Big Pool!

Yesterday we went with a friend of mine and her two children to their community pool. I had been telling the Tiny Overlord since Sunday that we were going to go to a Big Pool. She seemed excited, growing more so as the day arrived. "Big pool! Big pool!"

The day dawned cloudy with a strong chance of thunderstorms. I tried to prepare her for a change of plans, explaining that we would go to the big pool unless there was thunder. We had a fun morning outside, playing with bubbles and sidewalk chalk and getting covered in sand in her sandbox. A bath followed, and then snacks and play time with blocks, and of course hide and seek with her dolls.

After her nap we headed out, with Her Excited Excellence chanting "Big pool! Big pool!" for much of the car ride. We arrived and I got her changed into her swimsuit, which has flotation built in. Not enough to be a life saving device, but it definitely helped her buoyancy. (Note; this is not the bathing suit in the picture. I didn't get a chance to get any pictures of her at the Big Pool, so I just used a picture from her 18 month birthday party.)

At first she clung to me like a little monkey on its momma, but she soon relaxed and eventually even let go of me, although I didn't let go of her. We bounced up and down a bit and tried floating on her back. That will take some more practice. Then we went "flying" as she described it - I held her with one hand under her chest and one under her legs so that she was sort of in a swimming position. I walked her all around the shallow end of the pool that way, and every time I stopped she said "More flying!".

She also played with my friend's children, who were much older (5 and 9) but who were very kind and patient with my little one. They gave the Tiny Overlord pool toys (floaty balls, a toy boat, etc.). She would throw them and they would retrieve them, swimming back to hand them to the Overlord. Thus the Overlord got throwing practice and fun playing with the big kids, and they got some good swimming practice.

She also got a good look at some planes flying overhead. We can hear them at our house quite frequently, but with all of the trees it's very difficult for her to see them. The view at the pool was fairly unobstructed, so she was delighted that for once the planes weren't hiding in the trees.

We finally had to leave when it was dinner time. I promised her that we would go back next week. She was almost too excited to go to sleep, but she was definitely tired from her big day. As I write this, it's 8:43 am and she's still asleep. Normally she's awake by 7:30. I think we'll try for a somewhat restful day today, with nothing more exhausting than a trip to the grocery store. But next week, we'll head back to the Big Pool.