Lake Shmake

I wish we could hang out at the lake every day. There's something about being by the water that just makes you feel relaxed. Amazingly, even when you have to constantly watch your children (to prevent drownings, kidnappings, taking toys from children we don't know, squirting strangers with water squirters, the taking of younger siblings into much too deep water or making a break for the playground).
Maybe the relaxation comes from watching the kids have such a nice time...or from knowing that everyone did their school work and practiced their violins in order to go to the lake.
No, I think the relaxation came from the reassurance the experience provided me with that, although I'm definitely not a perfect parent, I'm not totally devoid of parenting skillz.
Unlike half of the people I was sitting next to, I didn't leave my 3-year-old in the care of total (smoking, highly pierced) strangers, while I went off to do who-knows-what. I didn't have my crying baby "sunbathing" in a two-piece. (Those weird new-borns. They just don't know how cool their mom is.) I didn't sit on the beach, yelling at my kids, instead of picking my lazy butt up and going to TALK to them when they were misbehaving.
I even brought healthy snacks! (I know, brag, brag, brag.) I did have one crappy parenting moment at the lake. I forgot to smear Jonny's back with sunscreen (his front was fine), and he has a sad, sad burn. Poor little guy.