Having Trouble as a child means lots of stories. Putting Trouble in a pool will make for many more stories. I mentioned before how we joined the community pool this summer. Up until this week, I was able to get away with just taking Princess and Pirate. Pirate is almost 4, so he's still young enough to play in the baby pool, but he wants to get in the big pool with his sister. His feet can't reach the bottom, so he uses an inner tube (floatie) and gets around pretty well with it.
As we all know, moms have tons of superpowers. However, we don't have enough hands or sets of eyes to help several children at the same time and help them in different pools. This is why I usually only take the oldest two kids to the pool. The other night, I was feeling bold, so after dinner, I told my husband I was going to take Princess, Pirate, & Trouble all to the pool for 45 minutes after dinner. The pool closes at 7, so it was a perfect time to go. This was Trouble's first time at the pool. Princess is able to be in the big pool by herself, only in the 3 feet, and she usually makes a friend pretty quickly. Pirate started complaining right away that he wanted to get in the big pool, but I told him no because Trouble couldn't get in it. This night, everything went smoothly. Trouble loved the little pool and everyone had a great time.
The next day, I guess I was still high off of our good experience the night before. I decided I could be Supermom and take all four kids to the pool together. We had an early lunch, Donkey had his bottle, everyone was changed and we were packed up and at the pool by 12:20. I knew we could only stay an hour and a half tops because Trouble would need a nap. With a kid like Trouble, naptime is is priceless!
We got to the pool and were very lucky to get a table with an umbrella at the baby pool. I set out all of our stuff (which is a lot for five people), put Donkey's stroller in the shade, and let Princess go to the big pool. Trouble went in the pool right away. Pirate is a little slower to get moving, but he eventually got in the pool too. I didn't even get our toys into the pool before Trouble was hauling butt across the pool to grab someone else's. It's an unwritten rule that all toys in the baby pool become community property. But still, I didn't want him taking other kids' stuff. I brought him back to the side of the pool where our table was. Donkey started crying. He needed a nap, but couldn't get comfortable in the carrier in the stroller. I pushed the stroller around the baby pool to calm him down. When we got back to our spot, I parked him, but he was still upset, so I pushed the stroller back and forth in place, while watching Trouble and Pirate in the pool. I turned around for a second to see if Donkey was asleep, turned back to the pool, and Trouble was under water. It's only 18 inches of water, so I couldn't do a dive in save like I did with Princess a few weeks back, but I did have to run in and grab him out. It didn't seem to phase him at all. He was wriggling out of his towel and wanted back in the pool. Donkey finally fell asleep, so I could sit on the edge of the pool with the other two. I stood up for a second to look at Princess in the big pool, and Trouble was under water again. Another save for Mommy. My first instinct was to just leave the pool. Pack everyone up and go home. But since Donkey was asleep, and we had made it this far, I figured we could stay.
After that, Trouble was only allowed to sit in the baby pool, right in front of me, and if I even thought of standing up or turning my head, I got him out of the pool first. At adult swim, Princess joined us in the baby pool, and I felt accomplished that I had all of my kids near me and everyone was having a good time. We lasted the full hour and a half. 90 minutes may not sound like a long time. But with 4 kids at a pool, it feels like a lifetime. The clock didn't tell me it was time to go. Donkey woke up and started crying because it was time to eat. Trouble started whining and crying because he was exhausted. But, we made it. I made it. Even if I never attempt it again, I know I survived one time with all four!
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