A Day at the Beach: Woodward Style

Saturday morning the kids woke up really missing daddy. I decided that it would be a good day to get out of Protection for a little while. I decided on a whim (not like me) to take the kids to Crystal Beach Water Park in Woodward. I told the kiddos to get their swimsuits on we were going for a ride. After the cheers subsided I looked up to see three smiling faces in their swimsuits with towels in hand. After a quick stop at Don's for donuts and a few chores at the daycare we were on the road. We arrived at Crystal Beach around noon. It wasn't too crowded. We went on in. Last year T was afraid of the water. This year we have already been playing in the sprinkler & small pool at home & he has loved it. When we walked in, he immediately insisted I hold him for he was afraid he might fall in. I showed him that there was plenty of sidewalk everywhere for us to walk on and he could hold my hand and I would make sure he did not fall in. He was good with that. He immediately went for my left hand (the one away from any water), he grasped it tightly and away we went. I told the girls we would start in the kiddie area so T could get used to things. We went over & found a place to sit our things. K was quick to get in the water. S asked if she could go over & check out the water slide. So she was on her way. T walked around the outside of the pool for a few moments checking everything out. I got in and encouraged him to do the same. He did and it wasn't long before he was sliding down the slide. Boy, was I relieved-could have been a long day otherwise. The two of them were having so much fun. S came back and she was loving the big slides. We decided to venture over to the medium slides & sprinkler area. T was reluctant at first, he was loving the kiddie pool. I know some mommies were very glad to see him go I will share that story at another time. Anyway, we made it over to the deeper water. We were all having a great time. Almost 3 hours had passed. All of a sudden every life guard in the place was blowing their whistle & yelling for everyone to get out of the pools. I grabbed my kids and we got out & stood nearby. T was screaming he wasn't ready to get out. I explained that none of us wanted to get out but the life guards told us to and we needed to obey the rules that the life guards tell us. I told him to listen for all of their whistles & he did. There was chaos all around us. A nearby dad told his family that someone was missing and they were looking for them. My heart sank. My mind raced back to my PICU days. For I had seen, far too often the result of a missing child near water. I remembered that sweet 10 year old, flown to us one Friday evening via Life Flight. Her & her family had been enjoying a wonderful day at a Water Park in Enid when she went missing. She was found at the bottom of a pool. About 3am on that Saturday morning there in our PICU, her blood pressure dropped & her little heart beat it's last time. I will never forget the screams from her family coming from that room. What started as a wonderful day, ended in a nightmare! I held my 3 kids closer. I wondered what I should do. Should I take my 3 kids and leave? I did not want to be there to see them pull a lifeless body from the bottom of a pool. I sure did not want my kids to see that. I began to pray. I prayed as hard as I could for a miracle to happen. As I looked around the whole water park had become quiet. eerily quiet. The staff had turned off all of the sprinkler systems, pumps etc. I hear a young boy yelling at his mom. "I didn't do it." At this point I realize that we seem to be surrounded by life guards. They are all focused on an area under the medium size slides. I become concerned that there might be a small child trapped underneath. There were nets all around it. Then I see what the life guards are looking at. There just down from the sprinkler area, someone had done number 2 all in the pool. There were several piles. This was just inches away from where my children were swimming before the whistles were blown. And no, it wasn't one of my children. When my kids & I realized what had happened we were just grossed completely out, we couldn't believe it. The manager came out all gloved up and picked it all up and put it in a big bucket. She left & immediately returned with chemicals. The life guards quickly informed us that it would be at least 2 hours before anyone would be allowed back in the water. As the people were all rushing to leave, the kids & I went & sat down. I needed to decide what we were going to do. I knew if we left with that big crowd, we would just be sitting in traffic anyway. So we decided to get a snack at the snack bar. The kiddie pool was still open (it was not attached to the others). But it was crazy. The big kids were going wild over there now. So we decided to take a break on the beach chairs.  We all laid down on the chairs and the questions began. A nice family of 3 had entered the park after "the incident". They had been told what had happened and were waiting like we were. They were a couple probably in their late forties. They had a 10 year old son. Both mom & dad quickly pulled out their books & sat on their beach chairs & read. Their son was quietly watching the life guards every move. Meanwhile, my 2 youngest asked question after question about the poo. The questions went on & on. Oh how I envied the quiet family next to me. T was in constant motion and I was worn out trying to keep up with his locale. It wasn't long before K needed a bathroom. S got up to take her. While they were gone, T decided he needed his googles aka goggles. Anyway, I noticed that they were underneath the beach chair S had been sitting on. As I pointed them out to him, I had shifted my weight too much toward the top of the chair and up I went. I had been in a laying postion. Now, I was standing on my head still in the beach chair, my legs completely in the air. I began to crack up, I couldn't quite figure out how I was going to get myself out of this situation. T is yelling at me. Momma whatcha doing? over & over. I am afraid to look over at the prim & proper family but I do. I see the man look away from his book from behind his sunglasses. He notices me just as we make eye contact but is quick to look away. I then decided to do a backwards somersault out of the chair at which point I look up at a life guard (about age 16) with his hand out saying mam do you need some assistance. I tell him I am fine and thank you. He tries to make me feel better by telling me that it happens all the time. By the time the girls get back, I am in tears laughing at myself. I try to tell S and she cracks up too. We spent the rest of our time waiting & laughing. S wished daddy could have been there to see it. I wished he were too because I knew he would have got me out of my mess before my swimsuit skirt was completely over my head. They tested the water periodically & 2 hours later, the whistles were blown once again telling everyone the water was safe to get back in. I was still a little leery of that spot so we went over by the big slides to swim and we watched S come down over & over & over again. It was a great day. One none of us will soon forget.

"This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24