sunburned

We didn't have a creek at the State Park we visited this weekend. We had a lake with a beach. Since the weather was in the upper eighties, the kids were drawn to the water like, well, kids to water. Two of the twelve families had packed swim suits for their children. A couple small children dove in, fully dressed, without parental consultation. I watched my two, sitting at the water's edge, building castles and being so good, but missing out on so much. "Oh, just jump in!" They looked at me with wide eyes and they followed directions! The other parents too slowly relented and more and more children in clothing began to splash and play.

Now, mind you I said that the temperature was in the upper eighties. The air temperature. The water temperature, at least as measured by my naked ankles, was probably in the fifties. Bug's solution to the cold water was to splash in to his midsection or chest, then come storming out of the lake, flop onto the hot sand and roll. Or, he'd make a charming sand angel and then stand up, yell "Destroy!" and plow into it. Repeat for four hours.

Sunscreen? I had a dab. I put it on the kid's faces and the tops of my knees (first day in shorts). Pook chose to play and build his sand castles while still in his shirt; Bug removed his after it got heavy and wet. At some point we realized he needed his back protected, but the damage was done. We're all a bit sunburned. Both boys are being very whiny about it, having been protected from birth by a very caring and careful mother who really usually remembers these things so they don't yet know the feeling of Real Sunburn and who got burned herself anyway and is just as uncomfortable.

We had all hiked to the beach area/playground area/picnic area from the cabins. While it wasn't too far, it was straight downhill, or rather, straight uphill to go back. Wet, sandy, tired children. CD and a few other dads decided to hike it alone (read: in peace) and get cars and changes of clothing. I had spent the day preparing myself for the reaction they'd have when they discovered how the wet, sandy clothes chafed while hiking, so I was especially grateful.