We spend a good chunk of our summer days at the pool. It's cool in the water, there's a snack bar, other kids to play with, even a pile of gently-used magazines to read. As IF I had time to read magazines. Heh.
Every year is different at the pool.
This year, Cheer got his patch - which means he can officially swim and go off the slide and the diving boards. Three down, one to go. He's also old enough to remember our membership number which is how he can access our snack funds. That's both good and bad.
Also this year, Shout can ALMOST stand up in the big pool. Many of her friends are already there, so she wants to be a big pool girl and not bask in the artifically warm waters of the baby pool.
Which means I have to be RIGHT NEXT TO HER because... um... she can't swim.
So last year was actually a little easier. I had to keep a close eye on Cheer in the big pool, but I could generally sit and chat over in the baby pool while doing so.
This year, I'm in the water the whole time. Which is ok, just different.
You know what drives me crazy about that though? My kids are ALL UP IN MY BUSINESS. Like seriously - if I BLINK, I hit at least one of them with my eyelashes.
The pool we belong to is GIANT. I'd estimate there are AT LEAST 55,000 gallons of water in that pool. (I actually have no idea how many gallons there are, but it's A WHOLE LOT.)
So here's a picture of us at the pool... ALL OCCUPYING THE SAME GALLON OF WATER. We might as well just stay home and get in the bathtub. (You might need to click on it to embiggen.)
For some reason, I am the ONLY mom at the pool telling her kids, "GET AWAY!" "GO SWIM!" "BACK OFF!" "GET OUT OF MY PERSONAL SPACE!"
I've gotten some funny looks. But seriously. I challenge anyone who dares to get in the bathtub with your kids, have them hang off your shoulders, swim UNDER YOU and pull on your bathing suit straps to see if they can cause a wardrobe malfunction. Also have them start a splash fight with each other and see if it gets all over your glasses so you can't see.
And while you're at it, have them all say "BUTT" a bunch of times for no good reason, because they know you hate that.
If you can get through all that without screaming "GET AWAY!" then let me know in the comments because you win a prize. And leave me your address. Because the prize is, I'm coming over to learn your secret.
8 comments:
I am seriously LMAO over here. I only have two kids, but they do.the.exact.same.thing. The youngest only thinks he can swim, so I have to keep within an arms distance. Meanwhile, the other (who can swim just fine) seems to be always grabbing me or swimming through my legs at just the moment the younger one is trying to drown. Fun. Not.
(Sorry for the deleted comment, I can never seem to be in the right account these days)
Yes!! This is me at the pool. Exactly. Ben LOVES to untie my swimsuit, and Eric swims under me and Mark will jump on my back without warning. Zack needs my full attention. And the little ones used to be willing to wear a life jacket so I could relax a little, but now they want to SWIM. So I am right there with you. :)
I do it all the time! My kids (full grown and bigger than me) think that water makes them weight free and I won't mind if they hang off me-I DO MIND!!! I brought them to the pool/beach for some "go off and play time" and all they want to do is be near me. Where are they when I need them close enough to fold laundry?
Wow! I've been to that pool and it is huge. The singular best feature of my neighborhood pool is that the shallow end is a blessed 2.5 feet deep instead of the standard 3 feet. Even my youngest can stand on her tippy-toes in it.
I hear you! But at least they're YOUR kids. In my pool I'm often the only adult who gets in and I have every other damn kid hanging off me (while their babysitters sit in the shade), shouting 'watch this'; 'did you see that?'; look what I can do? - all while trying to keep an eye on my one daredevil kid. But I've learned a trick from the life guard. Say nothing - just watch.
I love summer but at this point i'm so sick of getting in that big cold pool and smelling like chlorine all the time.
Thankfully, my older two want NOTHING to do with me at our pool, and the 5 year old just wants to be a big kid, too. But you know what? They do that to me in the kitchen. At dinnertime, or when I'm trying to do something, they will all stand between the island and the sink, which is ground zero for all kitchen activity. And I'm all, IT'S A BIG HOUSE, KIDS, PICK ANOTHER SQUARE FOOT BESIDES THE ONE I'M IN RIGHT NOW. Gah.
Post a Comment
Go ahead. I can take it.