Permanent Vacation

As you can imagine living in a city where the temperature can reach 37 degrees (what with all the concrete and cars), it can get pretty hot! Here at the apartments, there is a great pool. It's about 18 metres long, with waterfalls (nothing that exotic, really) flowing into them. There is a small play area with a slide, a toddler climbing frame, and a wendy house. It's all the "Little Tikes" plastic stuff and a bit faded in the sun, but the children seem to enjoy it.

As i think i've mentioned in an earlier posting, the boys love to get in the pool, and we have quite a hard time getting them out! Even after a two hour swim!!

Bradley no longer needs a float to swim, even though the pool is too deep for him to stand up in (although not quite as deep as the ocean, which is what he says!). He can get himself quite happily around the pool using his own take on the doggie paddle, and under water swim moves he has recently perfected. Although, it has to be said that he spends most of his time climbing out, so he can jump in again! His favourite jump at the moment being a karate kick, mid air! We have just bought him some dive toys, so he's quite enjoying these, and spends ages diving to the bottom of the pool to retrieve them!

We have very recently given up on the sit-in floating device that was Adam's (it was in the shape of an aeroplane that made beeping noises - honestly!), on the grounds that he never wanted to go in it. On the rare occasions we got him in it, he would want to get out of it as soon as he saw Bradley jumping in from the side of the pool - and that would be that. The aeroplane was rendered to a lonely fate, floating unloved across to the far side of the pool. Yes, instead, he wanted to hold onto me (Daddy wouldn't do!), and pull at my top with his hands, and push at my bottoms with his feet, all with the consequences of flouting several poolside "indecency" guidelines. I'm amazed there haven't been complaints!

Of course, Adam thinking that he too, is 5, believes he is capable of the same "jumping in" prowess as his big brother. And so he is - just in a slightly more cuddly & wobbly kind of way!! He will climb out (using my bikini for leverage!), then take a run up to the waters edge & jump in - all while saying "Daddy, watch this!". We have got to get that on video, because it really makes us laugh. The champagne moment today, was Adam's take on Bradley's karate kick jump. He can't do the mid air kick thing, but he tries his best to swing his body round - until of course I grab hold of him and turn him back - not sure he was too impressed, because he didn't try it again.

Since we ditched the aeroplane float for Adam, he has been trying to join in the chase games that John plays with Bradley & his other friends (Bradley's, not John's!) in the pool. So I'll hold Adam's hands while he kicks his legs furiously under the water and saying things like: "let's get Daddy!", and "let's get Babley" - yes he says it with a B, and a bit of a lisp he's developing too! So I thought we would try him with water wings, and he loves them! He seems to really enjoy the freedom that they give him in the pool, because now he doesn't need to hold onto anyone. He just kicks his little legs & moves his arms in the water, so he looks like he's treading water as he bobs around the pool (with me very close behind, so no need to worry, grandparents!). And of course with the extra buoyancy, he can swim over to the side of the pool, climb out & be just like big brother!

The pool itself can be a hive of social fun! And this is especially so at weekends. There is usually another family or two up at the pool, and this is how you meet people and make friends. There can be a few families up there with everyone in the pool, then if you wish, you can order food & drink while you're out there, so it really is a permanent vacation well, for me anyway, since I have no chores to do, or dinner to cook! I'll go up for a swim sometimes and swim about 30 or 40 lengths. Then of course, it's nice to "dry off" in the sun, while I read my book (have read 4 so far since I got here!) - yes, my tan is coming along quite nicely, thank you!