Fun in the Sun? Not for long....

Another activity I've been wanting to do with the wee ones, but hadn't yet mustered up the courage to do so, is going to the pool. It is A LOT of work to get them all ready to go, myself ready to go, and I knew once we got there I wouldn't be able to just lounge relaxingly by the poolside watching them.

I decided that I would never know if all my qualms about it were even realistic until I tried it. So today was the day. I was actually looking forward to it. We didn't get to go to the pool at all last year because Tate was a tiny lump of fresh baby skin who couldn't even wear sunscreen yet.

Our pools don't open 'til 12:30. Ummm...hello? That is our naptime around these parts. Which means it isn't feasible for us to even get there until after 3:00. Answer me this: Why, when you are trying to cram in as much housework as you can do your kids take the shortest naps possible--but when you're excitedly anticipating a trip to the pool, they take the longest naps imaginable? Drue and Tate both slept 3 HOURS!

I tried to do as much prep work as I could during their slumber. I got the bag packed, hunted down all their swim attire and laid it neatly on the couch. I had Reese get her suit on and lotioned her up. Then we waited. And waited. And...oh for heaven's sake, I finally went to peek on Tate and his sleepy little eyes told me he would have been happy with about 15 more minutes.

I feel like I am operating my own personal assembly line most days. Get one kid ready, buckle them in the van. Get the next kid ready, buckle in the van. And so on and so forth. On the way, I went over the "rules of the pool" with the girls. One of which was, "You absolutely CANNOT poop in the pool or else they'll have to shut the whole thing down." Nevermind it would be a health hazard, I just didn't want to be embarrassed.

I need not have worried about them contaminating the pool with their waste products, however. We were there a total of 15 minutes and the whistle blew for everyone to get out of the pool and exit the deck immediately. Our one nemesis who could spoil the whole afternoon....thunder!

I could NOT believe that I went through all the rigormaroar of slathering 3 squirmy bodies with sunscreen, wiggling them into their suits, hiking a mile from our parking spot....to SPEND A MEASLEY 15 MINUTES AT THE POOL! IT WAS A MOSTLY SUNNY DAY for crying out loud. And I almost did. Cry out loud, that is.

My woe is me thought process quickly turned to sheer sympathy when I caught sight of my doe eyed kids who weren't pitching a fit, they were just following everyone else out of the pool looking confused. I hate it when they're disappointed. I know that is a life lesson they'll need to learn that there will be disappointments along the way, but I'm just not ready to deal with that yet.

So I offered them the one thing that makes all their troubles disappear......ICE-CREAM! Immediately their faces brightened and they were all smiles. I realize this tactic won't work when they are 16 and don't have a date to the prom, however at 2 & 4 it works like a charm. Tate even got a dish of vanilla all to himself and he didn't even know he needed to be cheered up.

As we sat eating it at the kitchen table, Drue asked what flavor everyone got. Between mouthfuls Reese said, "I got Reese's Pieces". Drue looked at my ice cream with chunks of oreo and deduced that mine must be Mommy's Pieces.

It should take me about a week to recup and build up my courage to try this again. Rain, rain go away....don't even think about coming our way that day!