I couldn’t believe it when I read that our county parks would have a free day on June 24th.  I decided that was worth checking out.  We live about half an hour away from Lake Michigan, which is a very frigid experience even on hot days.  But when I want to get to a beach a little quicker, I head to the county park, 10 minutes away.

When we drove up to the gate, the guy at the toll booth said, “That’ll be $10.”  I blinked.  I squinted at him.  I said, “Seriously?” And he said, “No!  You’d be surprised how many people know it’s free, but still ask me if I’m joking. . .”  Yeah, very funny.  It’s because we can’t believe it’s free today.

It was a perfect day for the beach, too.  90 degrees in the shade, the tiny lake was perfectly refreshing.

My youngest son, who usually freezes in pools loved the lake.  He ran in, splashing, pouring water, doing little keep-your-head-above-water tricks, and even entertaining the idea of pouring water on his head.  His next older sisters were swimming, doing handstands, and having a ball.  My 7 year old daughter noticed something that looked like a gymnastics bar, and she was content to play on that the rest of the day.

My older son had really not wanted to go at all.  But I thought maybe he should.  Get some fresh air, play in the water, you know, live a little.  He tried to catch some of the little fish swimming around.  I even saw him crack a smile as he traded splashes with his younger sister.

My oldest daughter managed to enjoy the water with a wig on.  Must protect the hair, you see!

And I held the baby.  The baby loves pools, but wasn’t sure what to make of the lake at first.  She didn’t want me to put her down, or really in the water.  It took her awhile to warm up to it.  Then we played ring around the rosy, and she was hooked.  She started splashing with one hand.  Then she noticed my feet out behind me, and she started kicking in the water.  That contented smile on her face was worth all the hustle and bustle it took to get there.

Not to mention the two hour nap(!) after we got home.