Pool Woes

We have been at the pool this summer. Like a lot.  We are probably averaging about 3 times per week.  We opted for the family pool pass again this year, so we have to make sure we get our money's worth!  It covers 3 area pools and both kids seem to enjoy going--Amelia more than Henry, really. And it is really amazing the strides Amelia has taken this year with her swimming!  Not so much from swim lessons, but from just being poolside so often.  She can tread water and actually "swim" a bit in water where she cannot touch the bottom.  It always gives me a heart attack to watch her because it isn't pretty, but she is as comfortable as can be and much prefers the deep end to any other area of the pool.

Just before the July 4th holiday, we decided to take a family trip to the quietest pool of the three our pool pass covers.  Expecting a relaxing afternoon while resting in the cool water was what I had in mind.  However, within the first 5 minutes of our arrival at the pool, Henry grabbed the sunscreen stick and began sucking it like a lollipop. After wrestling it from him, he and I had to return to the car to get my phone and call poison control (per the instructions on the sunscreen stick).  He was not too happy to be leaving the pool since he hadn't even gotten wet yet.  I ended up having to make the short trip to my parent's house to "wipe his mouth with a cotton washcloth" and "give him some milk to drink" as instructed to do by the nurse at the poison control center. We finally got some swimming in right about at the time he should have been heading down for a nap. 

I can't decide if Henry is a handful because he is the second child or because he is a boy.  My parents as teacher educator assures me that having a second child that is a boy is a double whammy.  She should know, she has one too!