A Warm Day/A Pool Day

I'm not sure what the official temperature was today, but it was warm enough at 11am to drag out the pool. Inwe helped spread out the pool and held the hose as we filled it with cold water. My original idea was to let the water warm up in the sun while we ate lunch and while the girls napped. But Inwe and Larien had different ideas. Larien wanted to go in new shoes and all. Inwe wanted to put on her swim suit and go in before lunch.

Do you have any idea how difficult it can be to explain to a 19-month toddler that we are coming back to the "water"? Let me tell you, it isn't easy. I got it done, and all three of us went upstairs to don bathing suits, swim diaper (Larien), and grab some towels. I couldn't find a suit that fit Larien because all of the warm weather clothes are vacuumed packed in the attic. Inwe graciously donated one of her suits to Larien.

For an hour and a half we splashed in the wickedly cold water, blew bubbles, and tried to keep Ursa out of the pool. Larien liked climbing in and out of the pool best. Inwe was the brave one and got nearly all of her wet. She would run from the shade of the plum trees into the sun saying, "I'm just warming up a bit." Only the promise of sprinkles on yogurt got them both out of the water and into the house at 1pm to dry off and eat.

Sometime during the girls' naps, Ursa slipped outside and ripped the bottom of the pool to shreds. Larien woke up first, and it was easy to keep her not interested in the pool. Our neighbor and her children were over so that was distracting. However, when Inwe woke up, she popped out the door wearing her swimsuit (which had to be still damp, but she didn't care at all).

"Mommy, I'm ready to get back in the pool!"

"Inwe, Ursa ripped the pool apart and all the water went out."

"Why did she do that?"

"She's a dog and a puppy, Inwe. She doesn't need a reason."

"Can you show me?" So I took her to the trash can so that she could see the gaping hole in the floor of the pool. "Oh, that's okay. Can't we fix it?"

"No, but I have another pool. I have to inflate it."

"Well, Mommy, let's go get it. I can wait."

So, the girl who has had a cold since last Thursday and bears the mark under her nose of constant tissue use, played in the pool for an hour until Phill got home. (Larien stayed out, content to drink juice and hold her blanket.) Inwe showed her father the ripped pool and told him the entire story of inflating the second pool. After dinner, Inwe donned her bathing suit again and played in the pool for another hour. Needless to say--she enjoyed the water. I believe Larien will like it much more when the sun has heated the water.