Oh, how nautical!

We took Son out on the newly acquired boat on Saturday. We drove up to my parents (a mere 200 miles with 1 1/2 tons behind us) so we could get on a lake of some decent size. It's been a pretty dry summer, so a lot of the lakes are pretty low right now. Low enough to make putting this monster in on a regular landing requires a good bit of maneuvering, cursing, and making promises to God. Oh, and trying to avoid the dirty looks from those others that are oh-so-patiently waiting behind you.

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We went out and bought an infant life jacket for Son at Target the night before. It wasn't that expensive, but sheesh, he's only going to wear it less than 10 times. He looks like a little Stegosaurus with it on, but it's supposed to help keep the child's head up out of the water if they ever (God forbid) need to use it for its intended purpose. He wasn't too happy about having to wear it, but, for the first of many times, it was for his own good. Of course, once we were out on Saturday we found an infant sized life jacket that the previous owner had left behind. Grrr. Even though it was pink and purple, it would have worked. However, on the up side, there were the next three sizes up in the boat as well-and all of them barely used. Hallejulah!

So, on to Saturday. We got to my parents around 1:30, and while on a normal day, it would have been Son's naptime, he had slept enough in the car for me not to be too worried. We all pack up into the Jeep, and try to find the lake with a landing that is still deep enough to put the behemoth in. We finally arrive, Husband backs the trailer down the ramp, and....The boat is not moving. Even this landing is too shallow to get enough water under this thing to let it float off the trailer, which is what is supposed to happen. Husband has to now back up so the back wheels of the Jeep are now in the lake and halfway up. Boat finally floats off, but starts to wander off due to the wind. Herculean efforts by my Dad to keep it from turning sideways and get it over to the dock. Herculean efforts by the 4X4 gods to get Jeep up off of landing since we had to essentially back so far in that we were off of the cement of the landing.

Finally, we all pile in. Husband is trying to keep it all together and act like he knows what he is doing. It's not working. My oh-so-helpful father gives instruction. Husband is happy to get it, but still has that whole issue with acknowledging that he just might not get it. We finally get out, and it really was a beautiful day. Son, well, he wasn't so crazy about the trip out to the other side of the lake. I don't know if it was the sound of the engine, the wind, or feeling me tense up, but Mom said that we was looking a little scared. All he did was sit absolutely still in my lap and hold onto my pants leg.

Once we stopped, Son relaxed a little and started getting a little interested in his surroundings. My dad took him on his lap in the drivers seat, and Son was in heaven. Buttons, switches to play with...Hooray! (Actually, the same thing goes for my dad-he LOVES to fiddle with anything he can get his hands one. Usually manages to break something.) They sat there for a good 30 minutes. Son took possession of the steering wheel and wouldn't let go. He managed to turn on the radio, and was bopping away on Dad's lap. He also found the volume control (I still don't know where it is) and turned it up just to get a reaction out of Husband. Little stinker.


All in all, he made it for about an hour before the sun, a skimpy lunch, and lack of a nap got to him. He enjoyed the trip in a lot more. He just loves the wind in his hair. I'm looking forward to giving him something that I had in my childhood. I spent a lot of time in the bottom of a barebones 14 ft. Crestliner when I was a kid, but I had a lot of fun too. My first biology lessons were learned on Portage Lake. I hope that Son will have the same type of memories. I'm also happy that my Dad was able to spend this time with him. He still keeps trying to get Son's first words to be "fish." Never know, it might happen.