Friday Fun Day

This summer just went by way too fast.

Today was the last day of swim lessons at Rosemary Pool, as well as the last free swim of the season.  The girls got to enjoy one last Friday Fun Day at their lessons, which entailed all sorts of water games, rides on the giant surfboard, and, of course, jumping off the diving board.

Madeleine literally took the plunge and jumped off all by herself, rather than being lowered down into the water.  Bravely leaping off the board, she landed with a happy splash into the arms of her swim instructor:

At the end of lessons, the girls got their Friday Fun Day cheap-o piece of garbage toy, as well as their customary donut hole, so moods were cheery all around the board.

That is, at least for a few moments.

MADELEINE: Mama?  When is it gonna be Friday Fun Day again?
ME: Uh, well, not until next summer, honey.
MADELEINE: But when IS it gonna be Friday Fun Day again?
ME: Well, probably next July.

Madeleine apparently reasoned that Friday Fun Day could instead occur on a day that was neither a) Friday nor b) one on which the pool is actually open.

MADELEINE: Maybe...TOMORROW I can get my toy and my donut again.  Maybe TOMORROW can be Friday Fun Day.
ME: Well, honey, tomorrow is not Friday Fun Day.  Tomorrow's the weekend.
MADELEINE: But why IS it?
ME: Well, because it just is.  Tomorrow is the weekend.  The pool is closing today, because it's the end of summer.

At this point, Madeleine burst into bitter, wailing tears at the injustice of it all.

Thankfully, some snuggles with her swim teacher and assurances that next summer would be even MORE fun managed to console her.

The really exciting news is that BOTH girls successfully completed the level of their swim class, and both were promoted up to the next level for the following summer!:

Of course, we took a trip back to the pool this afternoon for free swim, and the girls got a chance to give hugs and waves good-bye to all of their favorite lifeguards.

The plan is to take the girls for a celebratory ice cream dessert, although that didn't stop them from ALSO wanting a piece of home-baked pumpkin bread after finishing their dinner.  Madeleine was so excited for her piece that she *almost* couldn't wait for one of her parents to get it for her.

MADELEINE: (sweetly) I'm done with my diiiiiner!  Can I have some dessert, please?
JULIA: (chastising) Madeleine!  We're going to LIZZY'S for ICE CREAM, remember??
ME: Well, you just had pumpkin bread, Julia, so I think Madeleine would like some too.
MADELEINE: Can I have some pumpkin bread, PLEASE?
ME: Let me finish my dinner, then I'll get it for you.

Madeleine then trotted off to the kitchen, only to reappear wide-eyed and earnest with an important declaration.

MADELEINE: Mama?  I just DECIDED to get some for myself, but...I didn't want to...just...GRAB a KNIFE and CUT it.

Wise choice, Madeleine.

Julia then decided to demonstrate how wise she herself can be by pounding her hands on my computer keyboard.

ME: Julia, I need you to know that you should never do that to ANYBODY'S computer again.
ETHAN: There is no circumstance in which it is EVER, EVER appropriate to do that on ANY computer.
JULIA: (chagrined) Okay.  But why?
ME: Because.  Bad things can happen.  You can accidentally delete things, or wreck things people are typing.

After a moment of communal silence, Madeleine opted to chime in as well.

MADELEINE: Or GLOBAL WARMING!

More silence.

MADELEINE: (breaking into a nervous laugh) Mama, I was just being GOOFY when I was saying GLOBAL WARMING.  I was just trying to be SILLY.

Oh, okay.  I guess we all blew it by failing to laugh - or react in any way - when Madeleine first made the comment.

We are now off to take some swimming stars out for ice cream!