Pool Time? Uh, no!

This afternoon, around 430 PM, when it was 700 degrees outside, Big Girl started begging me to go in the pool.

Now, a quick explanation. We have a $6 swimming pool. From the grocery store. Holds about a tablespoon of water and basically just lets the kids splash themselves and squirt the dog.

So I filled the pool with water...tepid water from the hose, but at least the spot where the pool is has afternoon shade.  Took 5 minutes to clean the pool out (dirt, leaves, etc., even though it was tipped on it's side!) and then another 5 to fill it.

Took 5 minutes to round up the kids' swimsuits and floaties (hey, gotta be safe in in a centimeter of water!) and then a combined 10 minutes to get the kids in their suits.

Turned them lose outside and drug a chair so I could supervise "poolside."

15 minutes later, they were done.

How's your math?

25 minutes to prep for something they were done with after 15.

But, oh! In those 15 minutes, they doused each other, the dog, their towels, me, and watered the dirt and cut firewood.

And I got a blood blister and a headache.

It's no wonder I have no interest in having a real pool in the backyard...we'd have to spend $40k and 3 months building something they'd lose interest in before it was finished filling.

Pool time? Uh, no!

A Terrible Toddler Malady! (Funny)

Big Girl just informed me that she has to go to the doctor right now so they can feel her tummy and tell her why she's so hungry...and then give her new stickers! Almost. Died. Laughing! What's your funniest toddler malady?

McDonald's PlayPlace in Pantego Review

Big Girl, Bubba Boy and I are out running errands today, and after 2 hours in the car shuttling between stops, they decided to exercise their majority vote and demand a stop. Where better than a McDOnald's with a PlayPlace?

We ended up at the McDonald's at 2422 W Pioneer Parkway in Pantego, just E of the intersection with Bowen. (Pantego is a small town entirely contained within Arlington. My backyard is bigger than their downtown. You get the idea.)

I was apprehensive when we first pulled in; parking on this Saturday afternoon was a challenge. After we located a spot in the back 9, we headed in. Great little setup between counter and seating space...but the entrance to the PlayPlace area was touch to negotiate with the SUV that is my tandem double stroller. So, to be fair, I'm a wide (er, long) load. But having a table right in front of the entrance with a tight turn to the left necessitated would probably be hard even with an umbrella stroller.

Nexr up: the bathroom. Unlike some PlayPlaces, this location doesn't have a kiddie potty contained inside. So we negotiated our way back down and navigated the tight walkway in the dining room to the bathrooms. If my right arm was back up to snuff, I would have ditched the stroller and carried Bubba Boy while making Big Girl walk. But I'm not quite there yet.

Headed into the ladies room and...Uh, yeah. Getting the stroller in there was akin to my first k-turn driving lesson 15 years ago. Not pretty. And the changing table was obstructed by the door. As in, when it's down, the door can only partially open. And to avoid being killed by said door, you have to stand at the narrow end of the table, instead of the long side. Plus, I hate to use the handicap stall, but it was the only place I could ditch the stoller. There was literally nowhere else it could go. So total fail on the bathroom design.

Back to the PlayPlace: cool setup. Toddler friendly (so long as the big kids play nice or their parents make them) and Big Girl is having a blast playing while Bubba Boy crawls around and people watches.

So a few design failures, but still a fun time. Hope it clears out a bit before we have to navigate out!

Carrot Induced Bulimia

Bubba Boy hates carrots.

With an unholy, fire-breathing passion.

Whenever I try to sneak little carrot bits or mashed carrots in with his other food, he makes the most awful face.  Then he retches and uses his tongue to push any food in his mouth back out.  In case I've missed the point, he follows that lovely scene by forcing himself to throw up.

My 9-month-old has carrot-induced bulimia.  Wow!