Hi again.
WOw, today was sure an adventure.
I nanny for 3 boys ages 9 (Alex, who would want me to mention he will be 10 in like 2 months) Ben 8, and Caleb 1 1/2. They are a handful but teach me something new every day, and I love them dearly.
Last Wednesday I took Ben and Caleb to a park that has marshy trails to the river bed. Ben really wanted to show me the river but...well, I did call it marshy, and while Ben and Caleb were all decked out in rain boots, and water proof pants, I was not. I promised Ben when I got paid I'd buy rainboots and we'd go puddle jumping and mud walking. So, when my pay check arrived, I went and got some oober cute black rain boots. Today, while Alex had therapy I packed up Ben and Caleb and we drove to the park. This time Caleb was in a backpack on my back because one of his rainboots is MIA, and the stroller wouldn't manage mud well, not to mention it was nearing naptime and he'd get tired.
Things started out great. We found lots of puddles, some mud on the banks, and were having a good time. Ben found clam shells for his collection, Caleb kept signing and saying "UCK" and "ACK ACK" (his version of Duck and Quack Quack). We decided to walk down the river bed, under a bridge and by the boat launch. Just when Ben was thinking we should turn around and go back we both spotted the COOLEST man made raft. It was a total Tom Sawyer like raft. If it were summer, I'd have run to the house for life jackets, given Caleb to mom for a nap, and we would have gone rafting! (ok maybe not but, the Tom Sawyer in me wanted too!). We climbed on, around, and over the raft. and checked out the architecture of it. Then we spotted a green grassy, dry field just a few feet more upstream. I thought it was a great spot for Caleb to get out of the back pack and do some romping around. We trecked towards it, staying close to shore. We came to a spot with lots of low branches, I didnt want any wacking Caleb in the back of the head when I let go of them after pushing them out of our faces. I decided to go closer to the bank and bypass them, and thiss is where I made a near fatal error!
One second I was on top of the sand mud, and the next step I was literally waist deep in it! It was scary because I couldn't get out, and the baby was on my back. Ben was commanded to stay as close to the grass and dry ground as possible. I had him grab a huge stick nearby and throw it to me. I pushed it down next to my right leg and it created a good airpocket and I was able to pull out my leg. My left leg though is still weak from a sprain/fracture I got a little over a month ago, and the right leg didn't go straight down, it went down at an angle, and since it was the first to go down, it went deeper. My foot wouldn't come out of my boot, which created a bigger problem. If it would have come out of the boot I probable could have gotten it all the way up. But, it wouldn't come up. I kept my composure but did pray aloud that God would help us get out of this situation, and quickly. At this point I was especially concerned about Caleb and it being cold. His feet were wet and muddy.
On our way to this spot we passed a boat launch where their was a cop clocking speeders crossing the bridge, and a man sitting in a truck. Feeling like it was my only option (and that I probably couldn't reach my phone in my pocket) I had Ben run and ask the man or cop for help. He got the man, who came and said (she needs to crawl out)...DUH! HOw can I crawl without sawing of my right leg???? Sheesh. However, by the time the man got their I'd gotten the bright idea to dig my leg out. (You'd think that would have come first). It worked well, it was cold and now I had mud up to my elbows but, I dug to my knee, and miraculously their wasn't pockets of water under the mud sand and the mud I moved up and over stayed up and over. I was able to pull my other leg out and meticulously crawl to the shore. That man must have though I was an idiot. Ben was going on about how we were definately going mud walking again, and I was saying, we were never getting within half a mile of the river again! I stripped my socks and shoes off and walked barefoot and frozen back to my car (this time we went the long way using the sidewalks in town, not the bank). I had to strip to my undies in the parking lot at the park, luckily I had a suitcase of clothes I was getting rid of in my trunk and could put something else on.
Looking back their are several small miracles: Even though Caleb was going to be in the back pack and supposedly stay dry, I put is rain pants an rain coat over his sweats and jacket, so he stayed mostly dry. Even though I was ready to sacrifice my brand new boots to escape the mud trap, I somehow managed to come out with both boots on! This prooves God cares even about the little things. I would have been bummed once everyone was safe and warm, that I'd lost my new cute, $25 dollar boots! Ben stayed calm and helpful, not trying to come to where I was (he wanted to get stuck too but listened to me when I said stay put). And we didn't need to be rescused. Lastly, I was honest with their Mom, and she wasn't at all mad, just happy we were all safe and Caleb was safe and dry. I on the other hand needed a shower, and had to take a luke warm one because the warm water burned my ice cold feet and hands!
I wish I'd had my camera but, it probably would have gotten ruined. My phone managed to stay mostly dry though, so ben took a picture with that...maybe their is a way to get it on my computer.
The rest of the day was much better. Alex and did fun math, then both the boys and I made "graham cracker houses" , these are ginger bread house made instead with graham crackers. We took pictures of those. I will post them another time.
Here is a picture of my ADORABLE nephew all decked out for Christmas. I like to say that he is "peaches AND cream!"
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Alex on vocals, he had fun with that.
