Fish

My friend Kari emailed me to invite me and the kiddos to the pool. I read this email at 11:00 pm. After a long day with kids. After a long night at work. I read the email and thought "NO!!! Is she crazy? Why would would I want to take 5 children four and under to Ashworth Pool?" For those of you who don't know, Ashworth Pool is a real pool. Not an Aquatic Center, zero-entry type of pool. Why would I want to hold onto 5 children who can't touch the bottom of the shallow end? I went to bed that night thinking that my cautious, safe friend Kari might have had one to many adult beverages that afternoon (she wrote the email around 3pm).

Next morning - check email again. 'Did she really ask me to go to the pool-pool?' No. She didn't. She asked me to go to the last day at Ashby Park wading pool. Ahhhhhh. Much better. I think I need to not check emails in states of lack-of-sleep stupor.

I loaded up the kids with sunscreen, hydrated them with lots of water and got them into their bathing suits. Off to the wading pool we go. Bennett gets in the car and tells the other kids all about the cool slide and the giant water bucket that dumps "a whole lotta" water on you. 'Oooo, Bennett, not the Ames Water Park. This is a wading pool here in Des Moines. We won't have to be in the car that long.' Thankfully this was enough of an explanation. We were still excited about going to a pool, even if it had no slide. SLIDES!! After that quick, jog to the front of my memory, we had a quick, serious talk about the park. We were going to the pool and even though they had a park there, we were not going to swing or slide or play in the sand. I could handle wet kids, I could not handle dirty, sandy, wet kids who were crying because they just burned themselves on the sun-soaked hot slides. Luckily for me, I have some of the best kids in the world and they listened beautifully! No drama, just lots of wet fun!

She dumped water on her head for the first 10 minutes she was there!

Sooooo happy!

Collector Inspector Bennett reporting for ball collecting duty.

Fun with fountains!

Annabelle got more than she bargained for with this fountain as the water went right up her nose. She came out of this one with a pouty look saying "My nose! My nose!"

Splish-splash, just taking a bath.

Will getting down with the water!

This was some sort of follow-the-leader, we are sharks game. I LOVE that they all play so well together.

Sharks

Cale and Graysen loved the bucket with a hole in it.

All of a sudden I noticed all of the kids were all together. Let's try a group photo!!!

Kind of... :) Caden thought Miles must be thirsty and Cale is creeping in the background, but together none-the-less!

What's wrong, Cale? I love your pouty lip.

Even better than that pouty lip is this GREAT smile!!! (Unfortunately to get him to smile like this I had to ask him about his beloved Hawkeyes... Sigh)