So, the Texas heat has turned up a notch, and we are cookin' now. It's dadgum hot! And, the best way to handle the heat is to spend time in the cold water swimming.
Are you a swimmer or a side-of-the-pool lounger? I love to get a good book and lie by the pool, but I have to be IN the water most of the time these days with the boys.
Speaking of boys...we have an entire pool bag loaded up with pool toys. We have a few of those awesome toypedos, sea animals that move through the water with batteries, dive sticks, goggles galore and various other pool fun items, but guess what the boys spent an hour playing with in the pool just the other day? Pennies!! Amazing, huh? I kept throwing them and they kept diving for them. It was amazing. Like a dog playing fetch with a tennis ball. Glad we spent all that money on pool toys, huh?
The boys also love the diving board. They can jump over and over and over again. I wish I had some good pictures to share. Remy's newest jump was called "the flying squirrel" and it looked awesome...until he landed in the water, and that looked like it HURT.
Do you use sunscreen? I sure hope so! Did you know you are supposed to put it on 20 minutes or more before going into the sun? It needs time to dry and soak in...otherwise it's not as effective. Did you know that sunscreen expires? Look on your bottle. It should show an expiration date somewhere. I buy new sunscreen each summer.
I am fanatical about sunscreen due to moles. I have so many of them I can't keep up! And, I go to a dermatologist yearly to have them looked at. I've had some removed and found to be atypical, but not melanoma, thank goodness. I know many people who have had little moles turn out to be dangerous melanoma though, so know the signs and keep an eye on your skin!
Just a friendly reminder from your favorite Texan to have fun in the sun but be careful with your skin!
That having been said, who rubs the sunscreen on your back? Your hubby? Significant other? Your children? Or the pool boy? hehe
My younger sister, The bug, used to spend time going around and opening the bug traps around the pool to discover what bugs were inside. Do you know anyone else who does this?
When I was seven or so, I was in the pool, bopping around on the side and managed to bang my chin so hard into the side of the pool that I need stiches. lovely, huh? Have you or your kids done this?
My husband learned to swim from some guy who just basically threw kids in the pool and told them to swim. It was do or die, apparently. I hope no one else had this instructor.
Enjoy swimming season! Protect your skin and save those pennies (for your kids to find on the bottom of the pool). :o)
Please leave a comment and share your swimming pool stories!
And, I heard about a giveaway at Angie's website and on The Mama Bird Diaries blog there is a Sex and The City giveaway.
27 comments:
When we go to our neighborhood pool...I tend to sit in the shade and read. I have this issue with people seeing me in my suit. When we go to the beach I am in the water at the beach or the pool at our house.
Of course we use sunscreen. I like that spray variety. I have let the kids do my back - when no one else was available. I got burned. The spray is much easier for them to get better coverage.
I grew up in Florida...so I learned to swim in a lake...by that guy that just throws you in.
Oh I like to be in the water, a real waterbaby all my life.
You beat me to it on the sunscreen, I have a post part written on this and am fanatical like you. F70 everyday for me without fail!
If you win those books, you are SO sending them on to me, right?
And I'm the same with sunscreen for me and the kids. Hubby takes care of himself. Sunscreen is my friend, sunscreen is my friend.
And my boys used to call it sunscream - probably due to the chasng and hold-down position I used to have to take n order to get it on them! :)
Kat - Oh, no! You had the swim instructor from hell! I'm so sorry. I hate being in a bathing suit as well and often throw a tank top over it.
Britgal Sarah - I'm impressed! SPF 70? I've never seen one that high. I think I wear 30. And I should wear it every day but I don't.
Jules - Sunscream, I love it! I used to have to do the same. Now, thank goodness, both boys willingly hold still so I can put it on. They aren't wild about it, but they don't want to burn. Thank god for common sense!
By the way, Kat and Britgal Sarah, I added to my post after y'all left your comments...there's a Sex and the City giveaway that I linked to.
I wasn't sure about the pronounciation of your name... because that is in fact my real life nickname too!!!! :-O
Except my name is spelt Rae! (Short for Rachel) So that's why I was confused!
*GIGGLeS* We are soooo sistas!! xx
I'm not sure I needed to see those mole pictures while eating raisins. :-p Anyway, yeah, we all use sunscreen...especially me. I tend to turn into a tomato pretty quickly. We have a community pool that opened a couple of weeks ago and will stay open until Labor Day, and we have one of those inflatable pools in the backyard for when we don't feel like lugging all of our stuff to the community pool or for when, after our son goes to bed, we feel like getting in and relaxing with a nice drink. :-)
Our son taught himself how to swim! We bought him a snorkel set and now he does the doggy paddle while using the snorkel and goggles! Pretty neat! Next step is for him to learn how to swim without the snorkel and goggles!
Giggle - Can I start calling you Rae than! That's so cool. We really are sisters! :o)
Kim - Oh, gross. Raisins do not go well with mole viewing. So sorry. That's awesome your son picked up swimming on his own. Impressive!
We had a pool at our previous house, so I have tons of pool stories ...
One Christmas, my husband decided to teach my daughter to ride her bike. The flatest, best spot for her to practice, once she got the hang of it, was around the pool. So she did lap after lap around the pool. Until she and her bike fell in. In December. Once I saw she was okay, I had to choose between grabbing the camera or a towel, and the towel won.
Every Texas blogger is writing about it cooking up a notch
I like to lounge in the pool and float we filled out a cmmunity questionaire yesterday and I asked for a pool..
Gwyneth - Oh, that's a good story! lol Too bad you didn't grab that camera. hehe
i beati - Every Texas blogger is sweltering outside right now. It's HOT and humid and icky. I hope your community gets a pool!
My husband is very fair skinned and doesn't like beaches or pools for that reason, even with yard work he has to really "sunscream" - but I really wanted to comment that you all are "scaring" me - I live in Maryland and in July we are coming to Texas for a family reunion - if it's as hot as you all are say now - what will it be like in July? We will be about an hour from Dallas/Ft. Worth (I've never been before so I'm not familiar. In Maryland we do have the 3 H's, HAZY, HOT, HUMID, but I'm wondering what we may be in for. What shall I pack?
I live in sunny California, where I spend the hot days in serious envy of those WITH pools. I have 4 children under the age of 6 and keep telling myslef do not want one for 6 years or so- knowing that I would live in fear if I did- BUT- when it is hot... and there is nothing to do but swim... here comes the green eyed monster.
what a good thing to post about for summer... I didn't know any of this
We used to dive for pennies all the time!
My daddy would get onto us though, because we would for get some and then they would stain the bottome of the pool. :)
I like to check out the bugs in out skimmer.
Oh, and I forgot to ask...... What brought on the pronunciation stuff? Obviously someone/ something has been bugging you.
And tell me that's not your swimming pool. I know that they make them bigger in Texas, but I thought you had a blow-up backyard REGULAR-sized one?!!
I am a total poolside lounger...BUT...once I get hot enough I dip in to cool off! :-)
And I'm a bad girl! I always put my sunscreen on RIGHT as I arrive at beach or the pool...didn't know you were supposed to do it 20 min. beforehand!
I love to read poolside. I am sooooo fair. I have to always wear sunscreen and put it on early. Thanks for posting about this. People need to know! So jealous that it is so nice and warm in Texas. Still not warm enough for pools here in Ohio. Maybe late August. Ha!
I am a 100% be out in the sun and water girl! My hubby and I try to go fishing every weekend during the summer. He has been going every weekend since March. Too cold for me yet! We bought a brand new Makko boat last summer and I can't wait to cruise on it again pretty soon!
I live in Oregon, our swimming pool is the sky! Damn rain anyway.
I grew up in the desert of California though and we were in the pool as much as possible. I remember hours and hours of "Marco...Polo"
Like your boys, diving for pennies or other such things was a lot of fun too.
Skiny-dipping, been there, done that!
The sun-screen I use is called BullFrog. Really good stuff. Doesn't come off from the water and works great. Didn't know about it expiring though. I'll have to check that out.
I'm so glad you addressed the name thing. When I read it, I always wonder how to pronounce it.
Cindy - Don't meant to scare you. Some days are better than others. The humidity is the bad part. It depends on where you're visiting in Texas. You should pack shorts, bathing suits, tank tops, and sunscreen!!
Christine - I don't have a pool in our backyard. I wish I did, but we belong to a health club that has an indoor and outdoor pool. Lots of park pools around here too.
Motherhood for Dummies - I'm glad you learned something from this post! The Texas sun is hotter than anyone else's, I swear. We have to know this stuff. lol
Valarie - I didn't know pennies stained the pool bottom. We always try to get out of the pool with the same amount we went in with, but sometimes those little buggers just disappear. Pool Troll, I guess.
Jules - No reason about the name, I just realized that most people probably don't know how to pronounce it. :o) And, no, that's not our pool. We don't have one in our backyard.
April - Hopefully now you'll put the sunscreen on before you get to the beach. It might work better...
Indy - It is beyond nice and warm here...it's melting hot. Melting. But, the upside is that the pools are open and being used.
Chatti Patti - Fishing isn't something I've ever really gotten into, but I did enjoy it the few times I tried it. The kids really love it. Awesome about the boat. I'm so jealous! Do you live on a lake?
Jeff - Bullfrog? Sounds interesting. Skinny dipping? Sounds even more interesting. lol
Shamelessly Sassy - I'm so glad you know how to say it now! I love visiting your blog. I don't always comment because you have so many comments...
I'm so glad to know how to pronounce your name! Thanks for the shout out.
Such great info about sunscreen. Plus, it's a good idea to find natural ones that don't use "parabens" as preservatives. There are studies that show these widely used preservatives can be linked to cancer. When you look at the ingredients you'll see "paraben" as part of the suffix like methylparaben.
Kiss my face and California baby are great ones to use.
We too, need sunscreen. High sun protection factor during the first expositions. My middle son doesn't need for long, since he passes from white to tan without burning. A nice skin.
Thanks for the mole prevention. I have an appointment on next wednesday at the dermatologist, to show him a task. I'll feel better after this visit.
Mama Bird Diaries - I'm glad you can pronounce my name now! Good idea about looking into the natural ones. I haven't studied that much. Thanks!
Catherine - I always feel better after seeing the Dermatologist also. I have to go back to my Dr to have a mole removed next week. It's going to require stiches, darnit.
Course you can call me Rae!! :-D xx
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