Mini Pools!

We loved Coulon Park that we just had to go back again. In fact I'm sure we will go at least one more time this summer! This time around I decided to dig out little mini pools for each of the kids to play in or as I lovingly refer to them...mini cesspools!

 

 

Jack and Owen got a bunch of new to them cars and planes from one of Michael's co-workers so they each had to bring some of their favorites to the beach with them. Jack was having so much fun crashing this fighter jet into the sand.

 

 

Zeke is actually in Jack's pool and Jack is in Zeke's in the above picture. This cute baby boy just kept taking over the other kids pools. You know the water is always better in the other cesspool!

 

 

This cute bathing beauty had her first run in with a lifeguard. No she wasn't drowning, but she was breaking one of the rules. In the shallow area the kids are only allowed to go in the water up to their armpits and she was walking out far enough to cover her shoulders. *voice over loud speaker* "Girl in the flower suit and the wavy hair....please stay where the water is under your shoulders!"

 

 

Owen scared me to death on this particular trip. I was getting everything ready to go...folding towels and putting sand toys away while the kids played. I was literally feet from them. Then I look up and Owen is NO WHERE! I asked Jack..."Where's Owen?" So then Jack goes out into the water and starts yelling Owen's name. I pick up Zeke so I don't lose track of another kid and I have Ella stand close to me. Then I pause and take a moment to ask God to help me not to panic! All the while scanning the water and the beach for Owen thinking...what were the color of his swim trucks again. I knew that I could ask the lifeguard next to me to use his handy dandy loud speaker to call him if I needed him to, but that also might mean he's really lost and I feel myself losing control just thinking about that. So I decided to start calmly calling Owen's name getting a bit louder each time. Finally I hear a faint, "Mama" that sounds familiar and I look down the beach and there he is coming at me all shook up and almost crying...of course I'm almost crying too. While I was picking up our stuff he looked up and didn't see me....all I can think is that it was one of the times I was bending over so all he saw was jean shorts and not my face. So what does he do...he leaves his siblings and starts wandering down the beach to an area we've never even been to that day. Needless to say we had a chat about how all of our stuff was right there and even if you don't see mommy you don't wander off you stay put! This isn't the first time I've almost lost a child and I know it's not the last, but it's a horrible feeling and I don't wish it on anyone!