Paddling Pool Cool

 I think as adults we forget how we didn't feel the cold as much when we were younger as we do now. I can recall my Mum always telling me to do my zip/buttons up on my coat/cardigan so that I would not feel the cold or get cold. I would moan that I wasn't cold and grumble as I had to stand and do as she asked, while all the time think to myself that there really wasn't any need and besides it wasn't cool (or whatever the equivalent in'word would have been back then in the early 1980's) to wear one's coat with it actually done up!! 

Now, as a Mum I am conscious of wanting to ensure my boys are kept cool when required on a hot day,  warm when it is cold and dry when it is wet, - standard parenting care. By and large at the moment I don't get any back chat (yet - I know this will come) when asking them to zip up their coats! I am always the first to do my coat up now too - no more wearing it unopened on a cold or blustery day!!

When it comes to sitting in a paddling pool on a cloudy Sunday afternoon, my children are so much braver about facing cold water than I am. The morning had started so well, blue sky, bright hot sunshine and a paddling pool which was yet to be used. So I spent about half an hour pumping it up, and getting a little red faced in the process, and then I filled it up with water and left it out in the sunshine to allow the water to warm up. Four hours later I told the boys they could go in, however because the sun had decided to hide away behind some clouds the water was not really that warm. I did add a couple of full kettles worth of boiling water which took the cold edge of the temperature, but basically I wouldn't have sat in there! 

As soon as they sat in I could tell from Jenson's pout it was cold and he almost started to cry and he grabbed his swim suit and wailed "but I am wet Mummy" - uhm well yes Jenson that is the purpose of a paddling pool! Anyway, give Burton his due he talked Jenson out of exiting the pool and soon the pair of them were laughing and splashing away furiously - even getting me wet in the process! And putting their faces in to the water to blow bubbles!! Madness I tell you, madness!

It was lovely to watch them and they did make me smile and made me wonder how long I would have braved that water at their age. I think they did well to sit inside it for almost 15 minutes, by which time Burton said through his teeth chattering that he was too cold and wanted to come out! 

A hot shower soon warmed them up as did cuddles with Daddy and some chocolate buttons!!