when we moved out to the country….we did not bring our pool.
and I MISS IT!
a certain someone who sits in an air conditioned office with other grown ups all day and NOT five children and all of their friends decided that we didn't need to put it up this summer.
it was not a unanimous decision.
i am not bitter….but man…. we are hot and bored…. and hot.
so we took it old school ….the sprinkler.
at first my daughter didn't even know what to do in a sprinkler that is not at a splash park.
"do i just stand there?"
"why is this fun mom?"
i brought even more OLD SCHOOL toys….practically vintage even…. bowls and cups.
they got a little excited.
"YAY!!! we can pour it on each other!!!"
"we can fill them up and throw it on Waffle!"
but then it came to be….. "LETS MAKE SOUP!!!"
"I need more leaves!"
"my soup has lots of rocks!"
"i like adding more mud to mine!"
"these leaves make the soup extra spicey!"
it was a successful play time with antique toys and no dogs were harmed.
but we still wish we had that pool…..
we are headed out to the zoo because it's only 90 today!
and i am surprising the kids with a movie afterwards.
🙂
and sam's club pizza for dinner.
AT sam's.
cause we're fancy like that.
i do make them share a drink though.
when your only option is 32 oz….one per kid is quite ridiculous.
have a super day wherever you go!
Leonieke - If i had a garden like yours (and a summer like yours :-(. ) ik would get a sliding mat with water!! Loved it wheni was small, still ove it now, but unfortuntely no grass here. It has everything: fun, water, action,. Enjoy your summer!
Heidi Jo the Artist - Love sprinklers! Looks like they had a blast. Sometimes it is the simple pleasures in life, isn’t it!? And now you know why I put a question mark on that last comment. I use it way too often… Awesome photos by the way. Loved the vivid colors of the peacock project too.
Darcie L. - I love the Sam’s date. What? $2-3 for dinner, and kids could share those slices of pizza too… they’re huge! Our pool got a hole in it, then the baby pool got dirty yucky from sitting outside with rain water in it. Next, the slip ‘n’ slide, then I think we’ll have to resort to the sprinkler too!
Dana - I love sam’s club pizza! It’s cheap and the drinks are super cheap too…unfortunately they are all large.
Angie - You and I are in the same boat! We took our pool down last winter with the intentions of cutting some trees during the Spring and having it set back up by Summer time. Apparently Hubby didn’t get the memo so we have had NO POOL all summer and it’s been quite hot, disappointing and boring!!!! We too have been playing in sprinklers and we even made us a Homemade Slip n Slide. Still, it’s not the same 🙁
Enjoy the zoo, movie and pizza!
sarah b. - meg… i love your blog. love love all the fun and your style seriously. awesome. i want to make some flags for my patio like the ones on yours that hang by your lights. how did you do those? hot glue or sew… double sided or single. i tried to email you and it flopped. me 0 computer 1. boo. maybe you could post about it or email me back at sbwootton@hotmail.com thanks!!
Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - You make me laugh 🙂
Bev - That is so funny…we didn’t put up our pool…because of Hubby too!!!…and wouldn’t you know it…we have had a week of Hot Hot weather…the hottest since 1964…. The perfect year to have the pool up:))
Heather - haha…duerksen…goertzen…they’re all related anyway, right?!! 🙂
Heather - Oh, Meg. You and I live such similar lives…lots of kids, Mennonite heritage/town, farming, the WT pool, Sam’s pizza AT Sam’s. I seriously feel like I know you. I grew up in NW OK and remember your hubby at the Southern District Youth Conferences we went to in Hillsboro. My maiden name is a great German name like Goertzen. I’m sure ya’ll know the Sheweys (Andy, Stan)…my neighbors growing up. How about Hal Penner or Brenda Sechrist? And here I am playing the Mennonite name game on your blog…always a favorite past-time in OK/KS! 🙂
Anyhoo…I love reading your blog and seeing your JOY in life. Mine has gotten lost through the years due to hard times along the way. Yet…you inspire me to keep fighting for JOY!
Debby - Since you are in the country, you should get a stock tank! Al and his siblings used to swim in that. Sometimes they would get under the water and when the cows came to drink, they would pop up and scare them.
Ashlyn@Pinecone - “why is this fun mom?” So funny!!!!
No pool over here either, but we are off to a beach house in a few days thank goodness – that should keep all of these teenagers over here happy for awhile : )
mollie's mom - It’s 100 in Hot ‘Lanta – I guess you can’t complain when they put it out there in the name! I miss my pool, too. It’s been 2 long, hot summers since I had a backyard pool 🙁 They are the absolute best but I had the best time reading about the old school fun you had with the sprinkler!! I remember those sprinkler days very fondly! It’s gtreat to see good, old fashioned kiddo imagination at work, too!!
Have you seen the giant slip and slide type things on Pinterest that are made from tarps and duxt tape and are filled with water – looks right up your alley!!
Even without the pool I am loving your posts about your new house and neighbors, the cows!!
Marcie
Tiffany - You are so fun. I look forward to reading your blog each day because you are just so real. Your posts always put a smile on my face.
Tanya - We went to the donkey sanctuary today! The under 5 crew liked it a lot.
Our blow up pool kicked it the first time I blew it up…boooo!
I think it’s hot everywhere 😀
Tracy Fisher - So ironic… we were just at out beach house (the place i want you to visit some day) and my kids kept saying they were bored. REALLY??? They had to make forts, collect shells, swim to the dock and jump off without any water toys, etc etc. I just laughed. I should have brought out the plastic bowls… what was i thinking … haha. looks like fun. although i agree, you need the pool back next summer. ususally when i want my husband to set something up for the kids, i leave for a few days on a girls outing. for some reason they beg him enough until he does it. don’t know how it works. just does. -tracy
Tiffany - You are too funny, I just sit and cheese when I read these posts, you capturing her spirit and remembering (impressive), “these leaves make it spicy”. Crack me up! Have fun at the zoo, what a good suggestion actually. Holla!
Cory - We had a pool just like that, but a few weeks ago it broke, and since then we have all been a hot mess! :/ In about a week or so we are getting another one.
Jamie M. - The Wichita Zoo? It is my favorite!! That and exploration place, my kids say that is what they miss most about Kansas.
Love the “Vintage Sprinkler”!! The greatest was when we put the sprinkler under the trampoline, the kids were shocked we could do that.
tina - we made a great slip and slide out of tarps for the kids this summer. when they realized they could be one four times as big as a slip and slide you buy at the store they were all for it! we haven’t had a day under 90 degrees in over three weeks now! our farmers need rain so badly!!
Erin - We had story time at the library this morning. Each week they hand out a card on one of the planets. My 5 year old son has them all memorized already. He is loving the space theme. When we got home, he was quizzing his 3 year old sister on planet facts. Tonight, the library and the Cosmosphere are putting on a program at our local ball park. Rhett is sooooo excited! They get to eat space ice cream, build a rocket, and look though telescopes. One of the church youth groups has a concession stand so I don’t have to fix supper. Yeah!
Heather - Love it! “why is this fun, mom?” Kids are so funny!
KirstenP - I just clicked on the link to your pool. Your kids were having so much fun! Go get that pool! There’s a good 2-3 months left of summer left. You’ll be so glad you did!
jenni@talkinghairdryer - We eat Sam’s pizza at Sam’s too. What’s the point of bringing home pizza to cook in the oven? There’s still a mess to clean up 😉
We all get our own drinks, but the littles only get to fill it half way. I HATE the sinking feeling you get when one kid gets sick and you realize that you let them share a drink or dessert with all of the other kids just last night.
Cathy - I love a child’s imagination and the things they can come up with so little to do it with. Good job mom!
steph - my girlies always make soup in our backyard too.
sometimes it drives me nuts… but that’d be my type a personality!
but other times i just sit there and smile and say how cute! 🙂
go and get a bigger kiddie pool from target!!!
we have one, it’s rectangular and probably 9×3 feet.
it’s awesome!
enough to get wet and then go and play!
just enough to cool off!
Sandy - Looks like fun. Who is Annie’s new friend?
happygirl - Boo hoo, no pool. Yeah, my kid didn’t know how to play in a sprinkler either. And that was 15 years ago. LOVE the soup. I was so hot last week I jumped into the lake. And I hardly EVER go in the lake. 🙂 stay cool.
sue - I have a question. I never see Lauren anymore. Did she move with you to the country ?
sue - Meg……Go get the pool this weekend. It will be a life saver for you and Waffle. lol
Jacci in Ohio - Totally do ALL of this at least 3 mornings a week. Sprinkler, bowls, etc. Actually, this year I went tractor supply (I *know* you have those around) and got 4 galavanized buckets of various sizes. They’ve been so great for making the mud/weed soups and jus toting water around the backyard. I got one REALLY huge one… it was, like, $35 and it has been *awesome*.
Then, once we hit around 11am we pile in the van for swim lessons. And stay at the pool for hours. It’s 20 minutes away, but so worth it. About 4 days a week.
Jessica Johnson - Your Annie and my Kayla are two peas in a pod. We make soup lots around here. “Why is this fun, mom?” She’s a good one.
seriously sassy mama - We have never had a pool, so this is how my girls play all the time in the back yard. It is a bonus when you have a sprinkler system. SOunds like a fun I like to havem girls except we go to Target for pizza and soda.
lauren - we never had a backyard pool…only really good city pools.
but man do i miss the days of the sprinklers and the $10 slip ‘n slides.
enjoy your littles…they outgrow those sprinklers so dadgum fast.
Stephanie - Soup! It’s a favorite outside activity here, too 🙂 Mud, water, rocks and leaves? Mmmmm, yes please. And I just found a fun sprinkler at Aldi for $6; hoping that will help us survive the pool-less summer!
Leah - What is it about husbands and pools? Mine has banned me from purchasing any more backyard pools for our daughter. Whatever, it’s not like he’s home to see her use it during the day. Your pictures are great! And that Sam’s Club pizza sounds awesome (seriously, I want one).