Summertime

It's now been 26 days, 8 hours, and 22 minutes since our summer vacation started. Not that I am counting the 61 days, 23 hours, and 15 minutes until school starts again, I'm just saying that in the 26 days, 8 hours, and 25 minutes, there has been a lot of "sibling discussions" occurring in quite loud tones. Hollywood is annoyed that the wee one keeps taking all of his stuff. Curly Sue is annoyed that Hollywood won't play house with her, and that the wee one keeps taking all her stuff. The wee one is annoyed that Hollywood and Curly are home all the time to watch her take their stuff and play with them. I have come to realize she quite enjoys being the only one at home with momma on most days.

But with all of the "sibling discussions" in loud tones, and everyone annoying each other, and a mom who is sick of wearing a black and white striped referee shirt complete with whistle, a few creative trips have come to fruition. All I can say is thank goodness for the library. So far there has been a puppet show, a juggler, and a craft session. Still on the horizon is the African Drums show and a sand art workshop. Who knew the library would be the cool place to hang out this summer? Or that the kids would beg to go every day?

The other hot spot has been the Water Park at the community center. We go at least twice a week despite Curly's love/hate relationship with the place and the infamous water slides. See Curly's at that precarious state in which she really wants to ride the giant water slides that require 48 inches of height to ride, but she is only 48 inches when her hair is dry. And fluffy. As a drown rat, she is only 47 inches. This all leaves her at the mercy of the lifeguard on duty. So, if the lifeguard on duty sucomes to those giant blue eyes, and perfectly shaped face, she gets to ride until her heart's content. Conversely, if the lifeguard hates their job and is sick of seeing kids squeal in delight as they whoosh down the slides, well then, she's outta luck. What all of this translates to is about 30 minutes of blissful sliding, followed by 30 minutes of crying, which is then topped of with 30 minutes on the 5 meter diving board and swimming with a friend from school or church that she has run into.

It's that same 5 meter diving board that taunts Hollywood's love/hate relationship with the Water Park. He loves the freedom he has to move between the heated pool, and the Water Park. His 52 inches of height allow him to slide until his heart's content. About every 5 minutes he watch his lean frame gallivant up the 2 story flight of stairs for yet another ride. Sometimes with a tube, other times with a buddy he knows. Inevitably, the unheated water gets a little chilly, and he meanders over to the heated pool where he watches Curly pop right off the diving board. Never one to be out done by his younger sister, he briskly walks over to the diving board, climbs the stairs, walks out onto the board....stands there....leans over...squats to the fetal position...and essentially rolls off the board. It is the funniest thing I have ever seen. He HATES that board, but as long as Curly is jumping, so is he. Reagan and I ofter watch from the warmth of the pool stair steps and laugh.

Perhaps in the next 61 days, 22 hours, and 40 minutes Curly will grow that desperately needed inch, she is after all eating her vegetables everyday and drinking her milk so that she will "grow tall enough to go on the water slides." And perhaps Hollywood will give up the five meter board all together, conceding just this once that his sister can do something without him doing it better. One thing I am however quite sure of is that in 61 days, 22 hours, and 35 minutes, the wee one will be awfully glad to have her momma and everyone elses toys all to herself.