Splash!

Last week, we celebrated our last day of school (finally!) at the pool. I have a feeling we'll be spending the bulk of our summer days up there-- the weather here just isn't conducive to outdoor play without an ample water source. And since the beach is hours away... the local watering hole will have to do! Our pool is actually quite nice, so I won't complain; and when we showed up on Friday morning, we were the first ones there... for quite some time. The kids felt like the kings of the hill... until other small people came and crowded their turf. But at least for a few brief minutes, they ran that joint!

So, fully equipped with a well-stocked pool bag (at least I thought it was well-stocked-- Lollipop had unpacked it at home for me... twice... so I wasn't convinced I had everything we needed; I just crossed my fingers and hoped!), a picnic lunch (including fresh fruit!! and I didn't even have to threaten my boys with their lives to get them to eat some :), two full bottles of aerosol sun block (I love this stuff... it is worth every outrageous dollar I spend on it! In fact, I love it so much that, this summer-- when we surely make a few budget cuts for saving's sake-- the spray-on no-rub suntan lotion will not fall into the "scratch it" category... it's simply too wonderful :), and four eager munchkins, all dressed in their swimming garb, we flocked to the pool, fully prepared to spend the better part of our day there. Leslie and her gang joined us, and together, those kiddos wore each other out!

Now, of all my children, only one requires my constant supervision. Bub and Noh-man, naturally, are all over that place-- they know all the lifeguards and they bounce from pillar to post as their desires lead them. Big Man... well... he's a piece of work, that little guy. He hangs in the shallow end with his "pool friends" (some age 4, some age 12), completely uninhibited by their age or size, and sometimes he wonders into deeper waters (though never far from the ladder and the security it provides). Carefree, full of life, fully confident, fairly capable, always smiling... that's my Big Man at the pool.

So that just leaves little Lolli as my constant companion. She. loves. the. water. Bathtub, puddle, bottle of water, squirt gun... you name it, she likes it, and the pool is no exception. Her favorite spot-- the railing at the stairs to the shallow end. Sometimes she likes to wander back to the baby pool, but for the most part, the shallow end is where it's at. Her brothers pop in and out for a quick splash, and sometimes she simply wants to meander along the deck with a stop here or there for any number of reasons. A smiling face, a tempting snack, colorful flip-flops, an exciting toy-- when she's out and about, there's no telling what she'll find. Eventually, though, we find our way back to the railing... until she sees her brothers flip open the lunch cooler, and then her tummy takes over. Pbj, yogurt, strawberries, and gatorade (not to mention the cheezits)-- the water can wait! And every time I watch my crew devour the meal I've prepared, I'm absolutely astounded by their voracious appetites! A little sunshine, a little swimming, and bang! Boys are starving and the food is going to disappear (evidently) if they don't cram every last crumb in their mouths before ten minutes pass. I'll never understand :)

So at the pool we stayed-- only for 3 hours that go round. But I know in the days to come, we'll be there all. day. long. And then we'll all come home and crash.

Now on Saturday, our family returned to the pool... and this time we took daddy along for a little fun in the sun.

And a few synchronized splashes, of sorts :)

It's a good way to spend the day!