A Silver Lining (6/25/2012)

Today when we looked off our balcony at the ocean, the waves looked a bazillion times better.  Smaller and not as rough as the past two days.  Still, the flag pole near our house showed two red flags.  Double bummer.  We decided to go down to the beach anyway...it was just getting so old only getting to play in the pool.  Well, when we got to the beach, we were surprised to see only one red flag blowing in the breeze and crowds of people playing in the surf.  So back to the house we went to grab our life vests and boogie boards and to let the rest of the gang know the Gulf was open for business!!  

The waves were definitely less crazy than the past two days.  There was still a strong side current, but nothing that seemed to worry Mom and Dad, so we were granted entrance to the great Gulf.  I went first.  I'll admit I was tentative about getting in.  I mean I saw how the waves were tossing around Mr. Dave yesterday, and he's no small guy.  But after Mom showed me that you could get an awesome ride even off the tinier waves that were breaking right on the shore, I got up the nerve to venture in and man, did I have a great time.  Bummer of it all, no pictures to share.  Mom didn't bring the camera down in the beginning because she knew she would really have to pay attention to us.  But let me paint a picture for you...I rode wave after wave with the biggest, ear-to-ear grin on my face.

Eventually, Lizzie and I moved on to playing in the sand.  Seriously, there is something about digging in sand for crabs and sand dollars.  It was during this time that Mom and Dad found out that the one red flag we could see posted on the beach was not the "real" flag posting for the day.  It was really a two red flag day....a no swim day.  But since we were on a private beach, the life guards could do nothing but warn us not to go in.  I guess it's a good thing I didn't know all of this beforehand.  I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to go in know that there was still a danger of riptides. 

Now here's the funny thing.  Mom being mom, she was all bummed that she had no pictures of Lizzie and I boogie boarding, so she sent Dad back to the house to grab the camera.  And then she asked Lizzie and I to go back in to the waves for a photo shoot.  Can we say crazy lady?!  Well, I wasn't playing any of her reindeer games.  No siree, Bob.  Lizzie, on the other hand, agreed to go back in for a couple of rides.  So here you have it....Mom endangering Lizzie's life to get pictures of her boogie boarding on a two red flag day.  Can we say Mom of the Year?!

Heading out to catch a wave!!

Catching a wave with Jamison.