Fun at the Pool

We've spent a few hours each day this week at the pool. I've been keeping Sophia some each day this week and so she went with us Monday and Tuesday. Today her mom was picking her up a little early, so we waited to go to the pool until after lunch, when Sophia would be gone.

I sat in the shade for the first two hours keeping an eye on another family's kids while the mom took the youngest one home for a nap. This was good since Jacob and Cole's best friends are in that family. :) But once the mom came back to get them, I got in the pool to play with Cole. He didn't have a friend and had expressed a little frustration earlier at the lack of friends at the pool. He was really happy when I came over and started playing with him. After a while, he asked me if I could throw him into the air so he could splash into the water. Hmmmm.... good question. He's pretty scrawny, so I figured I could give it a shot. :)

Well... he had a blast. I was careful in my lifting so I wouldn't pull any muscles (we'll see how sore I am tomorrow), but he was just in heaven. He even started twisting his body so he was doing tricks in the air. And once he flung himself forward right at the height of my throw so he did a flip in the water. It was so great to watch this kid who didn't want to get his face in the water last year having a blast in the water. He even told me, "You were right that it's funner when you don't hold your nose. I can swim faster." Made my little heart sing. Those swimming lessons last summer paid off.

And Jacob has been spending his time perfecting his can opener off the diving board. :) He gets some amazingly high splashes. He looks to me for a thumbs up or down to see how he did.

Zach spent most of Monday and Tuesday carrying Sophia around the pool. She adores him. Her mom was trying to get her dressed on Tuesday to come over and she was refusing. So she said, "Do you want to go see Aunt Joyce?" No good... didn't help. "Want to go see Zach-y?" Boom. Instant cooperation. :) Pretty sweet. I hope Zach likes his sister as much as he likes Sophia. And today Zach played with some younger kids that live in the neighborhood. Carrying them around on his shoulders and helping them swim.

And Reid came a little later since he stopped to see if a friend wanted to come to the pool. He walks in with two of his friends and I just have to pause for a moment to take in my huge child. He comes over and I spray him with sunscreen and am just shaking my head at his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and muscles. Sheesh. When did he get so big? A friend was sitting near where we were and when Reid left, she said, "When did he get so old?" :) Exactly. And from time to time, I'd see Reid leave his friends and go over to play with Cole for a few minutes.

And while I was out there today with all my boys, I just felt so blessed. They're really good kids. I am so lucky to have them and to have Mike working so hard to support us so that we can spend the day at the pool having a good time. And then to feel this little one jump inside me to remind me of my further blessings. It has been a really good day.