Sweet Summer Days

Summer was more interesting this year.  Even though the pictures in this post may not portray it.  There's only so many I can cram into one post, after all.  But we really did more than just play in the water.  We took advantage of free movies and plays.  We went to the park, we went on some day trips.  We had lots and lots of playdates.  And lots of quiet time at home so the little Irish princess could stay on her sleep schedule.  The welfare of our entire family seems to revolve around that little girl's sleep schedule.  So we tried our best to work around it and still have some summer fun.

We spent manyafternoons at the local pool.  We did it so many times that the packing of the picnic lunch and the applications of sunscreen became second nature.  Still a pain, but a manageable one.  It's surprising just how long it takes to get 5 kids ready to go to the pool.

One evening we were supposed to be going home so B could go to bed.  But the other four were having so much fun playing some game that involved either kidnapping, or saving R.  Sometimes both at the same time.  So I kept pumping snacks into Baby B and had fun with my telephoto lens.  This photo makes me laugh.  It's like some terrible B film called 'Attack of The Goggled Ones.'

I don't think my kids realize that they can swim without goggles.  The whole closing-your-eyes thing--not for them.

B was pretty demanding in where she wanted to go.  I was thrilled to have, not just one, but two baby holders for these pool trips.  Saved my sanity on many occasions.

I can't say that I'm all that crazy about pool trips.  I think I'll like them better when the kids are all older and know how to swim.  Not to mention apply their own sunscreen.  But the kids love the pool.  And there's no way we could survive the summers here without it.

We even managed to talk Shaggy into coming with us a couple of times.  Which was no easy task.  He doesn't simply dislike the pool.  He dreads it.  But the kids begged and begged and got their way.  A daddy to roughhouse with at the pool.  Dads are good like that.

And towards the end of the summer, after we had endured multiple fevers and flu's and vomiting, and I was we were tired of going to the pool so much, we set up our trusty inflatable pool in the backyard.  It made naptime and swimming time simultaneously possible.  Lovely.  And no sunscreen was required thanks to our giant, shady trees.  Sweet relief. (I really do hate putting sunscreen on, in case you couldn't tell.)

The watermelon we were cooling off took a few trips down the slide.  Can't imagine whose idea that was.  *Eyeroll*

It took B a while to warm up to this pool.  Probably because I didn't sit in it with her.  But after a few tries, she managed to relax and have fun.

And when the inflatable pool got too boring, (It's all relative, isn't it?) we broke out the balls.

Which made the pool more fun, even for me.  Colors!  Colors!

 When it sank in that summer was truly about to end, we spent some evenings out front (where we actually still have grass) playing in the sprinkler.

 This was a new experience for B.  I'm not sure she liked it all that much.

Here's to wishing you had a sweet summer, too!