Who would think that a $10 pool from the local discount super-store could bring so much pleasure to the small people living in my house?
I chose the smallest one by necessity, as I worried about it fitting in the mini and on the porch. It’s barely big enough for two toddlers, much less two toddlers and assorted other childish hangers-on. When they are all in there at once (a practice I don’t necessarily encourage or discourage, unless things become hazardous to their physical or my mental health), it’s a sea of slippery, pudgy flesh.
It’s very cute.
The older children are fun to watch, but there’s something extra special about having only the little ones there. Both of them are so new to this whole “being alive” thing that a deviation from the routine of eating-sleeping-drinking-pooping-playing-cuddling is HUGE.
They enjoy it completely. They throw their chubby little bodies into the pool without the least bit of fear. They stomp. They dance. They splash–each other and me. They swim and flail and gyrate.
And they do it all without the slightest trace of shame or self-consciousness.
I have to wonder why I even bother to put swimsuits on them. The pool lives three feet from the back door on a porch that is essentially hidden from view. Not a soul would care about a pair of bare-assed little ones cavorting in a pool.
They might, however, raise their eyebrows at the site of a pool fulla children beyond toddler-hood, children who would doubtlessly be incensed at the idea that the little ones could go clothes-free but they couldn’t.
They’re not yet out of diapers but they already have to wear fig leaves. Hardly seems fair, does it?
One of my favorite memories of my boys’ childhood; playing in the kiddie pool or running in the sprinkler sans bathing suit. So innocent and cute as hell. Enjoy your little ones, mine are 21 and 17 now.
Hell with the neighbors! Introduce your kids to the joys of skinny dipping!
And my kids are right there with yours…that $10 pool is one of the best investments we ever made. Kids get way more enjoyment out of that than the $100 plus Little Tykes playsets in the back yard.
You know, as an old social worker, I enjoy your fostering stories even more than your smutty ones. I miss babies terribly, mine own are all teens now (which is fun too). Keep the baby stories coming!
Baby stories are preferable to smutty stories???
Really?
:)
Actually, I’d just realized that I hadn’t written about kids in AGES!!!!!
It’s not only the babies that enjoy those pools.
I remember when I was expecting my first, I survived July and August by soaking in one of those little pools every afternoon. The Georgia heat was SOOO oppressive that year, and my wonderful husband would meet me at home after we both finished work, Slurpee in hand, and help me into that pool, filling it and washing me with the cool hose.
Yep, I felt like Shamu, but I didn’t care.
My little ones always loved the pool, too.
Oh man, that sounds like one helluva good afternoon…gimme a big ice tea and a great book and I’ll be allll set.
:)
I had an enormous black dog that was just fine living in Texas, as long as he had his pool full in the summer. It was awfully cute to see him laying down in the water, happy as a clam :o)
We have a black dog, too, Gadfly, but we can’t get her to go in the water at all. Which is odd, her being a Black Lab/Irish Setter mix…seems like she would spend her entire summer in the wading pool.
Stupid dog…
Aww….I’ve also got a pic of my 15 year old at 2, splashing around in our pool. He’s autistic and one of the things he’s always loved is water. Bless! xx
A $10 splash pool sounds divine in the heat we’re having this week in Northern California.
I’m with Rupert on this one. Why not let them go sans suits and enjoy the water au naturel? I think it’s a bonus to grow up feeling comletely confident in one’s own skin. :-)
I can see them so clearly when you write this AAG. I loved watching my kids play in the water when they were little. Whether it was the beach, pool or tub, they were happy just to splash around. And there is nothing cuter than those slippery little smiling bodies. Reading this made me smile. Thankyou.
May you and your little ones enjoy every minute of these summer days.
AAG,
People in this country are so screwed up about nudity. In Europe, there would not be an issue.
Pete
One of my earliest memories was strolling out of my house to the backyard pool one hot afternoon, completely naked.
I was about three, and it was too hot for a pair of trunks!
My parents grabbed me, rushed me indoors and told me in the most solemn of voices that I must never do that again.
Maybe that’s why I enjoy being nude so much now.
Pete,
You are almost right but the values of the good old USA eventually make it across the pond. I am not looking forward to the dichotomy of covering a one year old and spring break.
Our kids, all of them, used to pull the suits off as soon as possible. Since we summer on a lake with our own beach, only family around, we never worried about it much.
Now, our great-nieces and nephews are doing the same thing, and my kids all say “Can’t they wear a suit? ewwww!”
Wonderful memories, thanks AAG!
AAG,
Ah the joys of being young and unselfconsciously naked!
I’d still say there are joys to being older and naked too, that can occaisonally take place in a pool :)
Glad that the kids had so much fun, and that you had so much enjoyment watching them do so !
Happy Sunday to you !
p.s. please feel free to comment on my blog posts anytime the spirit moves you ! I like getting them too ! :)
why don’t I know how to spell ???
“occasionally” !
i remember those days of little pools and lots of little ones when i was little myself. nowadays, i just sit back and smile when i see that in the neighborhood….they are so easy to please….and so much fun!
I let both my kids play in the pool naked. They loved it! I could not have cared less about the neighbors or what society said. They were babies in their own backyard.
Rupert: weird how that works. Sometimes the lab part wins out and sometimes the mixer breed determines the dog’s personality. *shrug*
AAG: When you have a moment to read, I think you would enjoy a visit to my place :o)
I love reading your posts…both the “smutty” ones, as well as this kind. As for the whole toddler being nude thing? I think it is so sad that this is even questioned. It is, but it is still sad. Personally, I think there is nothing wrong with it. My youngest is two and I let her go the other day without one, but did have a “friend” mention she had one I could borrow. I told her thanks, but we were fine. She just turned two in February! What could be offensive about that???!!! She did have a little swimmer on, just no top. I only put THAT on for my benefit…too lazy to clean up a possible accident (we’ve had a couple in the bathtub!). It’s such a precious SHORT time that they get to be little and innocent. And I don’t want my children to be embarrassed of their bodies. Still, it’s not an easy thing in our society. Enjoy the memories….suits or no suits! :) (Since our “friendly incident, I’ve put bathing suits on her….after reading all these comments, I’m thinking next time I won’t!)
of yourse toddlers should be allowed to go into the pool naked. For God´s sake, they are children. What can possibly be wrong about their nakedness. I always have my baby naked in the pool and don´t care what neighbours and other people I don´t care about, think or say about it!
Enjoy summer!