Whoever invented the phrase "no day at the beach" to contrast x with "relaxing fun times" should be shot on sight

I survived the 10 days solo, including two nights visiting my parents, which is harrowing enough in the best of times.  But include the solo drive with the kiddos and trying to pack out four people, including play yard and stroller and baby monitor type things, and it was pretty fucking epic that I made it happen.  No assist on the sleep situation there -- in fact, I stayed up far too late visiting with my dad, but I did manage two (TWO!) uninterrupted showers.

So, for an encore, I decided to meet a friend (this one) with her three kids (aged 8, 6, and 2) at a beach (on a lake) on Monday.  You know, because that is what sane people do. Toddler. Infant. BEACH. 90 degrees and 300% humidity. What could possibly go wrong? *twitch*

Really, I did it for Clownfish. He needed a playdate with a friend his age, and his summer hasn't been all that awesome so far.  So I geared up, lunched up, sunblocked up, dug out my baby sun block tent (purchased with a gift card for Clownfish as a baby, and used exactly twice since) and took the kids to the beach.

So, when Lionfish decided to act contrary to character and stage an epic melt down just as Angelfish decided no, she wasn't afraid of the water anymore ... so no, she wasn't content to just get her feet wet or sit in four inches of water with mommy... in fact, she wanted to run in to the lake up to her neck and see what happens next and why can't I just stick my face under water all the time, mommy? -- I decided it was time to leave, even though we'd been there less than an hour. Clownfish was about to be bitterly disappointed.  Again.  I felt like I'd been doing that to him all summer so far and it sucked.

Then, it occurred to me that Bullshark was on the way home and would pass by the exit to this very lake.  Cell phones were invented for moments like this.  I left Clownfish under the watchful eyes of both the lifeguard and my friend, and took the girls to the shade.  An hour later, Bullshark was swimming with Clownfish and letting Angelfish experience the lake to her heart's content, while I stayed in the shade with the baby.  Beach day salvaged.

Today, Bullshark had scheduled a minor elective surgery. He is basically bedridden tomorrow, and can't lift anything heavy (read 28.5 pound toddler) for at least the rest of the week.  So whatever dreams I had of him maybe giving me some time to pump so he could take a couple of overnights with the baby so I could finally have some uninterrupted sleep and maybe not feel so awful inside continue to be unfulfilled dreams. (Blah blah I'm being selfish when he's uncomfortable post-surgery right now ... its my blog. Its allowed.)