Poolside Saturday

We have a pretty great neighborhood pool. It was quite a draw when we considered moving to our neighborhood 2 years ago . . . the slide, the size, baby pool, lifeguards . . . it's a great sell for the 'Hampton.

And this year -- finally -- we are able to really enjoy it. The past 2 summers have not been great for Dahlby Family poolside fun . . . we moved here in August and spent the rest of that summer just moving IN to the house, and last summer I was all pregnant and then we had tiny Kate. But this summer is different. The girls are both of an age where they love playing in the water, so we are at the pool at least 3 times a week. We go as a family usually once each weekend. This summer of 2009, we certainly have come to love the 'Hampton pool.

This summer, Meg is not quite swimming solo . . . but she has a little floaty jacket that works wonders for her. She goes down our water slide and jumps in with avengence, no fear of the water at all. Next summer, she'll probably be more able to swim on her own (fingers crossed for that one!). We tried the lessons earlier this month but abandoned that idea and have high hopes that maybe next year she'll really learn how to swim. But really, Meg couldn't care less about learning to swim . . . she just loves jumping around in the water, doing her "trick" which involves a few seconds underwater with no jacket on, and eating snacks on the pool patio. She's even learning some valuable sharing lessons with her toys at the baby pool. My little fishy Meg is a pool goddess like her mama.

For Kate, this is the summer where I have to chase her all over the pool deck. She's a year old, walking, and totally nonstop. She can't quite stand up on her own in the 1 ft baby pool, but she tries so very hard. She can manage to hold herself up for little lengths of time, but when she tries to walk or gives a great big splash, the game is over. I find myself hunched over holding Kate up or keeping her from falling into the big pool most of my mornings we are out there. (Hey, at least I'm getting a ton of sun on my back this year.) Still -- even with mom hovering all the time -- she loves to splash in the little pool. She 'tastes' the toys, fills and dumps her bucket, and loves to grab hold and throw any ball she comes across. In the big pool, Kate is often anti-baby float, for some reason -- and I need her to float if we are all going in the big pool together. She would prefer to be held in the deep water, which is just not possible when Mommy is managing both kids on her own. Kate is usually OK after a minute or two in the float, but I have to be 'that mom' cramming her into the inflated turtle while she cries in protest . . . others look at me like I'm torturing my kid. But big pool or baby pool, Kate really has no problems with the water. She seems to be yet another little fishy in our family.

And from what I hear from friends with older kids, each summer will get better and better. Meg will one day learn how to swim, and so will Kate. There will come a summer here in a few short years when I can just hang out and let the kids go crazy in the pool without having to stand right beside them. I get a kick out of watching the older kids at the pool -- and their parents -- and thinking about what those summers will be like for us. We have a lot to look forward to when it comes to poolside fun . . . but I know I will miss having the baby toddling around that everyone stares at because "Oh, she's SO cute!" I'll just take each year as it comes and soak up the fun.

Solo swimming or not, this is a great summer for us at the pool. As I sit her with my weekly calendar, I'm already planning our visits for next week.