Fun-O-Rama Mama

So, the thermometer read 92 degrees outside and it was time.
If you look closely, my thermometer says it's over 120 degrees - hmmm...may be time for a new one!

After a long, cold winter
and an equally long, dreary spring,

Here it was.  The perfect day!

I secretly hoped to fulfill a challenge given by Andy Stanley while my husband and I were at the Drive Conference in Atlanta a few weeks ago.

What would a great mom do?

Be a great mom!

OK - I can do this!!

So embraced the challenge and decided to do something about it. 

Step One: I snuck down to the basement and filled up some water balloons, then began constructing a plan.  I'd get out the wading pool, water guns, and who knows what else?  What child doesn't love playing in the water on a blistering-hot day?

So, as we ate our afternoon snack, I revealed my awesome plan to my children.  They were so excited that they ran upstairs and put on their swim gear.  Well, one of them did.  The other couldn't find his suit, and the last doesn't have one for the season yet.  Oh well - a gymnastics outfit will do for one, and I helped the other dress in his swimming best!

And outside we went.  

 

Oh the thrill! The Rapture!!  This was going to be GREAT!

 

Step Two: I dragged wading pool to the one working hose, found out it was disconnected, and slaved in the heat of the day to reconnect the thing to the spigot.  Aha!  Now we're going to have a fantastic time!

Step Three: No water pressure.  Sent three-year-old to turn up the water.  Heard a banshee-like scream, ran to his rescue, and doctored the first scraped knee of the season.  Turn up the water myself.  Still no pressure.

Step Four:  Enthusiasm waning.  We sat in the hot hot sun, waiting for an inch of water to accumulate in the bottom of the pool.

Step Five:  Revealed the next phase of my awesome plan of awesomeness: water balloons!
Oh - they were so excited!  They each had 4 balloons, so Bram smashed all his, Aryn threw three of hers and kept the "cute" little yellow one.  Kylie stashed hers away where no one could have them or smash them.  So reflective of their personalities.

Aryn loved her little balloon.  She pampered that little yellow water balloon until it popped - and then - oh, the agony!  Bawled for at least 15 minutes.  Inconsolable.  Had a terrible time feeling sympathy for a popped balloon, but had better luck on the side of love for my daughter.  She carried the little shred of balloon around, sorrowfully moaning and sniffling.  Poor child.  I had to try hard not to laugh.  What's a parent to do in this situation?  Well, I did the only thing I could think of.

When a pet dies, a child wants to bury it, so I did the next best thing: I went and emptied out a tiny toy case (a tiny lidded egg from a vending machine) and provided it for safe keeping of the popped, precious yellow balloon.  I have a feeling it will be in her collection of things until the end of time.

Crisis over.

Step six:  Water balloon fight and splashing in the water (finally!)  All were soaked from head to toe.  Aha!  Success!

Just as I was reaching over to give myself a pat on the back for a job well done, my son ran over to me, moaning, "my tummy hurts!"  He stood up and let off a series of juicy sounds that could only mean one thing:  it was time to run to the bathroom!

His feet were bare and the porch was blisteringly hot, so, with all the mom power that remained, I scooped up his sopping wet, miserable form in one arm and ran across the porch, full steam ahead. I quickly stripped off his soaked clothes and he zipped over to the bathroom - just in the nick!  Whew!

While waiting for him to return, I realized his trunks needed a good soaking.  I cleaned him up and was ready to return him to the great world of outdoor fun when I noticed he was coughing and wheezing up a storm - he needed a breathing treatment!  All that running around worked up his asthma.  So, I whisked a pair of little boy underpants on the child and set him up in the living room with his nebulizer.  Done.

I took the opportunity to jaunt downstairs to apply stain remover and soak his little swim trunks and realized the basement was soaked!  Giant puddles everywhere, one entire wall was saturated, all the dirty clothes on the floor were sopping wet - what happened?  It was then that I realized why the water pressure was so low.  Yep - the hose was somehow leaking in the basement.  Oh great - it's broken.  Oh great - immediate laundry needs.  Wheee! 

So, after a scraped knee, no water pressure, tears over the loss of a balloon, explosive diarrhea, and a soaked basement, 

 

I decided that was enough fun for one afternoon. 

Step Seven:  Time to make the chicken nuggets.  I'll try again tomorrow.