J called this morning for Zach and asked for a "playdate". I explained that Zach was at Rec until noon then we were off to the beach for swimming lessons until 1. He asked if they could get together afterwards and I said I would have Zach call him. "There's just one thing" he says "my mom says that I have to go over someone else's house since she and my dad aren't here". I told him that was fine and asked if he wanted to come to the beach with us. He did and informed me that his mother would pick him up after six when she got out of work. I asked if I could drop him off earlier and he informed me that nobody would be there...
I take a look around my house (which we have barely been in for more than an hour over the past two weeks) and see disaster (and think NO WAY am I allowing anyone to come in here). So, now I have already invited this kid. This is when the guilt starts...
Honestly, I don't mind Zachary having friends over. J and Zach usually do really well together but for only a couple of hours at a time. They are both strong willed children and they each expect to get what they want when they want it. six hours is too long.
I decided that we would spend a good long while at the beach. Nothing better on a hot day - right? WRONG!
Andrew does not do well at the beach. He has NO boundaries. He gets overwhelmed. He has no concept of water safety. Essentially, a day at the beach means a day of me chasing Andrew away from other kids, their toys, food, towels, swim trunks...He wants to chat with the lifeguards, use their megaphone, trample another kid's sandcastle...I swear, I should be thinner considering the amount of running I do with him. I start conversations with other moms and abruptly drop it mid sentence to chase my child.
We got to the beach a little after noon, put some sunblock on and the boys took off. For the next four hours they played in the water, built sandcastles, searched for clams and had a great time.
Andrew wears a life vest at the beach because he often times gets into situations in the water he doesn't know how to get out of (he forgets he can't swim, he plays with bigger kids that accidentally dunk him, he wanders out over his head). Honestly, I am never more than 2 steps away but all it takes is two seconds. Unfortunately, the beach that we were at does not allow any flotation devices (Andrew was informed after he went into the water by one of the lifeguards). This just made my day that much harder.
After two hours in the water and sun I made them reapply their sunblock. I supervised them, I even reapplied myself. So tell me, why oh why do I look like this*:
And the worst part is that my kids look pretty darn similar. I have never felt so guilty in all my life. I know how much a sunburn hurts. I know how unbearable it is to sleep at night. I know how itchy you get on the third or fourth day...Ugh!
Aloe Vera for all...lots and lots and lots...
A part of me wonders if J looks similar and if his mother will ever trust me with him for six hours again...
*Of course, that is not really what I look like - close enough, minus the smiley faces.
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