The Pool is Open

It has been cold.   It's been icy.   There have been power outages.    Today, however, the pool was apparently and unexpectedly opened at our house.   Let me explain...

Today the weather changed from winter to spring, with a front of warm air coming in coupled with a cloudless, sunny day that resulted in everyone heading outside to enjoy the weather.     I had suggested to my children that Rayan and Keira might want to play outside.   I suggested they get dressed and I would check with their friend's mother.    My suggestions didn't get me anywhere until I saw Rayan and Keira standing in our back yard.

My son dashed onto the deck to tell them all sorts of things while he stood in his pajamas.   My daughter, however, wasted no time and got her clothes and shoes on and headed out the front door to the back yard.   My son, seeing his sister outside, ran in and did the same.    After that, I had a quiet house in which I could get all sorts of things accomplished.    The children played happily and harmoniously for a while and then my son dashed in the back door saying something about needing the slide.

I didn't know what he was talking about until a few minutes later when I looked out to the back yard. He had gone to the basement, opened the mechanical room door and then dragged out the plastic blue swimming pool from last summer.    This is a twelve dollar pools from Wal*Mart that was well-used last summer and now sported duct tape in spots to plug up leaks.  

My son had taken it to the back yard and put it at the bottom of the slide.   He had gotten the hose, turned it on and was filling the pool up.   My daughter had removed all her clothes and was running around the back yard flapping her hands and squealing with delight.  

My son took off his clothes and splashed into the cold, cold pool water and laughed.    My daughter climbed the steps on the play structure and debated sliding into the pool.    I had come downstairs and pulled out my phone to record the mayhem.    It felt glorious outside.  

I called the other children's mother to tell them there was water in play and her children were going to get wet in short order.   She came over and had the good idea to suggest bathing suits.   I sent out suits and brought some sunscreen.   Then, I phoned my other neighbor, the one who loves to see children being their innocent little children-selves and said she should come out to see the, "nakie nakie" that was happening.  

My husband got in on the action, making a new crucible out of our fire extinguisher and then melting dozens of aluminum cans in his self-made forge in the back yard.    The children had snacks, fruit and quesadillas from the other mother and me as the afternoon wore on.   They made "lemonade" by squeezing some oranges on their back porch and then they laid on their towels in the back yard before getting into more fun with the slide, the pool and the water.

We all agreed this was the life and hoped for more spring days in the near future.

The Big Boy Update:  Cleaning up the table.   My daughter loves to help cook.   Getting her to not help cook is more of a trick.  My son is more interested in trucks or robots or anything other than helping in the food preparation area.   We decided he needed to help in some way, so last night he brought all the dishes to the kitchen after dinner.   He was quite helpful and did a careful job of taking all the adult plates in addition to their plastic ones.    This may become his regular job, he did it so well.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter came downstairs to see me before she went up to bed tonight.   I didn't have many lights on and as I walked her back up the darkened stairs she said, "my shadow is gone when it's dark."