We’ve had a hard time getting to the pool this summer already. We had a couple hot days 2 seconds after school let out but oopsie we forgot to pay our pool dues so we had to wait for the check to clear…then it was rainy and 65 for a week…so finally this week it has been nice and hot and the kids were READY. Monday afternoon the forecast looked like it was going to be ok – maybe some late morning storms before the pool opened, but then we should be good. So the big kids and I suited up and picked Jonah up from summer school and headed straight to the pool.
We almost had our sunscreen applied before the heavens opened and poured rain, lightning, and thunder on us. Everyone ran for the pool’s clubhouse, and after several thunder rumbles in just a few minutes, the (underage in my opinion) powers that be decided to just CLOSE the pool instead of waiting it out. So people started leaving and there were these 2 boys, maybe 13 and 7, that did not have an adult with them and I was concerned, because the probably-not-qualified people in charge were KICKING US OUT.
So I’m all, “Is your mom coming to get you?” And the older boy replied that she was out and that he had walked to the pool while his little brother rode his bike.
“Well, can I give you a ride? I’m not scary I promise.” No, no, he protested, it wasn’t far and they would be fine.
I was dubious, but I needed to get my own kids packed up before we got booted out, so I left Joshua in charge of Jonah and sprinted to get the van pulled up close. By this time, the rain was coming down in sheets. I got the van pulled up, and I was already drenched, when I proceeded to get more drenched getting Jonah in the van. I hadn’t gotten in the pool, but you’d never know it by how soaking wet I was. Right after I got Jonah buckled in, a huge crack of lightning and crazy loud thunder sounded – it was very close by.
I ran back into the clubhouse and decided to try to convince those boys to GET IN MY VAN like a total creeper. I was pretty darn sure if they tried to walk home they would get struck by lightning or drown standing up. The rain was super super heavy.
“Please,” I said, “PLEASE let me take you home. I promise I’m not weird, but I am a mom and I can’t let someone else’s child walk home in this! Do you want to borrow my phone and call your mom and ask if it’s ok?”
I think that giant crack of thunder and lightning did all the convincing for me, because this time the boys were ready to go. They didn’t even want to call their mom. I grabbed the little one’s bike and popped the back of my van open and ordered the boys to get in. I got SO drenched while putting the bike in my van that my face was completely wet as if someone had tossed a bucket of water on my head. It was nuts!
The boys thanked me profusely and two minutes later we were in their driveway – it really was a short walk, but it would’ve been terrible in that storm.
Of course, by the time we pulled in our own driveway 10 minutes later, the sun was shining.
What-evs. At least I convinced some kids to get in my van!
