Pool Friends

Another wonderful kiddie pool afternoon. I don't think the following photos need much explaining or expounding upon. They tell their own sweet story all by themselves.

Busy, Busy Tuesday

The weather button on my iPhone said it was going to be hot and sunny. I called up the gals with invites for floats, fun and sun at the kiddie pool. We again packed up the cooler and our red wagon and drove into town.

Have I mentioned that this is the year for pool floats??? I swear that every other day some new swim float shows up in the water. And they keep getting bigger and bigger! At first I was a bit embarrassed when I showed up at the pool with our alligator. It was big. It took up swim space. I even pulled it out of the water at one point cause it seemed too big and obnoxious compared to the other little swim rings floating about. Well, now there are crocodiles, dolphins and purple dragons which all cast shadows upon my sweet, little alligator, whale and dolphin floats.




While swimming at the pool, Ruth Ann told us that it was car-load night at the fair. We all buddyed up and organized ourselves with who could squeeze into who's car that night. Hugo was in seventh heaven when he realized that he got to see his friends again later in the evening! He hollered out, "Hi boys! Hi boys!" as he franticly waved his arm while running across the driveway to their van.

Once at the fair, we very quickly realized that everyone who heard that it was car-load night had also buddyed up and squeezed into their cars and vans. There were a whole lot of people and a whole lot of strollers everywhere at this fair. Each ride had forever long lines. I was scared. I kept thinking how glad I was that my girlfriend had lent me a stroller that had locking straps. I wasn't afraid so much that someone might snatch Hugo. I was terrified of him running as fast as he could in the opposite direction from me. He tried. A number of times. Hugo's eyes were giant saucers looking this way and that. He wanted to ride and touch everything. We did sneak up and touch a big green tractor as it idled away while it's owner stood in line for something cold to drink.

Mid way through the second ride (and line) we developed a system. There were three adults, three toddlers, three strollers, three diaper bags, and a baby in our group. As two of us would wrangle the three toddlers, two strollers, two diaper bags and a baby onto a ride (one adult would occasionally need to ride with the toddlers while the other adult stayed behind near the ride exit door with the two strollers, two diaper bags and the baby) the third adult would judge which next ride-line was the shortest and make a run for it with her stroller and diaper bag to hold a place for the rest of us. Normally I can not perform this jumping line type behavior but last night with three toddlers, three strollers, three diaper bags and a baby it was most necessary. I couldn't make eye contact with anyone. Surprisingly, no one yelled at us. Very, very sorry if I jumped in front of you and your patient child. Mine kept hollering, "Turn, turn, turn!"

As we waited in our first line there was some hand holding going on.


This was the Helicopter Ride. The ride man made me climb in too. The kids would have been just fine on their own. Nothing big happened in the helicopter, just flew up and went round and round.



The Merry Go Round




Standing in line.

A train ride.



Car Ride.




My camera was struggling with the setting sunlight and all the movement. Soon after this ride I tucked it away for the night.

Hugo had fun fishing for sharks. He was pretty good. We also went down the giant bumpy slide together. I didn't think much about it from the ground but once up top I was a little frightened. We could see the van where it was parked 5 miles away from up there. Hugo through his arms up into the air and we screamed together all the way to the bottom. Once stopped, he jumped up from my lap and tried to scramble back up the slide. Silly boy. A dragon roller coaster was next. One of the older boys rode with him. I think this ride was a smidge advanced for him. As the dragon coaster passed us I could see Hugo. His face looked not quite anxious, but not real happy either. He was holding tight onto the bar in front of him while his friend had a protective arm around his small shoulder. When the ride ended he got off and then spun around and doubled back into the car. His friend got him back on track to the exit steps where I was waiting. I scooped him up and asked if he had liked the roller coaster. Hugo through his arms up over his head and yelled out, "Yes!" He was ready to go again.

This is the Dizzy Dragon ride. All the kids were interested to ride on this one but we had to wait. The line was always just tooooo long. At the end of our evening we joined up with the Dads and the older kids in our party. It was decided that the Dizzy Dragons would by our parting ride of the night. We watched fireworks as we stood in line. Finally we were able to all climb into the pink Dragon and we spun, spun, spun as fast as we could! Hugo didn't like it. He hollered out, "Momma! Momma!" I reached across the spin dial and two kids over to pull him into my lap. We spun some more. He kept saying Momma and clung to one of my arms but the older boys and I spun that dial round and round, round and round.


As my girlfriend and I pushed our two strollers, two diaper bags, a toddler and a baby through the busy crowd to the exit gate we talked about the lights, sounds, tastes, and teenagers that we spied on all sides of us. We remembered our own teenage days at the fair. We each expressed a desire to return with our husbands - without kids, strollers, and diaper bags. To feel light, young and in love. To have our forever sweethearts win us a giant sized Ninja Turtle as a trophy of their love for us!

Odds & Ends

Girls Camp is here and I don't have much time at the moment so here goes my post of odds and ends. Enjoy!

My Mom sent these books to Hugo. Very cute and oh so fun to read aloud! Skippyjon Jones is a Siamese cat who thinks he is a Chihuahua. Since our Chihuahua's think they are a pair of Great Danes, we can relate. By the way, it is essential to use your very best Mexican accent while reading these books. Essential.

I have spied this book all over the place. Millie said it was awesome and that I would love it and needed it. The book inspired her to carve out space in their home for a craft room. She is supposed to be posting photos soon . . . someday soon I hope! I haven't finished reading The Creative Family yet. More to follow on this one.

Puppy dog ears.

Surprisingly, with so little rain, pears are yet developing.

Day Off Surprise

Our local kiddie pool is wonderful but... Swim hours are open from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday - Friday. I don't think the pool hours are so wonderful.

Last summer we were able to swim as a family on Saturdays. I spoke about this with one of the lifeguards the other day. He told me there wasn't funding in the budget this year to have a lifeguard on duty over the weekend. What a bummer! Very few Dads can visit the kiddie pool during the hours of 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday - Friday. I have felt really bad for Cesar and how much fun he is missing out on with Hugo and our pool time fun.

This past week Cesar's work schedule got kinda screwy and wha-la! he had Monday off! What a nice surprise. We had him all packed up and almost pushed out the door when he got a phone call that all work was on hold until Tuesday.

Soooo, I quickly packed up a cooler of snacks, some towels, sunscreen and Hugo's dolphin. We three slipped into our suits + one swim diaper. Into the car we hopped (Hugo hops like a frog, or a "wop" as he calls it, everywhere!) and to the kiddie pool we drove!

Hugo had a slow start with the pool. Normally he has been a jumping in the water fool as soon as I finish rubbin him down with sunscreen. He sorta hung out on the edge and slowly worked his toes into the water. Once Cesar slipped into the pool Hugo was all over him. They had lots of fun together splashing, kicking their legs, digging toys out of the filter and of course - swimming! How nice a surprise day off led to Cesar finally joining in on our kiddie pool fun!

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

[The history of most women is] hidden either by silence,
or by flourishes and ornaments
that amount to silence.
Virginia Woolf

I've been a bit troubled lately by some threads of talk which I've found here and there about blogging and the woman behind the blog. Are these women real? Are their intents kind? Are their worlds which are written about and beautifully photographed true? This subject fills me with sadness.

Blogging has so quickly become such a pleasure for me. A happy addiction. I enjoy posting and expanding my blog. Watching with a feeling of contentment as the pages stack up and the months tick by.

I carry my camera everywhere to be on the ready. But, I carried my camera with me everywhere I went long, long before I began to blog. Having my blog as a creative outlet has pushed me as a budding photographer (I can't believe I just referred to myself as a budding photographer). Many blogging women have helped to open my eyes to new possibilities of all sorts of things such as said photography, writing, cooking, crafting, and mothering which all encourage me to develop myself. To push myself. To want more for and of myself.

Turtle Remembered

After much jumping, climbing, eating and pretend swimming Hugo has been turning to this big blue tub. I should pause with my tale and explain here that a daycare meets in the park and visits the pool on and off throughout the day. They keep their pool toys in this tub. Well, Hugo seems to search out the tub when I am thinking he may possibly be tired. He flips it upside down and crawls under it to hide. He'll stay there awhile undisturbed. Then he'll lift an edge and peek out. The kids think he's being funny. One of them will holler out, "Hey, look at the kid under the bucket!" and then all eyes will be on Hugo. I wonder if he is desiring a break from all the splashing and the sun.

Watching Hugo play underneath the big blue tub reminds me of his turtle. He still talks about turtles all the time. He points out the turtles on his bed sheet. We have to count them and talk about their colors. They are fancy multicolored turtles. He has a small toy turtle that he carries here and there in the palm of his hand and sometimes in his shorts pocket. He calls his blow up crocodile pool toy a turtle. We've talked about it being a crocodile, not a turtle. "Look at all the teeth!" I say. I don't think he believes me. He has continued calling the crocodile pool toy - a turtle. Could this big blue tub remind Hugo of his turtle? Could he be playing turtle? Could he be sending me a signal that he wants a turtle? Or is he simply sleepy and desirous of a break from all the kids hollering, splashing, and sunshine?