Pools and Lakes

This summer was the summer of water. The kids asked to swim nearly every day. We bought out usual passes to Metfield pool, which were great because we live right  around the corner and can just go for an hour before bedtime occasionally. It's great and it's convenient, but it's twice as much for a family pass in Bella Vista as it is for one in Bentonville, and that's with my refusal to purchase a second family pass because the POA insists that a "family" should max out at 6 people. (Cue eye roll, as I have very little tolerance for this. I did not receive a discount when my family was only 2, 3, or 4 people, so why is it suddenly unacceptable to have more than 4 children? It makes me a bit crazy that when we buy passes to the Amazeum, the pool,or pretty much anywhere these days, I have to purchase extra tickets after the family pass because my family is over the six person limit. This is my immediate family. I'm not trying to work the system and sneak friends or neighbors or even grandparents in. Just parents and their children. I feel like this constantly sends a negative message to my children to hear so often that we are "too big" to be considered a normal family. So there's my opinion on that. Rant over...sort of.) 

Anyway, many of our other "big family" friends opted out of buying passes to the pool this summer, so we haven't had many friends to play with at Metfield, this year. We don't mind being "just us" at the pool, and have often had itto ourselves, this year, which is awesome! But when we want to swim with our bentonville friends, naturally we found ourselves going to the bentonville pool, since that's where they all have passes to swim.  

We started the summer out with Wednesday always being swim day, because baby W spent that day with dad, and the pool was a good distraction for grieving mom and kids, plus it's much easier for me to relax as responsie guardian with only 2 non-swimmers vs 3. Plus, a family pass was $130, (which I don't think we will never buy again, knowing how much cheaper it is for our family to swim at other pools) and that only covers 6 people. Since o refused to spend an additional $60 on single passes for the "extra" two people in our 8 person family, we always opted to swim on Wednesdays when I was without a baby, and aaron was at work, so we were under the 6 human limit.  Now we only have baby with us on weekends, but the children still opt for bentonville pools. The downside (other than a longer drive) is that they're crazy crowded and Bella Vista is a ghost town. 

But after being invited to swim at Memorial Pool (bentonville), I did the math and realized that one trip to Memorial plus one trip to the community center would more than pay for an entire month's membership to the community center. And since memberships are month to month, no contract, I signed us up! Now we can swim at Memorial Pool and the community center as often as we'd like!  AND they have free daycare, unlike the Walmart Fitness Center, so we can leave Baby in the child care center to nap for an hour and go swim and I don't feel the panic of holding a baby, chasing a toddler, and keeping eyes on my non-swimmer preschooler. Huge win.  

Also, all hats off to the bentonville community center! Not only did they add our entire family, no family size comments made, they also put our foster on the membership, no questions asked.  The manager just told us that when we have a placement change, to let them know and they'll adjust the family member info. THATS WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT! Way to go Bentonville! 

We go to the community center to swim every week and it has been more than worth the $42 membership. Just one visit would have cost us $36, so we've really gotten our money's worth.  Yes, I wish it was closer to home, but we've also really loved being able to meet up with friends from all over NWA there and Memorial Pool to swim, so it's worth a little extra time in the car.  

The kids have loved meeting up with friends. Here's Minisha, Reese's friend from school, and neighbor and bestie Emma.  

The big playground is fun. Soren loves it. I strap him in a life jacket and he takes off for the blue slide. 


After a long afternoon of swimming with the Aase's and the Crabb's at Memorial. 

It's also a nice perk when your next door neighbor/friend has a pool! 

One afternoon, Reese and Quincy got invited over to swim with Finley. Emma was there too and the girls had a blast. 

Britney's Lake

My friend Britney, recently built a beautiful home on Lake Ann in Bella Vista and invited us over to play! What a dreamy backyard! This day was just the best. Sloane needed a bit of convincing about the life jacket, but eventually warmed up to the water, and then didn't want to leave. Thanks for the awesome day B!

And finally, Kasey's lake. This special place has been a bit of medicine for me, this summer. With all the changes and trauma of court happenings with baby W, Kasey seems to always know right when I need some solace and invites me over for a paddle.  Last Wednesday, we got out at 6am and did an early lap before the work day. Aaron and I went kayaking for a date 2 weeks ago. He took a fishing pole and within 10 minutes had caught a fish! 

With kids, without kids, this place is THE reason to fall in love with Bella Vista. Kasey's new backyard is a retreat and I'm so grateful she generously shares it with my family! 

It's been a good summer.