pool side snacks

Katelyn and I have spent such massive amounts of time at the pool this summer that tan lines crisscross our back and streaks of golden blonde color our hair.  We have a pool bag packed and ready to go at all times and Kate is daily getting into the closet to bring me swim diapers and sunscreen in hopes of a dip in the pool. We meet Lauren and the kids she watches several times a week.  We love to sit at the table under the shade and eat lunch poolside.

I have the pool time prep down to a science.  What once seemed like a tedious process of slathering sunscreen and squeezing into swim suits is now a simple task done in record time.  One of the more difficult things is actually figuring out what to eat for lunch.  It's much easier to pack ready made food like crackers and cookies but that is rarely a diet friendly option.  I saw these cucumber turkey sandwiches on Facebook and tried them last week.  They were delicious.

I partially peeled a cucumber and cut it in half.  I shook my head as I scooped out the seeds because, in my opinion, they are the best part, but I needed room for the turkey and cheese.  Instead of using high calorie, high fat cheese, I used a wedge of spreadable Laughing Cow cheese.  I would recommend drying the cucumbers off with a paper towel to help the cheese stick.  Next I put a few slices of deli sliced turkey over the cheese.  I packed some strawberries and that was that.  Lunch was ready in under five minutes.

At the pool, Kate took one bite of each strawberry and left them sitting on the table in a row.  What's up with that?

a vacation pictorial part five

Today we visited the sporting goods store Scheel's.  This store was so big that it had a ferris wheel inside.  The babies were too little to ride so they stayed behind with Grandma and Grandpa.

Some people were less than happy about the ferris wheel.

It was fun except I got really freaked out at the top and then angry when Dave started rocking the car.  I had horrible visions of the cables breaking and the two of us plummeting to the ground right in front of Kate.

It turned out okay though.

There was an aquarium that went up above our heads.  Katelyn loved it!

There was also a giant playscape in the children's area.  Kate had never been down a covered slide like this and she thought it was great.  She is such a daredevil.

We all had fun at the toy gun range.

After Scheel's Katelyn went home with Dave and the rest of the family while I went out for dinner with Kellie.  This time we remembered to take a picture.  Going out to dinner with Kellie reminded me of old times when we would sit in Wendy's and Chickfila for hours talking and refilling our Diet Cokes.  I unsuccessfully begged her to move to Houston to live next door to me and left feeling so nostalgic.

Later that evening Jack and Jessica came over for pizza!  At first Kate was shy around Jack but she immediately wanted to feed Jess pieces of soggy prechewed pizza.  Eventually she and Jack became good friends and she kept running around giving him hugs.  She was up way past her bedtime and got loopier as the hour went on.