Have you ever had to rescue someone at the beach?

 

So today a near miracle occurred.  Lou had the day off, and we have a new caretaker who just started, provided by the Regional Center, who is really eager to learn but still very green.  With that in mind, Lou took Trinity to beach volleyball camp, I took Tiara for a walk and then I headed down to the beach to pick up Trin and meet a few other moms for a beach day.  Lou was going to stay close to home in case the new girl needed any help and I was free to roam.  All I had to do was pack up my car, find a parking spot, find Trin, set up my chair and plop my butt down.  I mean how easy is that?  I was a normal Mom, watching the kids swim while chatting it up, and you know I am good at that. 

I kept staring at the water and finally I just jumped up and said, “I have got to go swimming.  I never get the chance when I am with Tiara!”  So I grabbed Trinity’s boogie board and headed off into the water.  I love to boogie board.  I grew up across the street from the beach and as a child I spent hours a day boogie boarding.  I took 3 waves but one was really good and my friends were clapping for me as I rode up to the shore.  I was so happy and refreshed only to have my excitement squashed when Trinity walked up to get her lunch.

“Did you see me out in the water, Trin?”  “Yes, Mom, I did, ” she replied while rolling her eyes and looking away in a rather disgusted manner.  “So embarrassing!”  OMG, why am I so embarrassing? Whatever, who cares if she is annoyed. As you know by know, I pretty much do what I want, regardless of what others think.

After all the girls went back into the water I told my friends about what happened 3 years ago.  They loved the story and said I should share it all with you.  So here it goes.

Three years ago, Tiara hated to swim in the ocean because she was terrified of the sound of the ocean, which was really great for me.  I could take her to the beach and she would sit right next to me and obsess on playing sand toys.  She only got up when she tried to leave the beach, but she would never head for the water.  I could actually get her to stay for almost 2 hours.  At the end of the summer I decided to take Trinity and her friend Zoey to the beach for a quick swim.  I was walking out the door in my sundress and for some reason I decided I better put on my bathing suit.  I hadn’t shaved anything and I was so not in bathing suit condition but I felt like I should for some reason.

Once we got to the beach it was green flag and I was watching the girls swim when all of the sudden it seemed as if they were caught in a rip tide.  I stood up and looked closely and it was clear they were in trouble.  I looked at the lifeguard and he wasn’t moving, yet he was too far away for me to yell and I didn’t think I should try and run to him and ask for help.  It might be too late.  I looked around, and saw a mom sitting to my right.  I ran up to her and said “My kids are drowning, please watch my special needs daughter.  She will run away so you really have to watch her!”  I threw off my dress and ran into the ocean.  I reached the girls and they were both crying and panicking.  I put them both on their backs and starting dragging them to shore under my arms.  Which was rather difficult because I only had my feet to kick with.  A nice man saw me and came over to help with one of the girls.  By the time I was almost to shore the stupid lifeguard showed up.

He walked up to us and said “they really shouldn’t be out the far, there are riptides.”  No duh, that is why we have lifeguards.  I just shook my head and walked away.  I was so scared and angry that I couldn’t even respond to such an idiotic comment.  Don’t worry, I reported him the next day to headquarters.  Luckily Tiara had stayed put and the girls survived but they were nervous to go in the ocean for the rest of the summer.  And that is the story of me listening to my intuition by putting on my bathing suit and rescuing Trinity and Zoey at the beach.

 

Happy Wednesday, almost the weekend and my 25th high school reunion!!!