Row, Row, Row your boat...

Saturday morning, Matt and I decided to take the kids fishing. Not just to the little pond out behind our house casting from the ground...but to an actual lake on a boat---something they've never done before. We had no idea what an experience we were in for!!! See if you can count how many "mistakes" we made!
First of all..the boat that Matt has is a 2-person boat that doesn't really have a bottom you step down into (in other words--no where for the kids) so we decided to take my brother's boat instead, which is also a 2 person boat but it's more of a canoe style and it's made of metal and much roomier than Matt's. We figured he and I would sit in the seats and the kids could sit down in the bottom of the boat. We hadn't counted on the fact that it was going to be a million degrees and that the metal of the boat would be sizzling hot. Also, this boat has a small hole in it near the top and we were a teensy bit concerned about that becoming a problem but we figured we'd just keep the boat tipped over a bit to the good side so the hole wouldn't be in the water. So, off we were...lifejackets, sunscreen and fishing poles in hand. On the way to the lake we decided we better stop and see if we could find some worms for the kids poles so they could just fish bobber-style. We found a little gas station near the lake that sold worms..so that was good...but we also found out that we had to buy a lake permit and a boat permit to fish off this lake (and that's per day that you go--so it doesn't last all summer or anything). So when Matt got back in the truck, he was a little perturbed that he'd just spent every cent in his pocket to buy the two permits and the box of worms. Oh well...so we head off and finally get there and get the boat unloaded off the truck and into the water along with the ice chest, some crackers and all our fishing gear. Right away we realize that this boat (that we've never been on before) is VERY tipsy. The kids are nervous right away as am I...but of course, I am concealing my anxiety completley for their sake...and plus...sometimes I can convince myself of something if I change the way I react to it. So anyway, we finally get all on and situated and turn on the motor and start drifting off into the lake. We find a place to drop the anchor and Matt worms up the kids poles while I start rubbing sunscreen all over them. (never mind the fact that I only broght Hawiian Tropic Dark Tanning Lotion SPF 6 with me!!) All the while we are doing this...every little move we make causes the boat to tip in that direction...and I mean TIP. There were a couple of times that the side of the boat was nearly level with the water! Anyway, we get the kids poles all set up and start casting ours...and of course they want to reel theirs in too...and we can't seem to find a way to convince them to just sit and watch the bobber. After a bit...I notice that we have floated quite a ways from where we dropped our anchor and Matt's like, "ya, I think the lake is too deep for this anchor" so basically we weren't anchored down at all. By this time, the kids are miserably hot and bored and I've rubbed sunscreen on them like every 10 minutes wondering if I put SPF6 on 5 times...does that equal out to SPF30? It feels like we are BAKING! Neither Matt or I is getting any real fishing done because every 2 seconds we were having to do something for the kids. Then the kids started saying they wanted to go home...and were relentless about it. (over and over and over..."I wanna go home now"-grant and "This is boring. I am hot."-brooklyn. Well meanwhile Matt is getting mad because he's spent all this time and money to do this with/for us and now everybody is whining. I eventually dipped both the kids off the side of the boat into the lake to try to cool them off...but it didn't last long. I ended up giving Brooklyn my seat and I sat on the end of the boat on the fiery-hot metal. Grant stood most of the time or else sat on the ice chest. None of us caught a thing although Matt did get one bite. It was such a crazy trip and Matt said he's NEVER taking the kids fishing again!!! (ha ha--the things we say when we're frustrated.) At least one good thing...the kids didn't end up getting sunburned. Matt and I did...but not too severely. Anyway, all in all...it was an experience to remember...but probably not the funnest memory my kids or husband will ever have. I enjoyed it but I would definitely like to go again just hubby and me and do some real fishing (and sun-bathing of course!)
After that, we came home, showered and went to a get together with our friends and then to the mall for a bit of shopping. While we were at the mall a big thunder/hail storm came through and Matt had to go to work so I took the kids home by myself and had a quiet night alone.
Well, the kids are hollering for me so I better end this. Hope you guys had a good weekend!