...is the process by which we create, discover, learn and grow with those we cherish most.

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falling in love...with water

Summers have come and gone in the 7 years we've lived in our home where Aaron and I wouldn't swim in our backyard pool at all. The daily need to skim, brush, and maintain the pH balance and water level, quickly moved to the bottom of our chore list. And once Ava went mobile, a child-proof latch on the french doors sealed the deal permanently.

But the growing algae on the walls, crumbling tile, and over grown trees nearby caught our attention. Especially our finances. We spent the last 3 summers reviving our back yard - chopping down trees, replacing the filters and motors.... and most of all - our perception of how a pool is a blessed extension of our home.

Now that the kids are a bit older, it has become an extended playground for us all. At the first sight of heat waves disappearing, the kids grab their suits drying in the bathtub, and wait by the back door.

swim

Noah calls the pool an "ocean" - which is exactly what it feels like sometimes when we get a glimpse of a dolphin jumping waves...

catching a dolphin

And if we're not throwing water balloons, playing "shark" or spinning in circles creating waves, we're dining by the pool for breakfast, lunch, or dinner...

lunch by the pool


filling up

Backyard maintenance is no longer a chore, but a family effort. Ava helps us skim the top of the pool while Noah waters the landscape. And the best part? Cleaning up toys has never become problem. Because they too - enjoy being left by the water.

details

Getting wet this summer - our tips
1. Whether you have a pool or not, there are several alternatives to integrating a wet playground for the kids. From hoses to sprinklers to inflatable pools - all offer kids a healthy way to enjoy the summer days.

2. Invite creativity into your pool/water playtime by imagining scenarios the kids love. We play "Da-Na, Da-Na" which is what we crescendo while trying to chase the kids both in and out of the pool.

3. Swimming builds strong appetites in kids - which I absolutely love. Leave it to nature to evoke their desire to choose and eat fresh fruits and salads all on their own...

4. It's easy to accumulate inflatables, tubes, and pool toys each summer - which clutters the real purpose of using the pool - to swim. Skip the extra plastic toys that are tempting to buy and ask your kids to use what they have [barring they can get wet] to swim or play with in the sandbox.

5. Keep a large plastic or metal container by the door filled with clean towels, sunscreen, and their outdoor toys. Having it all in one place and ready to go eases the burden on you to rush and find everything when the kids have already beaten you outdoors - and it gives the kids a sense of responsibility to swimming - let them retrieve items on their own and drop off used towels, suits and toys in the bucket on their way to bathtime!

4 comments:

  1. Aaron, you're so awesome, great pic! Glad to see you guys are beating the heat!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aaron, if you're in the sun all the time, why do you look like the white paint? Seriously, dude, visit me and I'll get you tanned.

    SaraLee

    ReplyDelete
  3. Corbin

    Thanks for the compliment! The inflatable dolphin was hidden in our sauna and we didn't realize we had it until a few weeks back. Since then, it has become a staple play item during all our pool adventures. You might not have noticed, but I tried to stick my tongue out to get a little more height on my jump but couldn't quite make it over him. The kids enjoyed the show though. Noah laughed for a good 30 seconds while the waves died down then said 'Again Daddy! Again Daddy!'

    So I did what every other father would do and failed just as miserable the second (and third and fourth) time as I did the first.

    ReplyDelete
  4. SaraLee

    The white skin is there by design. I don't use anything less than SPF 70... and I layer it. I bathe in buttermilk daily and scrub myself with pumice stones soaked in bleach. I also carry a parasal everywhere I go.

    :)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for sharing - I will respond to your comment here as well so check back! xo

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