The Farm Kids Swim

You'd think we lived in the olden days around here. And really, sometimes I have to wonder myself if we've not gone back in time.

Nowadays who has the multitudes of animals that reside on our little farm? Sheep, lambs (grand total of about 65), chickens, dogs, cats, kitten, and mini horse (who is looking for a new home. He's turned into a real meany...biting, knocking the children down, etc...and I'm not comfortable sending the children out with him anymore. Anyone interested?!).

But what really makes me feel like we've stepped back in time is the 'pool' that our children swim in.

It wasn't my intention to make them swim in the cow tank this summer. I headed to the basement to drag out the pool that they'd used for the last two years and remembered that it had popped last fall. But I'd told them that they could swim.

What to do.

I headed to the barn and there, full of dust and barn stuff, sat this most lovely water tank. We cleaned it out, filled it with water, and presto! We had us a pool.

It's a little small.

But that certainly doesn't stop them from enjoying the water.

They even rigged up a diving board...though I never saw them dive. Thankfully.

It took much skill to use the diving board. They jumped, turned in mid air, and landed perfectly. Only a few times did I see them exit while rubbing some odd part of their body.

I didn't watch too much. It's one of those things that you can't help but peek at, but it makes the stomach churn if you watch too much. It seemed a little better while I was peering through my lens.

They baptized each other over and over. Will was the main preacher and dunked his sister heartily while singing at the top of his lungs. He laid his hands on her head to pray. They hugged til they nearly fell down...and then the roles would swap. Will, baptizee....Addie, baptizer. Didn't go so well. The preacher had to sit on the baptizee's back in order to get him under. The baptizee ended up sitting on the edge of the 'pool' pouting cause he didn't want to be baptized after all. Not a real good experience for him.

When they tired of swimming, they dragged out their 'trampoline'. Yet another item on our farm that makes me feel as if we are living 'back in time'.

Our poor children are deprived. No real pool. No real trampoline. Just a cow water tank and an old tube from a tractor tire.

But. They love it. For now. Until they discover that other moms and dads actually buy their children pools and trampolines.

Really, though.

I don't think Will would like a real trampoline half as much. He couldn't be a true little brother pest and tip his sister off if they were on a big ole tramp.