kaleidoscoping chaos...: Now that's using your Noodle!

I am so thankful for so many things in my life - truly and completely thankful...

for my wonderful family, my awesome friends, the fact we did not lose power this weekend, my just born new nephew, for my health, and million more that I often forget and too many others that I can not write them all down here...

Things are pretty good for us. Really good. But some mornings, especially those mornings after weekends that were spent mostly in doors due to excessive heat and neighboring power outages... it feels like the world is against me... way too over dramatic I know... but when we got to camp today and the parking lot was empty... Jonah, the observant one, annouces, Mommy where are all the people??? I knew it. I was like - how did I not call to see if the place was open?!??! The whole neighborhood is out of power and camp is just 4 blocks down the street... Well, it wasn't. I was looking forward to those glorious three hours when Jonah is at camp and Vera takes her nap... and now, poof, like a magic spell - it was gone.

AND I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL WE WERE GOING TO DO!!!

I just could not stay in the house with both kids again...

We got home. I did what any good kaleidoscoping mom would do.

No - did not check the internet...

No - did not grab my "50 walks with kids in DC" packet of cards...

I CALLED ANOTHER MOM!!!!

Because moms get other moms.

Me: What are you doing today. Camp is closed. We need to do something. (the undertone in my voice... HELP ME PLEASE - I AM DESPERATE!!!)

Her: We are going to the pool. Meet us there in the lobby at 11. (undertone in her voice... I GOT YOU COVERED GIRLFRIEND)

So we got our stuff together. Unpacked from camp, repacked for pool day. And Vera took a 30 minute nap.

Here is the thing. I've been wanting to go to her pool but I was scared. It is a big pool - no baby pool. Her kid is almost a year older than Jonah and he can kinda swim - and there is only one of him... Taking my two to the baby pool is enough of an ordeal - but no baby pool - I was overwhelmed just thinking about it. She had reassured me more than once that she would take the boys and it would be fine. She is a former lifeguard and swim teacher. But still I was a bit worried. Today though, desperation trumped anxiety. We were there at 11am sharp!

She has passes to the Capitol Skyline pool. They do a family membership during the weekdays.

I brought these yellow floatys for Jonah and a floaty sit in thing for Vera. (In the end we didn't really use them)

We get there and we needed to wait a little bit because they were still cleaning the pool. The crew there is basically all moms/nannys/caregivers with kids. Mostly little kids. Most of them with the special floaty vests - so basically anyone can be in the water with out constant holding by a parent. I have shied away from those with Jonah. He loves the water. He loves swimming. I want him to learn how to swim and not rely on floaty things. I love to swim. We want our family to love swimming and to be good at it. I just think if it is so easy to float and "swim" around - then it is going to be harder to teach actual swimming. Plus I really think it gives little kids a false sense of being able to float without knowing how to float for real and that is just plain dangerous. Although I get how awesome they can be these floaty vests, because kids who can not swim get to "swim" in the water and have fun. I just want my kids to learn to swim as early as possible.

Finally, we can go in. Jonah's buddy jumps right in. He had a "noodle" and he can swim (stay afloat) with and without it. Jonah is hanging on me & on my friend. Finally I break down and give him the yellow floatys (I don't like them for all the same reasons I listed above). He is swimming around with them - but he wants a "noodle" like his buddy. My friend somehow gets him a noodle from the lifeguard.

TOTAL FREAKING SCORE!!!

Basically Jonah spent most of the next 3 hours in the pool with my friend and his buddy. No floatys. Just with the noodle. (which to me is a totally different thing as in you have to hold onto the noodle and if you let go you will sink...) They were jumping in and out of the water. My friend got him to swim without the noodle to her and to the wall. It was super fantastic. I was on Vera duty and we had fun. She loved the pool, but also loved running and exploring everywhere - which was fine because Jonah just wanted to swim with his buddy and my friend was OK with watching them both.

I actually do not know how to write about how completely amazing today was - and how much I needed it to be so. The sun was shining, the pool was great, the kids were happy, Jonah basically learned how to swim, I got to hang out with my friend... if ever there was a magical kaleidoscope with fairy dust, clearly it was used today on me... and I am so thankful for it.

But really I am totally and completely thankful to our best buddies at My Adventures with Buster Yellow. Thank you for making today a marvelous Monday... thank you for being great friends... we are so lucky to have you in our world! And I am so excited for our guys to grow up and adventure for the rest of their lives together... while we sit back, watch and drink some well deserved cocktails!

We are ready and willing to go back to the pool with you, whenever you want us!!!