The pool in our neighborhood has been open for the summer for a few weeks now. We didn’t make it there much last summer. Maybe once toward the end of the summer Tom and I took all the boys together. And, even then, I think I held John Lloyd and sat by the pool watching the others play. New babies and pools aren’t the best mix when you have to watch other young kids who can’t swim that well yet.
It’s funny because last summer we spent so much time just playing in the backyard when the baby napped or doing something inside if it was 110 degrees. They never really asked to go to the pool. Not that they don’t love it. But it wasn’t really an option for me to take them all by myself.
Fast forward a year. The weather has been so pretty. We actually thought the water may still be a little cool. But one night before dinner this week Thomas and Arthur asked to go swim. So Tom packed them up and they went and played for 30 minutes or so.
The next morning when we were eating breakfast, Arthur asked to go again. I almost said, “Not today.” But I knew since it was a school morning there would hardly be any kids there. And the weather was great. So we got ready and packed up and headed down the street. I didn’t have any big expectations. More than that I was thankful to be able to take them. A year ago in such a sleep deprived state, we just didn’t have the margin for it.
Arthur enjoyed playing. It’s still too early to tell about John Lloyd. He didn’t just love it. After about ten minutes or so he started to fuss in his little float and I pretty much held him the rest of the time. I still call it a victory!
