The Pool

It has been an uncharacteristically hot and humid summer thus far in the beautiful Hudson Valley.  This has prompted the reemergence of the kiddie pool on our back deck.  We have a love-hate relationship with this pool.

Love: How easily Thomas can get in and out...and in and out....and in and out.

Hate: How the pool gets dirty and I have to scoop the water out instead of pouring it like everyone else.  If I pour the water, it seeps into the ground right next to the wonderful attached garage we have and water pools right next to my car.

Love: How I can just sit and watch Thomas from the comfort of a chair on the back deck.

We have ventured to our good friend Darlene's pool.  Darlene has a great inground pool that Thomas is really enjoying.  Initially, what he really liked about visiting "Dareen's pool" is the fenced in yard and the cicadas,the flowers, their pool toys, and the prospect of helping Joe with yardwork.

As of this week, Thomas is really enjoying the pool itself.  Upon our reluctant return home from a nice two hour swim, Thomas said, "I swimmed a lot.  By myself.  And I jumped a lot."  Thomas did indeed swim "by himself" and it involved a lot of grunting, flailing, and swallowing water, but it was WONDERFUL progress.

Getting brave is great, but means we now must always be at arms length away!

 Only with a great deal of coaxing did Thomas take a minute to eat his favorite lunch, a ham sandwich and pretzels.  Once he wolfed it down, he insisted we get right back into the pool and jump some more!

There is another sort of pool I am now entertaining.  A good friend asked what the pool was looking like and I assumed she was talking about this kiddie pool we have.    No, she assured me she could imagine a kiddie pool.  She was talking about the "Office Pool" for when I will have Baby McCollum #2.  Here's what we've got so far:

Joanne (Mama's tennis friend): last week 
Nana VanDusen: 7/20
Dianne (Nan's friend): 7/21--same as hers
Mama: 7/22
Aunt Barb (of the "Family" fame): 7/26
ACTUAL DUE DATE: 7/27
Allison (one of our fabulous babysitters): 7/29---same as hers
Tina (Darlene's quilting buddy): 8/1  *I did ask her, "What I ever did to you?!"  Any very pregnant person will shoot you daggers if you pick a date beyond the due date.

Care to weigh in?  Comment or email me.