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| Hard to to see the complexities of the tide pool, but take a look at the couple with the dog & keep in mind that they're standing far from shore, in ankle deep water and on the edge of the tide pool embankment. Photo courtesy of Purple Girl's Mommy~ |
It was sunny and 79 degrees with a cool breeze and a slightly higher water temp, which made you more aware of the fluttering of fall in the air.
And to top it off, the currents and tides had created a tidal pool between 3 and just over 5 feet deep along the shore line that stretched out along for God knows how long.
The embankment was part sandbar, part temporary stage of sorts, and smack in the middle of the ocean and the pier. You had to swim out and then through the 3 to 5+ft tide pool to get to the ankle deep embankment in what was normally chest deep water.
It was ocean magic in all its glory and it was fantastical.
4 year old, “Purple Girl” stood at the shore line and watched her cousins playing in the water. She was still little and couldn’t go out into the tide pool by herself, so I offered to carry her in so she could enjoy all the fun.
I took off my insulin pump, encased it my trusty Ziploc bag and placed it in my waterproof case and then put the case in my cooler.
Then I put on my rash-guard and grabbed Purple Girl’s hand.
Together we walked in the tide pool until it became to deep for Purple Girl to walk, at which point I scooped her up and carried her in.
She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and together we glided through the water, slowly submerging and embracing our inner mermaids in the process.
Her cousin Brown Eyed Girl swam up to us and said: Dive in guys and come play!
Me: We will, it just takes me a while to get my head wet and it doesn’t look like Purple Girl wants to go completely under.
Purple Girl looked at me, shook her head and tightened her grip around my neck.
After all, she was the littlest caboose on the cousin train and the water was still deep for her.
Brown Eyed Girl looked me all knowingly and said: It takes you a while to dive in and get your head wet because of your diabetes, right?
Me: No, it takes me a while to dive in and get my head wet because that’s just how I am. But once I dive in, there’s no getting me out!
Brown Eyed Girl pointed to her chest and said: But you have to be careful because of your pump.
Me: I took it off before I went in the water. It’s in my cooler by our chairs, you know the drill! I totally got this! But thanks for looking out for me, Love-bug!
Brown Eyed Girl: OHMYGOSH, I do know that! How the heck did I forget? You’ve only worn your pump my whole life!
And in that split second I realize it was true. For her 9 years on this earth, Brown Eyed Girl had become very adept in the ways of Kelly and her insulin pump.
And once again, Brown Eyed Girl, the little mother to all of her cousins, (and who we adults referred to as being nine going on forty,) was worried about me, my pump and D.
I didn’t skip a beat and said: No worries girl - We’re having fun being mermaids!!
And then as if on cue, her twin brother Hazel Eyed Boy and the rest of their cousins swam up to and around us and our mermaid antics continued.
Purple Girl finally felt comfortable to stand on her own while holding Brown Eyed Girl’s hand while I dove head first in the water and then straight up again and shouted: Fins up mermaids - Let’s go swimming!
And we totally did - And kayaked, too. We walked and then ran along the embankment and saw schools of mullet (bait fish) and even a 3 inch sand shark in our travels.
We propelled ourselves off the embankment and did cannonballs into the sea and played until the skin on our fingers resembled prunes.
Yes indeed, a wonderful time was had by all in tide pool in the Atlantic and on that glorious last Sunday in September of the best Indian Summer, ever~
Thanks for painting a lovely picture. Glad you had fun!
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