Pool party
As I have previously stated, we have bought a wading pool for the Munchkin. She finally tried it out this last Tuesday. While she was taking her nap, I slipped outside and filled it up about ankle-deep (for me) and left it in the sun to warm up a little. That didn’t really work, since our yard gets a lot of shade very quickly in the late afternoon. But it was pleasantly warm outside, and by the time the Munchkin woke up, I was ready to get her out there.
After chasing her down with sunblock, her swim diaper, and her first swimsuit, she dashed outside to see what on earth was out there. I took a ball and her stacking cups (which have little pinholes in the bottom) out with us and tossed them in the pool. I then started taking some pictures and taking laundry off the line as the Munchkin carefully investigated this new toy.
Her first reaction: it’s a big sink! Splash, splash, play with the toys in the water. I offered to lift her in. She vigorously refused. I got in and stood in the ankle-deep water to prove to her that it was okay. Her eyes were wide, but she still backed off when I asked if she wanted to get in. “No-no,” she insisted. I calmly got out and continued to fold the crispy fresh laundry coming off the line while she continued to circle and play. I saw her splash water in her own face (she has never been afraid of putting her face in the water, as she proved to us months and months ago as a crawler and early walker – she would try to eat the bubbles in the bathtub and stick her face in the water to do it), and hesitantly stick a toe in the water and then quickly pull it back out. She could definitely get over the side of the pool on her own, and she was determined to do this on her own terms.
This continued for a half hour or so until I finished folding the laundry and stuck it inside. I then waded back in, picked her up, and stood her up in the pool. After staring around at the new surroundings, she promptly sat down and got at the toys that had migrated to the center of the pool. She got out, then got back in. She tried to drink the water out of her stacking cups. She saw them “leaking” and dumped them on herself. She discovered how to splash Mommy. I had taken a chair out and was soaking my feet in the pool, when this little imp comes up with a stacking cup and throws its contents at me. I shrieked, which made her giggle hysterically, and do it again. By the time I convinced her to stop, I was wet across my middle, which actually felt pretty good in the warm weather, but I wasn’t ready for my daughter to continue with her version of a shower for me.
So, the pool is a success! Score one for Mommy and Daddy. She spent two hours playing outside and was a little chilly and pruny by the time I managed to get her back inside and dried off – with the help of her uncle, who came by to use the computer. Thankfully, he was also able to dump out the pool for me to convince the Munchkin to come in, since my precarious sense of balance wasn’t going to help me there.
The pool is slated for use this weekend – the Webmaster and other guy friends of ours – Doc and Gaming Dad among them – are all getting together for what my twelve-year-old sister euphemistically calls “a geek party.” So Friend (who likes cheese), the Brain, and Head are going to come over and join us for an afternoon of water and fun – and hopefully no one gets hurt. 🙂
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