The Bailey Bunch: Adventures in Laking

Thankfully, all my little loves enjoy water! Beach water or pool water, it has not seemed to matter to them! But they had never done lake water until recently!!

Thanks to dear friends, The Bailey Bunch made their way to Lake Wateree for a weekend of Labor Day Fun! 6 kids, 4 adults and a closed in porch, college football and sunshine... what is not to enjoy!!

This was the best I could get of all the older kids as they awaited the boat's departure from the dock!! There were lots of questions about sharks being in the water! Bless their bones! They just didn't know about lake water! Horrible mom!!

Charlie thought it was the coolest thing ever to drive fast with James through the water! Not long after his turn at the wheel, he asked his daddy when we were going to get a fast boat like James'! Yeah Daddy? When is that happening?

I absolutely could not handle the amount of cuteness this little one offered up! How adorable is that life jacket and poor thing- she took it like a champ!! The wind in her hair and the most secure life jacket in the world on!! She was set! If only she had given in to the desire to nap! But nope- she was in for every bit of fun that the rest of us were!

Bessie Boo had a bit of a scaredy bug come over her as the boat began to go fast! She suddenly had a tummy ache and needed some TLC from her momma! Thankfully, I am always up for a good hug and this was no exception! After a bit though, that "bug" went away and she was "all better!"

Like an old pro, Addie sat in the back of the boat, hair blowing and her tongue out! Every now and then she would ask her daddy to "Go Fasturh Daddy!!!" CAN.NOT. HANDLE. THE. TONGUE! Cracks me up!!

I mean I could just eat this sweet one up! Notice the hand holding! This is how she insisted she be held while her "stomach bug" was around!!

But after a fun afternoon of lake fun, the mommies and daddies were beginning to grow tired and needed that closed in porch for some relaxation and child control!! So off to the house we headed!

While in the water earlier that day, Bess was taught the art of upside down life jacket wearing as a stand in for a floaty! She thought this was the best trick ever! I was just tickled pink because I can so remember summers doing this, especially floating in Garden City inlets with the fam!

She loved this "trick" so much, she wore it all the way home on the boat, refusing to take it off!

Feeling one with the water (or maybe just brave from some liquid courage)... Daddy decided to brave the slalom ski! Just like back in the day! Except the last time I remember him skiing, there were not 4 little loves watching his every move! Where I normally would have been sitting at the back of the boat watching him, I was now sitting at the back of the boat reassuring little loves their daddy would in fact return to the boat and would be okay!

Thankfully, just like an ol pro, Bubs got up and was ready for the water action! Bless the pitiful orange life jacket we had to use for this unexpected skiing adventure though! Makes for a funny pic!

Once Bubs had decided enough was enough on the ski, he fell down and guess who fell completely apart!!!

Not understanding this at all.... this little love was in pieces over her daddy being in the water and us on a boat and to top it off the boat was moving and daddy wasn't on that boat!! DRAMA!!!

After the tears were dried up and Daddy was safely back on the boat, we headed (really this time) to the house! Ben was awake for all of 2.2 seconds and then- CRASH- he was done! How precious was his little self just laying there life jacket and just completely OUT! I could eat him up too!

All weekend long, Ben was quite the ladies man! Age was clearly not a factor in his desires because there were times he was looking to the younger ladies ...

and times he was smooching up to the older ladies!! Either way, he has 2 great gals to pick from!

But leave it to the boys to find entertainment like no other on the best lake porch ever! What good are baby toys if you can't make a game out of them! So like any good daddies would do, these 2 lined up their contestants and started their engines! Thanks to plastic tug boats and pushy cars, this serious race was pure entertainment! Not sure who enjoyed it more though- kids or daddies! (Or moms for that matter because we just sat back and watched the chaos but didn't have to control it!!!) Thanks boys!