Summertime.......

...but the livin' ain't easy, at least around here for the next few days. I celebrated the longest day of the year and the start of summer by taking the kiddo to her first ever pool party. It was a birthday party for a preschool friend of hers, and they have an above-ground pool in their back yard, so we were told to bring suits. Well, I wasn't overly keen on the idea of suiting up myself, but also wasn't sure how this would play out, as we've never, ever let the kiddo go swimming in any body of water without adult accompianament (usually Hubby, myself or a swim instructor). I brought her bubble (or floaty as she calls it) which turned out to be a good call. When the kids started clamoring for the pool, I asked the birthday boy's mom what the plan was. Basically it amounted to many adults standing around the tiny pool deck and/or around the sides of the pool while the kids (most of them wearing floatation devices and around the same swimming capability as the kiddo) swam. My heart was in my throat, being the overprotective mama I tend to be, and visions of things like delayed drowning or dry drowning flashed through my head as well. (Did I mention I'm neurotic as well as overprotective? I seriously need to stop watching all news TV and reading any other form of print or internet media. I am thisclose to turning into a later-year Howard Hughes or something.....) The kiddo did absolutely fine, and I eventually relaxed a teensy bit, though I stayed on the pool deck with my eye on her the entire time she was in the water.

The kiddo also played with a gun for the first time ever at the party. Yes, we are one of those adamantly anti-weapon households, and do not allow any type of toy that vaguely resembles a weapon, from guns to pirate swords to light sabers. We've never even allowed her a water pistol, and for the most part, she's stayed pretty innocent in the weapon-laden world in which we live today. Thanks to a few Disney films (Pocohontas is one that comes to mind), she has learned about what a gun or sword is, but she never plays any sort of pretend weapon-type games, which makes me happy. We were first to arrive at the party yesterday, and Emma's friend the birthday boy had just received some super-soaker water guns as a present from his grandparents earlier that morning and was eager to try them out. How could I say no? I kinda wanted to on the "no weapons" principle, but I caved. I had water pistols as a kid (Mom and Dad didn't allow any other weapon-type toys in our house but made an exception for the water pistols) and I know they're a lot of fun. I referred to them as "water squirters" which the kiddo picked up on and the way they were shaped is less reminiscent of an actual gun than the water pistols my sisters and I had as children. Of course, now she is clamoring for a water squirter of her very own (she also picked up on "super soaker" from some of the other kids) and I may cave in the next time we're at the store and get her a set.... It'd have to be a set so that I could squirt her back, of course!

Anyhow, that was the start to our weekend, and it just gets busier from here on out. My folks are arriving any minute now (and I really should be cleaning the upstairs bathroom or vacuuming instead of blogging.... oh, procrastination, you will one day be my downfall), and Mom is staying for the week. I'm in charge of the teacher/staff appreciation luncheon at the kiddo's preschool tomorrow and she starts gymnastics at the Y tomorrow afternoon. Tuesday is her last day of school and Wednesday is her preschool graduation. Hopefully by Friday I will be able to breathe again....