My kids love the pool. Seriously, they love the water and it’s unfortunate that for the last couple of years we haven’t been able to join our neighborhood pool because it’s just too pricey. $1600 can take you on a really nice vacation, so I have a hard time wrapping my mind around paying that for a pool membership. At any rate, my sister bought one of those snap set pools that you fill up in the backyard and the kids really enjoy getting in there and going crazy. Somehow, they managed to perform cannonballs even!
A child’s capacity to find entertainment never ceases to amaze me.
Lately the boys have been expressing curiosity about all kinds of things. We’ve been talking about spiders, the roots of words, weather, farming, and the list goes on. Ryan’s reading continues to blow me away and Iain’s interest in reading is growing. His skill level is nowhere near Ryan’s but he really wants to read. All because of a new book series called, Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It’s pretty funny and Iain asks me to read to him from it on a daily basis. The moments spent reading to him are some of my most favorite in the day. The book is full of laughs and oh how I love being able to share that with him! Last night there was a reading explosion around here. I was taking bath and had some books in the bathroom with me. Ryan came in to visit and starting reading the back cover of one of my books, “formerly forbidden foods”, he read with ease. I couldn’t believe it! Then I let him have the bathtub for a little while until it was time for bed. He and Iain brushed their teeth and got into bed and I went in to tell them goodnight. There was Iain, propped up in bed with his reading light on, reading the sequel to Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It was a beautiful thing to see him doing something so relaxing before he falls asleep.
I’m not sure what this week is going to bring us. I’ve begun blogging at Shrinking Whimsigal again in an effort to get healthy so feel free to come by there if you like. I made a beautiful Peach Pie yesterday and I posted the recipe. You don’t want to miss that!
Hope you’re all doing well!
So cool! Pool memberships are so darn expensive. It is not fair. Lucky for us, the public parks have free wading pools and the indoor saltwater pool has a homeschool special on Thursdays- 2$ per person!
Still I wish we had our own pool.
The peach pie looks soooo good! I may have to try that recipe out.
Do you not have any free park pools? We have a few around here. It seems like it would definitely be cheaper than $1600 to join the Y as well. I get a super deal from work for the Y so I don’t know what the normal costs are, but if you just joined for 3 months maybe it wouldn’t be too bad? We grew up with a neighborhood pool and I always loved swimming.
MP, you are so fortunate to have those facilities! We have a couple of inexpensive local pools but they’re always incredibly crowded, so much so that it’s next to impossible to swim.
V-dub, I hadn’t thought about joining the Y but that is certainly something to consider. All the pools are indoors so I would miss being outside and swimming but it might be worth it just to get them in the water. Plus we could do that year round.
My sister and I lived at our neighborhood pool every summer. We were there when it opened in the morning until it closed at night. Those were the days!!
evie
I can’t believe it costs so much to join the neighborhood pool! Wow! That is a serious chunk of change.
We have the 1,600 hundred dollar charge for the pool club here as well. I just can’t seem to go there. We joined the Y as well, and we do family swim time in the winter too! Plus, we have some great local lakes.
p.s. your boys sound like they are doing fabulous!
KMD, It IS a serious chunk of change!! LOL
Kim, it’s mind-boggling isn’t it? I am totally going to look into the Y but I can’t do the lake-swim. Lakes freak me out. Mucky-bottoms….ewww. Thanks for your words about the boys. I feel like I’m appreciating them for a change instead of worrying about them.
Oh, our Y has an incredible outdoor pool as well as indoor one. Maybe some of the other Ys in your area have outdoor?
Our membership is $1300/year. They do have a fitness facility. My son uses it but that’s it. I was on the tennis team for about 4 years but stopped. We rejoined last summer after a 4 year absence. I can drop my son off & next year he can drive. He complains not many of his friends belong. I have to be with my daughter who is thoroughly bored unless she has someone to play with. What irks me is we have to pay $3/child and $5/adult for each guest we bring.
V-dub, I’ve looked on the web and haven’t found a Y location near me with an outdoor pool yet. 🙁
Joan, are you a member of the Y or a pool in your ‘hood?
Jamey & Conor would have had a ball playing in the pool with the boys. We should take the 4 of them to a pool sometime. 🙂 Our Y in Thomasville has a homeschool day on Thursdays all through the year. High Point does it in one of their Y’s on Wednesdays. (not sure if they are indoors or outdoors)
That’s awesome about their reading! Jamey wants me to find him that book now. LOL
Jill, we should take them! That would be so much fun! Mine are not great swimmers so I’d have to get in the water, too, but I don’t mind that as long as there aren’t a bunch of hot chicks in skimpy bikinis nearby. LOL
Great pictures! The boys look like they are having a blast.
We have been having the discussion of a pool for 2 years now. Our backyard just isn’t big enough to fit a pool, a garden and a have some play area leftover. Not to mention that we would have to get a permit to put it up and filling it would be horrible. We don’t have community pools in this area. I guess they figure that we have a FREE body of water not 10 miles away(the ocean), but I am not one to go in the ocean. I don’t like not being able to see what is at my feet.
Jamey & Conor can’t swim but Jamey really wants to learn how. So I’d be there getting in with you if there aren’t a bunch of bikini girls. LOL