Swimming pools are sure to give a work-out this summer and while many will be just splashing around some may want to find a few swimming pool games you use to play. Can you recall any favorites?
#1 Marco Polo- This is a fun one that doesn’t take many people, however over the years this one has different rules. One person is it and they must keep their eyes closed the entire time they venture around the pool shouting “Marco.” The rest of the players shout “Polo” quickly and hide. The person that gets tagged will be it. Some like to …read more

Beach and water fun for summer is the theme this week . This brings back memories of “the ole swimming hole” on the farm where I grew up.  Two brooks joined in the pasture and made a pool deep enough for Mother to teach us four children to swim.  There we cooled off after a day in the hay fields or working in the garden.
On family vacations, we often visited my aunt and uncle and spent a day or two at York Beach, Maine…my aunt’s favorite beach.  We had a taste of swimming in salt water and looked forward to …read more

I have a most energetic child, so I’m always seeking out ways to tire him out for bedtime. Here is my top 5 list. We did THREE of the below just yesterday, and my darling son slept like a rock last night. Feel free to add on to the list – I’m always open to new ideas!
1. Bounce out that energy. Warehouses stuffed with bounce houses like Pump it Up offer open Pop-In Playtime, usually a two-hour period where you can let your child loose on all the bouncies. It’s a sure way to sweat out some energy!
2. Swimming and splashing! Is …read more

From the minute I got up the courage to slip my newborn Truman into the little baby tub, he took to the water. He could bathe or shower or swim or just sit in the yard with a hose and be content for hours on end.

It was exhausting when he had just learned to walk and would charge toward the swimming pool with obvious glee while Rick and I raced to keep him from leaping in. He refused swimmies or any type of floating device from the beginning. And so it was no surprise that he learned to swim at …read more

We recently put up a soft-sided above-ground pool and all got in for the first time this weekend.

We’ve had Chip since he was a puppy and know that he’s never swam before, so we carefully brought him in with us and let him paddle around for a minute. Though he’s not able to tell us what he thought of the experience, he was licking and wagging his tail when we held him, so I’d guess he didn’t mind too much! He also seemed to like following my husband around and swimming to him.
Honey, on the other hand, had a …read more

Just like the majority of Americans, we are not going on many road trips this summer. We went to Laughlin, NV, which is three hours away and cost a crap load of gas money to fuel our 15 passenger van. Other than that, we are doing the whole summer staycation. So what is a parent to do with a house full of kids and very little summer funds? We call Uncle Mike! Daniel’s brother, who lives in our town, has a new pool. Luckily, he welcomes us and the craziness that comes with our presence. We pack up the van, …read more