Pool plans gone awry

Our town pool has been closed this week due to higher-than-allowed bacteria levels, so when we found out it had finally re-opened today, we decided to take a family trip over to swim - complete with my sister Caitlyn, who was visiting for the weekend. The experience started off well, with Julia and Madeleine both squealing with delight and splashing around, and the water was wonderfully warm (how do you like that alliteration?) after a week of such high temperatures. However, about ten minutes into the swim, it started to rain, lightly at first, then an actual torrential downpour, such hard pellets of rain pelting the water that we actually couldn't see. While swimming in the pouring rain felt like a fun adventure to the adults, and even to Madeleine, Julia completely fell apart, thanks to her utter, absolute terror of being caught outside during a thunderstorm. Above the sound of the rain and the noises of kids happily playing in the water, I'm pretty sure *everyone* at the pool could hear Julia wailing, "I WANT TO GO HOME!!! GET ME OUT OF THE POOL!!!" When no amount of soothing could allay her terror, Ethan picked her up and started carrying her to the car, while Caitlyn and I rounded up our stuff - and Madeleine - and met them there. By the time we had gotten to the car, the rain had just about stopped, so I convinced Caitlyn and Ethan (both of whom wanted to swim for longer) to take Madeleine back down to the water while I coaxed Julia out of the car. I was convinced I could manage to get her to come along, despite Ethan's doubtful looks. It was definitely not as easy as I had hoped, but finally, upon hearing that Daddy had the keys, she grudgingly accepted the idea that we walk back down to the pool to get the keys from him so we could go home. Thankfully, to help out my plan, Ethan was a ways into the pool, up by the rope to the deep end, so I explained to Julia that we had to actually get into the pool to go walk out to Daddy and ask him for the keys. Once in the water, I was able to gently sink down to my bottom with Julia in my lap. She was slightly panicked about being in the water, but I managed to distract her by pointing out the people jumping off the diving board, and even had her smiling within a few minutes after playing her favorite water game, "Motorboat." Unfortunately, the fates must have been against me. Just as I was patting myself on the back for my success in getting her back into the water - and smiling about it, at that - an enormous clap of thunder was heard, and everyone had to be evacuated from the pool. And I thought she was on the verge of hysteria BEFORE, when it was just raining... "MOOOOMMY!!! GET ME TO THE CAR!!! I CAN'T BE IN THIS WEATHER!! MOOOOMMY! MOOOOMMY! WE NEED TO GO HOME!!" (Madeleine, meanwhile, remained happy as a clam, flapping her arms around and smiling with delight as the rain fell.) Once we were home, Julia repeatedly asked us, "Isn't it good news that we got safe to our house from the thunderstorm?"

A few hours later, I was getting ready to go out for a run, since the thunderstorm had passed. Julia sagely advised me, "Mommy? When you go for your run, just make sure you don't go too far, because some OTHER towns might still be having thunderstorms." Good thing I've got her to look out for me!