SINCE WHEN...

Along with everyone else in the United States,
we "observed" Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

My first grader woke up very enthused about the day.
She learned all about Martin Luther King day at school and thought we should be exchanging gifts, lighting fireworks, going to a MLK Jr. parade or at the very least receive a MLK Jr. basket full of colorful candy coated eggs. Me too.
(by the way; a lady at Walmart told me that Walmart can't keep the Mini Cadbury Eggs in stock...that makes me want them all the more.)


Anyway, I said, "River...Martin Luther King Day is mostly just about remembering a great man, we don't really do anything to "celebrate."

She said..."since when?" 

I said "since 1968..."

Just kidding, I didn't say that but that would've been one of my finest comebacks ever.

She sulked a little and so I suggested we declare a FDO "family day out" to our 2nd favorite swimming hole and to our first favorite hamburger joint, THE TRAIN in Heber City.

(Here's our first favorite swimming hole...remember?)


Our second favorite (wintertime) swimming hole is here.

The South Summit Aquatic Center in Kamas Utah.

Anyway, I told River we could go only IF...she could talk her daddy into coming with us.

Dean had a rare day off and he said he would rather stay home and balance our checkbook, replace light bulbs, do some laundry and basically be responsible. ha ha ha ha
I said Since When?

He said...since the alternative activity was loading up the car full of kids, 

filling up tank of gas

driving 50 miles away

paying just to swim for an hour,

feeding seven hungry mouths

then driving another 50 miles home

wet, cold, tired and publicly humiliated.

I said...

"precisely" 

So we had a game plan.

Nobody was helping me get ready, 

so I told them to dress themselves and meet me in the car.

Wade came out looking like this.

Since When did this kid become so gangsta?   

Since his mom is so Fly. obviously.

 After a more peaceful than usual drive up the canyon,
I said "Since When did our kids get along so well crammed together in the car?"

(bad cell phone picture...sorry)
Since they became iPod, DSi, DVD's and earphone zombies.

Since When does Dean ever offer to take my picture?

 Since he realized that all the pictures I take eventually end up on this blog.
and I've complained a lot I guess. Thanks darling.

And Since When does my baby go around in a onesie, in the middle of winter?

Since his body mass index is the same as that of a baby walrus in the middle of a frigid Antarctic winter.

Since When did my kids become such show offs?

 Since I told them that the Olympic Swim Team was watching them from the bleachers. Turns out they were just muscular high school kids with nothing better to do.   

But Since When did my four year old become so brave?

Since at one point Kal asked "mom, should I go off the high dive?"
I said..."sure" (not thinking he really would...)
Then my little four year old, Kal climbed out of the water...up the stairs with everyone watching him...walked out on to the board...with shaky knees and second thoughts on the edge...and then just jumped off! Everyone gasped.

 I was too astonished and proud to think about taking a picture.
Kal jumped two other times and then said "that's enough"

Every time Brett and Wade jumped off the high dive they would do something to draw the attention of the cute life guard. (whistle...do a cannonball, flips, kiss their biceps on the way down...etc)

But Since When did Wade's six pack look so red?

Since his 'flirting' turned into more of a 'flopping.'

And Since When does an adult woman need a life jacket in four feet of water?

Since the water was a freezing 15 degrees. I was wearing the jacket simply to retain any warmth left in my body. The kids told me I would get used to it. They lied.

Since When does it take the pool boy so long to clean the pool?

Since instead of just a 'cleaning'...it becomes a 'retrieval mission.'  yuck!

Each time we have been to this swimming pool,

we practically have the whole place to ourselves.

It's awesome.

After the swimming and a short drive down the mountains we hit up our favorite hamburger joint.

 yo, Since When did "the Train"(Dairy Keen) in Heber go all Hawaiian?  

Since they were obviously trying to distract us after we spent a fortune on a hamburger and a shake.

Then a quick, quiet drive home after dark.

and hey..Since When do my children go right to bed without complaint...not ask for a thing and fall asleep immediately...leaving Dean and I with a few precious moments of "free time"?

Since they were completely - tuckered - out.

money well spent.