Backyard Pool Party

As you all probably know, it was a fabulous weekend of perfect summertime weather.  We stayed around here since we are going to be gone for the 4th of July and we had some things to do to get the house ready to sell.  Justin painted the garage door and touched up some other peeling paint on the garage and we took care of our garden.  Yesterday afternoon I had the urge for some water recreation.  I have been wanting to bring Ben to the pool near our house but it costs three dollars per person if you don't have a season pass so it would have been nine dollars for us to go and I didn't want to pay unless we knew Ben would have fun for more than ten minutes.  He has been swimming but only in deeper water with someone holding him or pulling him around in a floating toy.   Instead we went to Walmart and bought a cheap inflatable pool and invited the neighbors over to enjoy the sun.  I think everyone has learned from experience that hose water is icy cold and does not heat up as fast as you want it to in these situations so Justin fed the hose through a basement window and attached it to the utility sink so we could fill the pool with warm water and use it right away. 

Of course he liked it.  He loves baths and he loves anything involving being outside so how could a bath outside be anything but great?

First he just sat in it and splashed, fascinated by the fact that he was in water outside.  Then he realized it was fun to hurdle over the side of the pool and back in again repeatedly.  Then he started finding debris from around the yard to throw in the pool (mainly landscaping rocks, his beloved!)

 

He had a great afternoon.  After he was bored with swimming he got to play with our other neighbor's' dogs.  Then we went out to eat and he was so exhausted that he passed out an hour before his normal bed time.  Ahhh...lovely...And I don't doubt that the public pool would be a waste of money anymore.  It has some fun water features above and beyond the old fashioned "baby pools" that we grew up with like mushrooms that shower water and geysers. Also, Wednesday nights are $1 nights so maybe that will be our new routine after the 4th. 

 

I have to point out that Ben does indeed have sunglasses and various hats and he will not in any situation leave them on his head.  I keep meaning to order these sunglasses that look like goggles for him.  They have a strap that looks like it would be hard to just pull off.  This situation drives me crazy because I am a sun protection fiend when it comes to my own skin and don't leave the house without sunblock on my face, hands, forearms and any exposed skin.  I have bottles of sunscreen in my car, in my purse, in my gym bag and in Ben's diaper bag and I always am wearing sunglasses even when I go outside for a quick moment.  It drives me crazy seeing him squint after throwing his glasses aside!  I know he is sensitive to it because he sneezes after walking from a building into bright sunlight like I do sometimes. 

 

 

We made an exciting discovery in the garden...zucchini forming on the vine!  This picture was taken on Saturday so I need to get there today to pick some!  In the past we have had zucchini in our shaded garden in the back yard and they never produced until August.  The sun makes a huge difference.  

 

 

There are also tomatoes and even a pepper forming that should be ready soon.  After my tomato gluttony last year I am ready to eat them again! 

 

I don't know if I will have a chance to be on here until after the 4th of July.  Although I am worried about missing out on any new houses that might come on the market I am excited to get out of town and do all the fun 4th of July activities that I look forward to like reuniting with old classmates and friends at the street dance and just hanging out and grilling and doing fireworks at the farm with my siblings and cousins.  It is so boring around here now that the chaos of selling the house has passed.  Even TV is horrible.  I have pretty low TV standards and can usually find some trash to entertain myself or have as background noise when Ben is sleeping and I am doing boring crap around the house but even I can't find anything to watch.  Even the news is boring.  Good think I have Pandora radio.  Get here fast 4th of July.