9 hours

That is how long we spent at the pool this past weekend.

Dylan and I, at least. Logan and Andrew spent a portion of that there with us, and then came home to nap and work respectively.

Nine hours. Yesterday we were there 5.5 hours. I don't think I've spent that much time at the pool since I was a teenager and I basically lived at the pool from dawn to dusk in my skinny-mini bikini eating bags of Funyuns, drinking Orange Crush, and listening for the Good Humor man.

Being at the pool with Dylan alone is a dream now. He's already passed his swim test this year and now that he's been in school all year, he knows half the kids at our pool. He's off in the deep end busy jumping and going down the slide, and playing tag. And I'm free to lounge in a chair, socialize with friends or just stare off into space. He literally did not get out of the pool, other than during break, for 5.5 hours. He about dropped dead when we got home. I watch the older boys at the pool, who've walked and come without their parents, and imagine someday that will be Dylan...making towel forts with lawn chairs and snickering at all the girls coyfully ignoring him and his friends.

Its even slightly easier having Logan at the pool this year. Although he can't swim yet, he is totally entertained by the giant sack-o-toys I cart along and will play in the shallow beach entrance part of the pool. He still needs a lot of guidance about sharing but he's better than we was last summer. Taking them both by myself, as I will many times this summer, I'm still a few years away from bringing my book and chilling out. But we'll get there.

We're totally a pool family. I love taking a picnic and eating lunch there. Doritos on the grass in the picnic area? No problem, some birds will be along soon. Mustard on the face? Go wash it off in the pool fountain. The pool is an instant playdate, a mommy social hour and place for them to burn off their energy, all rolled into one, and no one has to have their house trashed.

We belong to the three pools in our community and we'll rotate and make our way around throughout the summer. Two of the pools have real deep ends with diving boards. How I'm going to keep Logan off of them, I'm not yet sure.