A couple weeks ago, I babysat for my sister's kids while she was at work. It was a nice cool day so we decided to walk to the nearby park to let some energy out. Caleb (5) and Corynn (3) rode their bikes while I pushed their younger brother Cavan (1.5) in the stroller.
After some time on the playground, we headed to the neighboring lake to say hi to the ducks and throw rocks in the water.
Here's what happened next.
Caleb ventured a bit too far and sank into some very sticky mud. I was tickled by the situation and caught a few seconds of it on tape before going to his rescue. What you don't see however, is how quickly the tables turned.
After just a few steps I too was up to my knees in thick, swampy mud. It was like quicksand mud and each time I struggled, its grip tightened.
The realization quickly set in that I had three kids under the age of 6 in my care and I couldn't move. Luckily, they are great listeners and when I asked the younger two to stay put, they did. But judging by the confusion on their faces, I'm quite certain they were too amused by the train wreck unfolding in front of them to have missed the action.
I leaned forward enough to reach Caleb, tugged him free, then began working on myself. Tossing aside any remaining dignity I had, I feverishly dug out my own legs. After freeing my limbs, I fished out our shoes and made my way back to solid ground.
As it turned out, the joke was on me. Coated from my elbows to my hands, from my knees to my feet, I herded the kids up the hill toward the boathouse bathroom to get cleaned up. Many adults were staring, yet not one person offered their help. Gotta love humanity.
I washed the clay mud off my body in the sink of the public restroom, made a mess and clogged the sink. There was no soap so I spent the remainder of the day smelling like a swamp monster until I was able to take a shower.
Lessons learned:
1) Mud is usually fun to play in, except when it's not.
2) Never, ever laugh at a 5 year old. Karma is thick and smells like sludge.
After some time on the playground, we headed to the neighboring lake to say hi to the ducks and throw rocks in the water.
Here's what happened next.
Caleb ventured a bit too far and sank into some very sticky mud. I was tickled by the situation and caught a few seconds of it on tape before going to his rescue. What you don't see however, is how quickly the tables turned.
After just a few steps I too was up to my knees in thick, swampy mud. It was like quick
The realization quickly set in that I had three kids under the age of 6 in my care and I couldn't move. Luckily, they are great listeners and when I asked the younger two to stay put, they did. But judging by the confusion on their faces, I'm quite certain they were too amused by the train wreck unfolding in front of them to have missed the action.
I leaned forward enough to reach Caleb, tugged him free, then began working on myself. Tossing aside any remaining dignity I had, I feverishly dug out my own legs. After freeing my limbs, I fished out our shoes and made my way back to solid ground.
As it turned out, the joke was on me. Coated from my elbows to my hands, from my knees to my feet, I herded the kids up the hill toward the boathouse bathroom to get cleaned up. Many adults were staring, yet not one person offered their help. Gotta love humanity.
I washed the clay mud off my body in the sink of the public restroom, made a mess and clogged the sink. There was no soap so I spent the remainder of the day smelling like a swamp monster until I was able to take a shower.
Lessons learned:
1) Mud is usually fun to play in, except when it's not.
2) Never, ever laugh at a 5 year old. Karma is thick and smells like sludge.
awww! what a funny story hahaha
ReplyDeleteSucks that no one helped you though :(
thanks for sharing.
xoxo Lynn
That is crazy, who knew that type of story existed outside of fairy tales!
ReplyDelete