S is for Snake

Ryder has like a million alphabet books and the "S" is always characterized by a snake. So, Ryder says "sssssss." Cute, right? Well...today my friend Suzanna, her son Davis, Ryder and I headed out to our community pool as we do every day (or as we did before Noah decided to park his boat in Tallahassee). We get the boys out of their shoes and they immediately head towards the water. I'm telling you, they LOVE to swim and were super excited because they haven't been able to in a few weeks. As they are stepping into the pool, Lee, the pool attendant runs up to tell us that there is a 2 to 3 foot water mocassin living in the pool. She informs us that she hasn't seen it today, but some other residents have and that we have to get out. However, we are free to play in the bucket/water park part of the pool. A water mocassin? Seriously? And, our precious little ones were about to go swim with it? Isn't there enough water in our neighborhood for it to live in?

So, Suzanna and I drag two VERY unhappy little boys out of the pool and over to the water park. By very unhappy, I mean that Ryder Marks was screaming, shrieking, throwing himself onto the pool deck, and trying to dive back in. After a while he was okay with sliding down the slide and splashing around with Davis. Hopefully, the ssssssnake will be extricated from our pool before we go back this afternoon. If not, we might just have to swim with him. What's a mom to do with a toddler with cabin fever who loves to swim?