Proving once more that I am a mean mother.

Summertime on the Farm means days on end spent splashing and playing and fighting about the splashing and playing in our pool.  It's not a huge pool, but it's decent sized.  It's a do-it-yourself deal from Walmart. It's big enough for us and we love it.

Husband and the kids spent hours this week getting the grass pulled out of the sand patch, the tarp laid just so, the pool assembled and finally filled. The filling takes most of 2 days and all of one night....and a really long hose.  I was recuperating indoors so I wasn't available to help.

Now I realize I also won't be able to enjoy the pool.

Yesterday I went to see the surgeon to have my stitches removed and my one week out check-up.  After swapping stitches for steri-strips, he told me he doesn't want me bending over or lifting anything over 20 pounds until I see him again in three weeks.  Much to Bitsy's chagrin, the steri-strips and scab are keeping me land locked for the time being. I need to stay out of the water until my incision is completely healed.  She has spent most of the day trying to convince me I can just lounge in my papasan in the pool.  "It's not swimming, Mommy.  It'll be OK."

Unfortunately, Mom's unplanned abdominal opening also means the highly anticipated trip to Holiday World has been put on indefinite hold.  I can hardly make it through a trip to the grocery right now.  A full day spent walking around an amusement park and hurtling down water slides is entirely too much for me to imagine let alone attempt.

As we were on the way home from town today, Husband and I were discussing New Harmony, IN, where we spent our very brief honeymoon.  I said I would love to take the FarmHands there sometime to go on one of their walking tours.  Under his breath, Husband mumbled, "You'll have to speed up a bit first."

I said, "Are you making fun of my shuffle?"

"No.  I'd be happy with a normal pace."  Can't say I blame him after having to follow me through the grocery while I moved like an octogenarian.  "So would I, dear."

Now if we could just convince the FarmHands that I'm not faking just to ruin their summertime plans.

FarmWife Asks....

I know it's been a long time since I've opened up and answered your most pressing questions, and I promise to get back to that shortly, but for now I have a question for you. What are your Summertime Must Haves? I mean absolutely cannot live without, must have on hand at all times, would cry if you had to do withouts. Anything. Clothing. Make-up. Food. Toys. Anything at all. I want to know. If your list is long, post about it on your blog & leave me a comment so I will be sure to check it out.

For the record, these are my favorite summer things:

1. Boxes of Pop Ice. Boxes & boxes & boxes. Personally, I don't eat them. I used to. In copious amounts. In an old claw footed bathtub full of couch cushions & teenagers, but no longer. The FarmHands, on the other hand, live on them all summer long.





2. Moisturizer with SPF built in. I'm horrible about remembering to put on sun block. Thankfully, the skin care companies have bonded together to pick up my slack. Not only does my moisturizer have it, but my make up does too! Isn't that nice of them?





3. Crystal Light. I used to drink soda like it was going out of style, but that did evil things to my digestive systems. Last year I switched to Crystal Light (or the cheaper Wal-Mart version depending on the flavor I want) and I've never looked back. I can drink a gallon of Raspberry Lemonade all by myself in just over 24 hours.





4. Sun dresses. I am in seriously short supply of them, but I do so love sun dresses. They need to have decent straps to cover the bra straps (I don't rock the bra strap sticking out look), but other than that, I'm happy. Especially if they're wash & wear...nothing super fancy.
   
   
   




5. My new Spring Float Papasan. I just got it today & I absolutely adore it. It's small enough that it doesn't crowd the FarmHands out of our 15 foot pool, but it's big enough that I can lounge happily while they swim. It keeps me up right enough that I can watch them without getting a kink in my neck, but I stay nice & relaxed.





6. My sunglasses. Last Summer, Art & I took a road trip in QM's car. A few miles down the road, I found Mama's sun glasses. They're the kind you wear over you regular glasses. I used to make fun of her because of them. Grandma & Grandpa M&M have worn them for years. I didn't think QM was old enough to give in to the trend. After that weekend, I decided they weren't just for old folks. Luckily, Wal-Mart agreed with me. I have been wearing a pair of Solar Shields for nearly a year now & I would probably fight you to the death if you tried to steal them.






7. A good paperback novel. It can be fluff like one of the many Mary Higgins Clark books I have on hand for this summer, or it can be something a bit more substantial like Jonathan Strange & Mr.Norrell which I just grabbed at The Goodwill for fifty cents (at least it looks more substantial). But I definitely need it to be paperback so I can toss it in my bag & run out the door on days we absolutely must be at the play ground or days I'd rather sit in the shade while the FarmHands are splashing around the pool.





8. A good stock of DVD's, video games, card games, and coloring books for the days it's too hot to be out of doors or raining enough to keep us trapped inside. Our new favorite: Pirates of the Caribbean Lego for the Wii. The FarmHands LOVE it and when they tire of being Captain Jack, I pop in the DVD's and we can have a Pirates Marathon. Rainy day + Johnny Depp= one happy mama.





9. Baby powder. If you do not know the power of baby powder on a sticky hot day, you've obviously never lived in the mid-west nor the south in the heat of summer.





10. Something grown up. Be it a movie, a CD I have to listen to on the head phones, or something fruity, frozen, and fermented. Sometimes I need a reminder that I'm more than a housekeeper, referee, cook, or playmate (not the kind from the magazine...that's a bit too grown up for me). Right now there's a Daily's Ready to Drink peach daiquiri hiding in the freezer for one of those nights when the FarmHands need to go to bed a bit early. I'll let you know how it is, but at the moment it being less than $6 and available at my house without the use of a blender makes it good enough for me.

So, my darling readers...what are your Summertime Survival Must Haves?