Pool Time

Our town has this terrific toddler pool that is 6" at one end and 20" deep at the other. We have gone nearly every day this week. We've been experimenting with our arrival time. Sometimes we show up around 10 am. The water can be a little chilly at this hour. Sometimes we show up to the pool after Hugo wakes from his nap. I like this arrival time best. The water is warm. The sun isn't so harsh. Many kids are gone elsewhere for late lunches and naps.

The later arrival time doubles as an excellent bribe. The two of us motor about the house and yard during the morning hours with chores, playtime, and momma school. While eating our lunch I've been talking to Mr Hugo about the pool. Our conversation is repeated many times and goes something like this, "When we finish our lunch Hugo, it's nap time and then guess what??! It's pool time!!" Hugo will yell out, "Yeshhh!" So, naps have been nooooo problem at all. He just about runs to his bed once his hands have been washed and pulls his sheet up and over his head and makes pretend snoring sounds. I'll then creep out of his room backward, close the door and hear no more from him for an hour and a half or so.


Today a new twist was added to our pool time. We met with friends at 11 am. We claimed our spots poolside and raided the lunch coolers in shifts as the kids came up for sustenance breaks. Hugo is such a lightweight that he'll start to shake and shiver and climb into my lap to warm up. It doesn't matter how hot the temperature, all the running and jumping burns up whatever he devours and leaves him empty and cold, cold, cold and skinny, skinny, skinny.

I love to see Hugo with his big boy friends. He copies whatever they do. And it warms my heart to watch the older boys truly pay attention and include him.

The big boys love to put their backs against this fence and run the short distance of concrete and leap into the "deep end." Hugo copies their movements in his own fashion. He'll back right into the fence just like they do and count, "One, two, one, two!" and then run. At the edge of the pool he'll halt and crouch and wait. He'll gauge the water. He'll check out where the boys are. Then he'll leap. He pops up out of the water like a little cork and is thrilled with himself. Sometimes he'll scramble up the smooth concrete wall and out of the pool water. Sometimes he'll walk over to the two steps that lead the way up and out of the deep end.