Words, words

Here's a good word for you: DEBACLE; a complete collapse or failure.  Used in a sentence: Swimming lessons last night were a total debacle.  Kip has been the one taking the older kids to swim lessons on Tuesday and Thursday nights while I relaxed and got Rachel into bed.  This week, though, Kip left Tuesday afternoon for Denver to attend some training meetings, so it was just the four of us headed to the pool.

I brought swimsuits for Rachel and myself, thinking how much fun she would have.  Well, she did, until she pooped in her swim diaper.  Of course, I didn't bring any extra swim diapers or wipes or anything - Rachel has never once pooped in a bath or pool -, so that was the end of swimming for us, which meant lots of screaming.  Which I had already had enough of, since Ella had stood and fake-cried until I finished dressing Rachel and myself and fixed her goggles; which meant she missed 10 minutes of her 30 minute lesson.  Three minutes after they were fixed, she threw them back at me; she was done with them.

After we were all done and dressed, Ella pulled out letters that she had written for her two coaches, covered in stickers, which we had to go back in and deliver.  They were lumpy.  Turns out she had stuffed one of Caleb's Hot Wheels and a board game die in with the letters as gifts.  I removed the very thoughtful gifts, we delivered the letters, and finally, finally, made it home.  (On the way home, Caleb told me that he had to get out and sit by another lifeguard because he got in trouble for not sitting on the ledge and waiting his turn.)

De.ba.cle.

I guess on Thursday night I will just need to bring extra diapers and wipes, check the goggles to make sure they are together, and eat a whole bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs before we go.  The good news is that swim lessons have one more week, and Kip will be home to take them.  Thanks, honey.