Friday, April 22, 2011

Natural Consequences

So, it's April...kind of spring/kinda winter...last week my kids decided that it was SUMMER. Here's how it went down...

Directly after naps/rest time they all decided that they should play outside. Perfect..I ADORE that my children enjoy playing outside...there's so much to learn out there! So out they go. About 30 minutes into it Leve comes inside...she 'sneaks' back to the bedrooms and comes out holding swimsuits behind her back...she had one for her, one for Finn, and (because I assume she couldn't find Kiki's) an extra bottom of Finns and a white tank top. Precious. I don't say anything...I just quietly followed after her. Peering around the corner of the house I could see that they had pulled out our boat pool. I could also see that Finn and Kiki were hauling water to the pool using sand-buckets from the beach...obviously the meager amount of water in the pool was the fruit of their 1/2 hour's work. Leve passed out the swimsuits and they all three went behind the shed to change. Kiki was a little put out about the 'suit' she was given, but got over it saying, "Well, at least you tried."

Now, it was maybe 60 degrees out...sunny, definitely. But NOT pool weather...not to mention that that water was COLD...I decided to just let it go. I remembered when I was a kid and the deliciousness of thinking it WAS warm enough to swim. Sometimes my Mom would let us try, others she wouldn't. I decided it was better to just let them have at it. What would it hurt? Sure, they'd freeze. They'd figure it out.

I went back in the house and could hear them continue to play, and play, and play...then the sound ended. I was curious. I went out and found this as I came around the corner. Only in Minnesota!





They had decided that the water was WAY too cold...but that it would be good to get the extra snow off the patio...so they were moving it to the pool. I took a few photos and headed inside...it was COLD, afterall!











In a short while the kids were there on the deck; shivering. BEGGING for me to make them hot cocoa and build a fire! I refused to do the fire, but as they drank their hot cocoa I asked them what they learned today...I think it was Kiki that said, "If it's too cold for all the snow to melt it's probably too cold to go swimming." I couldn't have taught that better lesson if I had tried! Some lessons are best learned on our own, aren't they?

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