At the Valley City Swimming Pool

There are no outdoor pools in our city, probably because it isn’t that warm that long in the season and there are scores of natural creeks and pockets of water to swim in, not to mention a gigantic freezing cold lake so big it almost feels like the ocean.  When we travel to North Dakota in the summer, it is always a special treat to swim at an outdoor pool, and the swimming pool in Valley City is one of our favorites.  It is so well designed:  a gradual entry area with a slide for small ones, a big water slide for big ones, a large lap pool.  There is something for everyone, and for the first time ever this year, I realized that we are in a new stage in our family, a stage where going to a pool is easy!  Everyone was off doing their own thing, and since the area Mr. TOF was swimming in was perfect for his size, I wasn’t even concerned about him drowning.

OK, I was maybe concerned about Cousin Nathaniel drowning because he went under a couple of times when he was walking next to me and lost his balance.  I’m happy to report, however, that everyone was all safe and good in the end.

The little cousins zoomed down the small slide at a constant rate for more than three hours.  It was not a warm day when we were at the pool.  In fact, the pool barely even opened that day and the wind was blowing.  I crouched down so only my head was above the water and stayed warm.  The cold did NOT stop any of the kids from having a marvelous time.

Cousin Katherine ran over to me each and every time she came down the slide.  She calls me “Auntie Dot” because we call Auntie Dot “Auntie Dot” and she knows I’m her aunt, so therefore it makes sense that I’m an “Auntie Dot.”  Each time she came down the slide she’d bounce over to me, “Auntie Dot!  Auntie Dot!  Auntie Dot!  Did you see me?  Did you see me?  Did you see me?”  (She always said each part exactly three times.)

“Yes!  I saw you!  You are so good at sliding!  You go so fast!”

“I’m gonna do it again!”

Continuous Repeat.

I love that girl.
These two got a long so great at the pool.  It was so fun to watch.