Tuesday, September 9, 2014

End of an Era (at least in Boogaloo's mind)

The pool is coming down this week.  The first week of school, the first week of cool evenings, the start of the football season, all of these herald the end of pool season, and Boogaloo just isn't sure how to take that.  The pool is her friend.  It's been here all summer.  She's been in it every day, and now Daddy and Mommy are getting ready to put it away.  What's a girl to do?

She wanted to go swimming this evening, but Seth had already unplugged the filter. 

"Mommy," she persisted.  "I plug it back in."  Sure enough, the tubes were back in the side of the pool, though I wouldn't vouch for how well connected they were. 

"It doesn't matter, Sweetpea.  The water is too low for the pump to work."

"We should add more water."

"No, Boo.  The water is dirty.  It's starting to get cold at night.  It's time to put the pool away."

"But I want to swim."

"Well, Boo, swimming is kind of like Christmas.  It happens at a special time of year and not at other times of year."

[Ears perk up.]  "I want to swim at Christmas." 

That is not what I wanted her to take from that analogy.

"No, Boo, I meant that Christmas happens once a year, birthdays happen once a year, and swimming happens at its own time of year." 

"I could swim at Christmas." 

"We might have snow at Christmas.  The pool would freeze over.  That would definitely be too cold for swimming." 

Contemplation.  I left her to contemplate while I went to forward dinner along.  A few minutes later she followed me into the kitchen. 

"Mommy, I have to talk you something."

"Sure, Boo, I'm listening."

"If the pool is still up at Christmas, we could go ice skating." 

Sometimes you just gotta put your foot down.  There's no reasoning with this kind of optimism.