watch those kids in the pool!!!!

In this post, I am going to give a general exhortation to all moms and dads: watch the kids every single second in the pool. Don't get relaxed because they can swim. Today, we had a scare....we went swimming at the pools at our conference center, at church. I had found some neat things in my closet, including a little inflatable boat-style safety swim seat, designed for one year olds, according to the package. So we tried it with Camille, with me right with her, of course. She did not like it. So we put her in her usual suit with the foam panels, and an inflatable ring on to of that....and I always stay right near her. I also have to stay right near Charlotte Claire, who wears the foam suit too, but still sputters a bit sometimes....anyway, Jonathan, who also wears one of the foam panel suits, decided to try out the little boat float. He was in the smaller pool, not too far away from the bigger pool, where I was with the rest of the kids....Margaret was over there skimming the bugs....so I let him go over there...usually if I am there by myself, I have them all in one pool or the other....so, Jon was floating around...and I was watching the girls, right in the pool with them...I looked over at the other pool, and the boat had flipped, Jon's feet were in the air, his head in the water....I started screaming for Margaret to get him get him, as I started to race out of the pool...I couldn't let go of Camille, I yelled for Margaret to jump in. I just screamed it, and she just jumped right in, fully clothed (so much for not swimming today, eh Margaret?).....she flipped him over, and he gasped a bit and coughed, but he hadn't been under for very long, it seemed....he wasn't blue or vomiting or unresponsive in any way...but I was like jelly, so was Margaret....and poor Jon didn't go back in swimming at all. He is five years old, and swims like a fish with that suit on....I am so thankful that I saw him as soon as I did. They say that drowning is the silent killer, and I guess it is....no warning, just happened to see him floundering like that. Horrifying, the thought of what might have happened. So, watch your kids. Keep them close. (and don't use those little boats!)(the thing is, he is so big, his legs were completely stuck in the legholes...I shouldn't have let him use it, but who would have thought?) So if you have a pool, go out there in the water with the kids...don't stay in the house and watch out the window or door, it just ain't worth it! (I have also noticed that older siblings, unless they are like 17 or 18, will not watch the kids like a mom would....and also if anything happened on their watch, how could you deal with that?)

Today was a running around day, again...I took the eight youngest with me to Walmart, the store I love to hate, and got some things I need for our church conference next week...I bought lots and lots of cookies to frost, and some knives and plates...I already have the frosting and sprinkles. And I got some stuff for us....we then drove the stuff out and put it in the camper....and it poured. No thunder and lightening, just a downpour....and just like that it was over, and the sky was blue again....very neat.

We had a simple dinner of grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and salad, and ice water. The I took the little girls outside and blew bubbles with them...and let them go in their little froggy pool with some bubbles in it....they didn't bother with their suits, and they were so cute....then we cleaned out the van...how on earth does it get SO messy? Well, one reason could be because we practically live in there....I don't bother to make declarations like "We are NEVER eating in there again!" anymore, because I know we will eat in there like tomorrow. So I just said, "We are NEVER eating cheese crackers in there again!"....but the stuff we find in there...crayons and hair things and barbie shoes and note books and matchbox cars and fries....and water bottles and baby bottles and jackets and sweaters and extra shoes and flip-flops....and the thing is, whenever we get home from anywhere, I ask everyone to please bring in what they brought, plus anything else they see that needs to go in....I guess my kids have horrible vision. Anyway, we dragged over the big garbage can, and filled it up so far I don't want to say, and we just cleaned and vaccumed this van not too long ago. I then brought out the Dirt Devil, and it was pathetic, so I brought out my prized Dyson, which is so amazing....I vacuumed it all up, and though it doesn't look brand new, it looks presentable, and beautiful to me....just in time to : Go
to the beach tomorrow!!!! We are going to the best beach I have been to so far, on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. We are bringing one of Margaret's friends, and another girl who is helping her friend's family this summer, and she is from Norway. She has only been to the beach once since she has been here, and it rained. So, I am taking her to a wonderful beach. We have two seats left in the 15 passenger van, if Ellen and Audrey want to go.....

Well, it is late and I am tired and I wanted to do more packing for tomorrow but I am too tired from today.....so, I'll do it tomorrow. It is supposed to be in the high eighties and sunny tomorrow. What a day for a long ride in a packed van with no air conditioning......oh well, we are going to the beach!!!! And we will get the van all sandy and crumby and maybe we will eat McDonalds food on the way home.....and I will grump about it later.....because I never learn...that's why I have so much fun!