercise in and tying up loose ends (mom, i don't have any shoes...mom, my swimming suit is still in my suitcase at dads...), we didn't get out of the house until about 11am. Knowing I had been working on packing the car with food, towels, water toys, beach toys, sunblock, etc...one of my friends asked me "Why are you headed to the lake so early?" ...a question which replayed in my mind as the day unfolded.
As we were leaving, the kids decided that if Liza drove her friend separately in the Blazer, the boys could have room to bring a friend in my car. I was on board, since she could also pick up the paddleboards, saving me one of many errands to be run along the way. When it turned out that the boys' friend wasn't available to come with us after all, a discussion about gas money spawned, with many intense feelings between siblings. I told them I knew they could work it out, and we talked about win/win thinking, beginning with the end in mind, and treating others how we would like to be treated while we gassed up the car. Noon. I made a not-so-quick stop for a few essentials, of course forgetting the ice when I ran into a friend on my way out. We dropped Sophie off at Dave's place and by noon my speedometer finally hit over 65mph - the benchmark that makes "getting out of dodge" totally official.
By now, my Denali was packed to the brim with everything-beach that 6 kids could want in a day. The drive through Trappers Loop was stunning as always. One more stop to blow up the tubes and we would be on our way. 1pm. Quick gas station stop to put air in the tubes but oops - I didn't have any quarters. We spent time searching through the car and, in addition to the donation of a very kind local waitress, found enough change! My boys and Justice figured out how to blow up the tubes using an air pump, and then tie them to the roof of the Black Pearl before we once again sailed for the lake.
1.30 found the entrance to Middle Inlet but "none shall pass" without cash or check of $15. Headed back from whence we came about 5 miles to find an ATM - frustrating, but the mission was successful and cash traded for entry. 2pm met up with Liza and Taylor who had been there for hours and had already gotten in some paddle boarding, and were now starving. Pulled up to their beach spot to find a massive troop of approximately 75 girl scouts overtaking what little beach remained...the water levels are so high this year that most of the usual beaches are underwater, an issue I hadn't anticipated. 2pm while the kids snacked, stretched their legs and explored the area, I literally ran around searching for a beach spot. Finally decided to load back up the coolers and kids and exit Middle Inlet in search of something less populated and more "beachy" over at Cemetery Point. Who knew....on our way out, the boy-scout jerryrigged tubes tied to the top of our car started falling off....right where I pulled over to fix them I noticed a break in the fence, which led to a small cove that, although full of rocks and weeds, would provide the long-awaited access to the water the kids had waited now almost all day for!
2.30pm They hit the water and I hit unload mode. I made multiple trips from the car to carry tubes, cooler, food, towels, lifejackets, toys, etc. down to the "beach" and made more sandwiches for everyone. 3pm left the kids to play on a tire they found off shore and headed back to the girl scout beach to transport the heavy paddleboards. On my way back to the kids, I noticed the perfect beach and unloaded the paddleboards there to save our spot. Took 2 trips to get them. 4pm went back to the craggy inlet to get the kids and take them to the paddle board beach. Again loaded up all of the beach gear....took 4-5 trips, and this time we had to deflate a tube in order to get everything over to the perfect beach where the paddleboards.
4.30pm unload the kids and car again...this time in heaven on the large sandy beach (the only one left!) that was uncrowded and even had a teepee made of sticks on it! Another 4-5 loads from the car down to the water, park the car and run back to the beach and.....5pm...ahhhhhhh
"Why are you headed to the lake so early"? replayed in my mind as I put on my lifejacket and pulled the remaining paddle board into the water. Boys had already headed out. Liza and her friend had already headed home. I was still in search of making that memory, heading out to the water to catch up with my boys and have the water fight I had worked for. We played Vikings, chasing each other and tipping each other off the boards yelling "10,000 Swedes ran through the weeds chased by ONE Norwegian" and laughing our heads off. What a blast. Throw in dinner on the beach, throwing rocks, burying Will as an Egyptian sphinx, a few more paddle boarding episodes and some good chats on the shore, and it was a beautiful evening. Many hours in the making...but worth it.
Normally I wouldn't write so much in detail...I am a big picture, bottom-line thinker who much prefers the forest over the trees. In this case, however, the forest wouldn't have been accessible without painting in each little tree....working through each frustration and pressing forward with the goal of making a memory.
Making memories takes work. Photos like the ones posted here are underscored with hours of planning, preparation, and commitment to converting all of that energy into a few moments of bliss. Harebrained as it may seem, years from now these pictures, this moment, these memories, will be what remains of this day. The hunt for change, the tubes falling off the roof, the multiple stops on the way to the lake, the backtrack to find an ATM, the multiple relocations, etc. will likely be forgotten, but they were essential stepping stones to making this memory. Some say harebrained. I say worth it.
