My knee is not a pin-cushion

Yesterday we met up with some new friends to go surfing off a beach a few miles south of Lahaina.

We were warned multiple times that the water would be quite shallow, and that sea-urchins would be practically EVERYWHERE.

Mom specifically said, "No stepping on sea-urchins on Friday."

We had a blast! I'm pretty sure that Ava caught the most waves.

The water was very murky. You couldn't see the reef a few feet below the surface, but if you put your foot down, you could definitely tell it was there.

We were told to wear water shoes to protect our feet (good call).

Ava, Lydia, and Gabe were the first ones out on the boards, and after a little while, Christian, Mia, and I went out.

I'll be honest, I probably did the worst out of all of us. The fact that it had been years since we were taught a very basic lesson, and that the water was a bit too shallow for my comfort, really made me nervous.

I didn't ride a wave all the way in standing up, but I did on my knees once, and on my belly once. A majority of the time, we were paddling to catch waves, paddling back to where we were supposed to be, and trying not to hit the reef.

I think Gabe was able to ride some, Christian was great (as always), Lydia did her best and was able to catch some, Mia had a bunch of fun, and Ava was a pro. I think Dad might have ridden a few, but I wasn't really paying attention.

"Now, what did she mean by the title?" You ask.

Well, I'll tell you. Pull up a chair.

I did not step on a sea-urchin.

On the way in from riding a wave, I slipped off of the board. I remembered to keep my feet up, but my knee went down a little too far. I felt something, and when I brought my knee back up to where I could see it, there were sea-urchin spines imbedded in it.

Yeah, ouch.

Breathe, breathe. I don't think it's poisonous. Erm... Where's Mom? Not there. Okay, where's Dad?

"Dad, I think I hit a sea-urchin." "Okay, Mom's over by the bay." (the bay was a small area in the water that was protected by rocks.)

Ouch! It's starting to sting!

Ava: "Are you okay? Here, I've got the board." "Thanks, it hurts."

Calm down, you've just got potentially poisonous body parts from another creature stuck in your knee. See, nothing to worry about.

It still stings.

Mom: "Okay, sit down. I think Aunt Lauren has some oils that will help with that. You're the only person in the world who has to surf with knee-pads on."

So, with the help of one of the friends, they got me anointed with oils (lavender on my feet to help calm, purification to, you guessed it, purify(!), thieves to numb the area, and frankincense to help calm,) and ice. That was the end of my surfing for the day.

When Aunt Lauren and Uncle Phil drove back up, I went with them.

It does not hurt now. We learned that if we put vinegar on the area, it would dissolve the spines still in my knee. But that, eventually, they would come out on their own. Yes, you can still see them.

Lydia documented my treatment with her phone, there will probably be pictures on the family blog in the next couple of days.