We were having one of those days.
The boys were arguing incessantly.
Then they were bored and whiney.
I started to feel trapped by the
many hours that needed to be filled
until I could tuck them into bed
and find solace.
I looked out the window and
saw the sun shining through the clouds.
The air felt warm so I had a brilliant idea
to cure our crummy day.
We pulled the plastic kiddie pool
out of it's winter hiding place
and filled it up with warm water from the bathtub.
The boys ate Popsicles and suddenly the bickering stopped.
My theory was that you can't argue
when your mouth is busy eating a sweet treat.
Roger and I sat beneath the shade
of our big ol' umbrella next to the pool
and instructed the boys not to say a single word to us
until their treats were all gone.
It was finally quiet.
(except for the slurping)
We might as well have been
lounging on a tropical beach,
just the two of us.
We had about 5 glorious minutes of solitude
and then the treats were gone.
It wasn't long but it was just enough
time for us to recharge.
The pool was soon transformed into
a potion shop and a very busy kitchen.
Griffin asked "What kind of potion do you want, mama?"
I requested a potion that would make the house suddenly be clean.
A few stirs later and I was taking fake sips from my special brew.
Koen asked "What kind of food you want, mama?"
I requested an Apple Pie.
"Do you want red beans on your pie, mama?"
Well, of course I did.
Before I knew it, I was actually smiling.
The boys were cute again!
Sometimes you just need to go outside
and play in the sun.