just keep swimming

Today, for the first time since we came to Brooklyn, I took the boys to a public swimming pool. I don't know why it took me four years to finally visit one. Well, on second thought, I do, and it was for a small handful of reasons. One, a public pool in New York City? Gross. Two, the pool rules, of which there are many, are notoriously strictly enforced. And three, I wasn't sure I could juggle the rules, my boys, and my nearsightedness without another adult there to help me.

But today, armed with the presence of my sister, as well as the support of a few friends from our playgroup, we went. And it was great. Here are a few reasons why:

• It was free. All public outdoor pools in New York City are completely free, no strings attached. Just follow the rules and bring your own padlock to secure your belongings (oh, and, as we learned, swim diapers for the little ones), and you're good to go.
  
• The pool we went to had a separate wading pool that was perfect for small kids. It was only one foot deep and made keeping an eye on both boys much, much easier. And bonus: it was super quick and easy to get to on the train.
  
• It was clean! Everything was clean! Old, yes, and certainly nothing fancy, but it was clean.
  
• At noon, as a part of the city's summer food program, they handed out free lunch. The food was faintly reminiscent of an elementary school lunch, but it was healthy and it was free and it came just as Garrett started whining about how hungry he was.
• Caleb, who was panicked and clingy when we first arrived, eventually realized that the pool was nothing more than a giant bathtub that he could splash in all he wanted to. By the time we left, he was swimming around like a happy frog.
• Garrett was remarkably (and uncharacteristically) obedient when it came to following the pool rules, perhaps because he realized that I didn't just make them up on a whim to make him miserable. The rules were bigger than us all, and he readily accepted that.

I'd post pictures to prove how much we all enjoyed ourselves, but, per the rules, electronics, including cameras and phones, are not allowed on the pool deck. So I've got nothing. But trust me when I say that we all had a really great time. Perhaps in an effort to make up for lost time (or maybe just because post-pool naps are super awesome) we will likely be back a few more times before the season is over.