Swimming... or not.

Months ago I found a kiddie inflatable swimming pool on clearance at Wal-Mart for just $5. I put it away, along with a pair of swimming trunks, long awaiting summer days when I imagined Henry splashing and squealing away in it. Well, those days are here - or so I thought.

I decided one day recently that it would be time to give it a try. Henry loves his baths, so I was just sure he'd be equally enamored with the swimming pool because he also loves being outdoors. I invited M and A to join us, and soon we had both babies suited and slathered with sunscreen.

First, there was the fiasco of getting the derned thing inflated. I quickly realized just blowing air into it myself would never work - not if we wanted the kids to swim sometime that week. M and I were contemplating firing up the air compressor (which we neither one knew how to do) when I remembered we have a manual pump for our air mattress. I dug it out from the closet, and in under five minutes, the pool was ready to go.

Perhaps we should have known... the babies were already a little short with us during all the pumping and prepping. Just getting the pool outside to it's spot and keeping it there despite a considerable breeze that threatened to blow it away was a challenge. Meanwhile, I was trying to bring water out to the pool 2 quarts at a time using a tea jug so that the water would be warmer than if we had used the water hose. And all this time, M is juggling both babies who have by now proceeded to express their impatience and intolerance for our bumbling around. So... it wasn't going quite like I had imagined. ;)

Finally, we had both babies in the mostly still empty pool, and as I continued to bring water out in a series of trips, the struggle became keeping the babies, particularly A, in the pool. M was of course on baby round-up detail, and I was back and forth between house and pool, bringing out cameras and toys with each trip. A began to fuss again with frustration at being corralled, and that was all it took to set off Henry too. Next thing I knew, both babies were crying and I hadn't even gotten the pool filled! I was torn between continuing to bring water, in the hopes that as it filled, the pool would be more fun and we'd still be able to salvage our efforts... and staying with Henry to help calm him down, which I knew would be futile anyway. He was clearly not a fan of swimming.

So, with both crying - sometimes wailing - babies in the pool, M and I did the only thing we could. We took pictures. [insert maniacal laughing]

After archiving the disaster, we swiftly got both babies wrapped in towels and back in the house to be dried and changed. The crying continued. I think exhaustion had set in by this time, and I knew Henry wouldn't have real peace until he had a nap. I did get a couple of red-eyed smiles after he was in his dry clothes again and playing with some toys.

I'm fairly sure my child isn't American - he doesn't like mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, or swimming.