This was the first of three days we are spending in Gillette Wyoming. The kids and I are left to entertain ourselves with the help from Nan while Pops attends the rally seminars. The rally offers free breakfast from 7:00-9:00. So we got up early showered and went to breakfast by 8:30. After we ate breakfast the kids wanted to explore the RV's that were on display for sale. Pops and I took them through most of them. The kids picked out a Fleetwood Tioga Ranger as their favorite. It is the type that is smaller than this one and has a large pickup truck look to the engine. They liked it because it had enough beds for everyone, including bunkbeds. Evan asked when we were going to buy it. I told him after he went to college and Daddy and I finally had some money for us. This hurt his feelings, why would I want him to go away to college. Ah, my big boy with his 5 year old emotions!
Yesterday we found the city park and free pool. The pool was open from 1 to 4:30. At this point it was about 10:30, so we went to the RV and packed up for the pool. Then we went to explore the town a little more until time to swim. We found Walmart and dropped Gabi's pictures off at the one hour photo. We then got the kids some lunch and headed up to the pool. We got there right about one oclock. I took the kids on in to change and Nan was busy cleaning up the car a little. When she tried to come in a few minutes later, they were full to capacity and no longer letting people in. There was a line along the wall outside the doors waiting for someone to leave so someone else could go in. Nan told then we were already in and they let her go after some nasty looks from the people in line.
The pool was great. Similar to the pool at our home YMCA, but free. There was a kiddie section with a splashpad and pirate ship waterslide. There was a zero entry pool that sloped to 3 feet. Also a pool that went from 3 feet to 6 feet. And then the kids favorite a small square 12 ft pool with a small waterslide on one side and a large diving board on the other. The big kids quickly went up the ladder only to be told they had to pass a test first. So we found the lifeguard for the test. They had to swim across the pool in the 4 ft section and back without touching. He said front crawl. (No treading water. YEAH!!!!!!!! for some reason they panic in this part and can't pass the test at home). So they jumped in and went to work. Gabi did great and climbed out and he said she passed. Evan heard he was supposed to use his arms and he kept his head out fo the water in more of a doggy paddle than anything else. He couldn't hear me yelling to put his head in. He heard me about halfway back and touched the bottom to stop and listen to me. So he failed. The guard said he would have to try again next week. This is where the mommy started begging. PLEASE let him try again. We are only here for a couple days. His sister passed. PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE! Finally he agreed to let him try again. This time I made sure he knew to keep his head in the water. He jumped in, swam smoothly across and back in no time. The life guard said wow that was much better. OK he passes. They went to the front desk to get their badges of honor, an X in permanent marker on their hand.
The pool was great. Similar to the pool at our home YMCA, but free. There was a kiddie section with a splashpad and pirate ship waterslide. There was a zero entry pool that sloped to 3 feet. Also a pool that went from 3 feet to 6 feet. And then the kids favorite a small square 12 ft pool with a small waterslide on one side and a large diving board on the other. The big kids quickly went up the ladder only to be told they had to pass a test first. So we found the lifeguard for the test. They had to swim across the pool in the 4 ft section and back without touching. He said front crawl. (No treading water. YEAH!!!!!!!! for some reason they panic in this part and can't pass the test at home). So they jumped in and went to work. Gabi did great and climbed out and he said she passed. Evan heard he was supposed to use his arms and he kept his head out fo the water in more of a doggy paddle than anything else. He couldn't hear me yelling to put his head in. He heard me about halfway back and touched the bottom to stop and listen to me. So he failed. The guard said he would have to try again next week. This is where the mommy started begging. PLEASE let him try again. We are only here for a couple days. His sister passed. PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE! Finally he agreed to let him try again. This time I made sure he knew to keep his head in the water. He jumped in, swam smoothly across and back in no time. The life guard said wow that was much better. OK he passes. They went to the front desk to get their badges of honor, an X in permanent marker on their hand.
Finally they could try out diving boards and waterslides. They went round and round from one to the other until the pool closed. They were so happy it made me smile all day. Nan sat near the deep pool since they weren't going anywhere and I chased Andy around all day. He went from the kiddie slide to the whale sprayer to the "deep" where he could jump and swim and swim and swim. Every hour they would take a ten minute lifeguard break where everyone had to get out of the pools. The kids would lay on the towels and eat apples. They went through four packs of sliced apples devouring them!
After swimming we picked up Pops and went to the Golden Corral for dinner. The kids love these pick your own food places. They are really well. Topping it off with ice cream. They had orange sherbet and vanilla swirl topped with hot fudge, sprinkles and gummi bears. Sounds good right?
After dinner we came home and watched Marley and Me that we rented from Redbox. (Such a great invention). Great movie, sad ending. Just like everyone had said. We all went to sleep late with tears in our eyes.
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