Summertime=Pooltime=Weird bathing rituals

If you are a mother, you've seen the sign.  If you are a mother, you've read the sign.  If you are a mother, you've chuckled silently to yourself and more than likely, probably, quite possibly...ignored the sign.  Well, at least I know I have.  The inner rebel in me just screams 'keep on walking, just keep it movin''.

What does the sign say?  It's the one you read after having spent the past 20 minutes slathering sunscreen on your children as you wait in a horrendously long line, all the while praying that you make the cutoff number for pool capacity.  Yeah, the one that says 'all swimmers must shower before entering the pool'.  Ha....are you kiddin' me folks?  Do you know how much money I just smeared all over my kids faces, arms, ears, legs, necks...and all the grumbling that went along with it?  There is no way my kids are going to shower so they can rinse off the sunscreen.  Nope, sorry.....that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

And why?  Why is that rule even plausible?  If my child is bringing something into the pool that the chlorine cannot kill, than I hate to say it, but a shower is not going help.  They've got bigger problems.  And for those that DO actually follow the rule, it's not like they are taking their sweet time and scrubbing down.  Heck no!  It's like a run through car wash.....hit the shower button, scream, as the cold water hits the body, and run out as fast as possible without tripping.  The shower thing is so weird.

Now, one sign I think all pools SHOULD put up...and enforce?  All swimmers must use the restroom before entering the pool.  Think about it, they could set up their own potty police.  "I'm sorry ma'am, but I notice that you did not enter the stall. You'll need to try again'.  It could prevent some of those untimely 'code browns'.  just sayin'.

Now, after having spent more days in the pool, near the pool, around the pool and smelling like a pool.....the kids bathing routine has gotten messed up.  It's to the point now that I have to kind of wonder if I should count the pool AS their bath?  Or, should I count the rinse off afterwards as the bathing for     the day?  If I am organized enough, I will bring shampoo with me and then FOR SURE it counts.

 Of course, those pool showers are kinda kamikaze like.  I really have to be on my toes when getting Laurel showered.  I never know if the shower is going to get more water on her or me!  I have mastered the 'lean'.  You know the one......you lean over while balancing on your toes, nearly bent in half so that the arms reach as far forward as possible and the rear end is pointed in the opposite direction, all in the insane attempt at keeping dry.  If I perform it correctly, I usually come out of the place nearly dry.  It's a good day when that happens......our tubs stay clean, the kids are clean and the process is counted under their 'fun' category.

No longer counted under my 'fun' category?  The never ending pile of wet towels, wet bathing suits and dampness that lingers in the laundry room!