The Pool is Cool

Rosemary Pool closes for the season on Friday, and since yesterday was a hot, sticky, humid 90 degree day, we made sure to spend a good couple of hours enjoying the pool while we still can.  We weren't the only ones taking advantage of the chance to swim; the pool was crowded with people of all ages, including an elderly man walking with a cane and a heavy cast on his foot.

Madeleine was especially taken by this man, for some reason.

MADELEINE: Mama!  Look.  That guy is wearing a CAST.  I think he can't WALK very well.  Mama, I feel BAD for him.  I feel BAD for that guy because he has a CAST.  I really HOPE his leg gets better!

I then decided to tell Madeleine what I do when I'm feeling bad for someone who is injured or sick, which is to say a prayer for him or her.  When I suggested this to Madeleine, she looked at me like it was a completely crazy idea.  (I'm gonna go out on a limb and take a gander on what just went through Ethan's head upon reading that last sentence: "Well, it was.")

ME: You can say a quick prayer for him if you like.
MADELEINE: (flabbergasted) Right NOW?
ME: Yeah.  Go ahead.
MADELEINE: (folding her hands in prayer) Thank you God for making me...

Apparently Madeleine's concept of saying a prayer is limited to her routine bedtime prayer.  "Thank you God for making me, thank you for my family, Amen."  No wonder she was confused as to why I would think praying would be in any way related to the man with the cast.

I guess she needed rapping Jesus to dance around and guide her along in her prayer.

Later on during our free swim time, Julia happened to meet up with one of her good friends from preschool, and the two swam happily off towards the diving board together.  At the same time, Madeleine had a sudden, urgent need to poop, so I had to rush her towards the bathroom and try to keep poking my head out of the bathroom to make sure I could still see Julia in the pool.  She and her friend wound up having such a grand time swimming together that they wanted to extend the fun, and Julia was invited over to play and have dinner at her friend's house.  I ended up leaving the pool with Madeleine around 5, leaving Julia in the care of her friend's mom.

Apparently Julia went through a bit of Mommy-withdrawal, even though she was basically off swimming on her own and not having any interaction with me before I left.

JULIA: (upon returning home from her play-date) Mom?  So, I was just, like, really MISSING you, because I don't DO WELL without my mommy, and I was, like, looking at the sparkling water with the sun shining on it and I started feeling really SAD that the pool is closing on Friday.

Oh, boy.  Who would have thought me leaving with Madeleine would open such a floodgate of emotions for Julia?  Luckily, she got over her feelings of sadness and had a great time playing at her friend's house, coming home in a buoyant, exuberant mood right at bedtime, unable to keep from yapping happily about all the things she and her friend did together as Ethan attempted to brush her teeth.

While Julia had eaten dinner at her friend's house, the rest of us Rowes lazily ordered take-out from our favorite Thai restaurant in town.  Madeleine had her usual order, chicken and steamed veggies with peanut sauce.  I had asked her if she wanted me to put some sauce on her plate, and she declined.  However, it turned out that she actually DID want sauce, as she realized halfway through her dinner.

MADELEINE: Uh-oh!  Something is MISSING!
ME: What's missing?
MADELEINE: Uh...it's a LIQUID that I don't remember what name it is.

Luckily, I remembered what name it is and was able to pour some sauce onto her plate for her.

Meanwhile, although it's still blazingly hot around here, Madeleine is in full-out autumn mode.  Today she trick-or-treated around the house looking like this:

Julia, too, is in Halloween mode.  Here's the picture she drew for us:

I'm not sure which aspect of this picture is my favorite thing.  The amoeba-like ghost coming sideways out of the chimney?  The cactus hands that the happy, smiling witch is sporting?  Or the girl who looks to be barfing bloody guts into her hand?  It's a tough call.

And now we are switching gears back to summer, as we are off to the pool for the penultimate day of swim lessons!