Pool Time

When we first started looking for home in California I was itching for a pool. Lots of the neighborhoods have a community pool and many houses have a private swimming spot in the back yard. However, we didn’t end up with access to either. (You can’t see me but I’m sticking my bottom lip out and pouting right now. No pool=first world problem?) 

Fortunately my friend Sara has one of these neighborhood pools just across the street from her house and she’s been gracious enough to invite us over for some baby pool-time play dates. I was sort of bummed that Jonathan wasn’t around for Forest’s first swimming experience since Jon is the water-lover in our family. But one of the major perks of Stay-at-Home-Mommyhood is being around for most of these precious firsts and rubbing them in the non-stay-at-home parent’s noses. “Oh, you got a lunch break today? Well, I took Forest swimming for the first time, so there!” That sort of thing….

First I got Forest all geared up in his new swimming outfit that his Nana bought him. 

How cute is he? Ah!!! Nothing sweeter than a baby in swim trunks.  

I don’t have many pics really from the first trip to the pool since I wasn’t getting my iphone anywhere near the water, especially not with Forest’s hands swiping at it constantly. 

Like most things Forest experiences for the first time, he was cautious, quiet, and observant when we first entered the pool, but he quickly warmed up and enjoyed splashing, kicking and getting swirled around.  

By our second time to the pool, he was a pro and started smiling the instant we hit the water. My friend, Kristin, let us borrow her swimming float and that was fun too! Kristin also brought her fancy waterproof camera so we got some pictures this time. We got this precious pic of the two boys borrowing the two girls’ pink floats. 

And here is another pic for comparison:

The girls are so stylin’ in their hats and sunglasses. There is no way baby boys are gonna let hats or sunglasses stay anywhere near their head! Trust me, I've tried… 

Since Jonathan is missing out on these pool play-dates, we decided to rig up one of those cheap plastic baby pools for the backyard so that we can have afternoon pool time when Jonathan gets home from work. 

We used to go to the park almost every evening but it’s been getting in the 100s lately and it’s just way too hot for that. 

Forest loves his baby pool! 

It’s perfect for him to crawl and splash around. It’s basically just an enormous bath tub which is another thing he loves. Plus, the baby pool doubles as a dog pool for the pups to cool off as well. 

And another thing it’s good for is momma cooling off with a lemonade margarita during afternoon naptime…

We plan on turning it into a sandbox once summer is over and we need a new backyard activity to keep this energetic boy entertained. How are you staying cool this summer?