Let The Games Begin!

Summer is here. School is out. Sun is hot. And we've got a pool! At least for this week. Our sweet little next door neighbor lady has a beautiful pool and, in return for helping keep it up and keeping watch over her house while she's out of town (which is often), we get to enjoy it. So she's gone this week and from the minute the kids got up yesterday morning it's all they could talk about. "How much longer Mama?" "We want to swim...come ON, Mama....Come ON!"

Finally, after breakfast, I packed a bag, loaded up the stroller with Stuart and all the necessities, and we all schlepped over there.

But the pool was a mess from the storms we had the other day. Leaves and bugs all in it. So while the kids ran around the yard I started working on it. After I fished all the debris out of the pool, I grabbed a broom and started sweeping all around it so the wind wouldn't blow all the garbage back in.

One hour and about three blisters later I announced that the pool was ready for swimmers. William ran over and put his foot in and screamed "Oooh it's too COLD!" And then Catherine ran over to the bag, grabbed a box and said "Come on Weeyum, let's eat Goldfish!" So they sat there for the next 45 minutes and ate Goldfish. Which we could have done at home.

Then Catherine had to go to the bathroom. So we ALL had to schlep back to the house with her. While we were at the house, William decided he wanted to play with his Pirates Legos and Catherine wanted to do puzzles.

"Oh I don't think so," I said. "You wanted to swim. We're going to SWIM."

Whine whine whine. Whine whine whine. "But Mama, it's too cold. And I want to play Pirates."

"You're going to SWIM. Do you hear me? SWIM! It's summer. And we have a pool. And we're going to have fun. FUN FUN FUN. So kwitcherbellyachin' and come ON! Don't make me count to three!"

What's wrong with this picture?

Oh man, it's gonna be a long hot summer.