Water, Water, Everywhere!

Z loves water.  This has been a consistent theme throughout his life.  It's amusing the various ways this manifests itself, however.  Let me explain.

For instance.  Z loves to take baths.  He loves to have bubbles in the bath and then eat the bubbles (I'm not sure if this has the potential to make his sick but I do make sure to buy liquid soaps that have nice fruity scents just in case).  When he finishes the bubbles he wants us to run more water to make more bubbles.  If we refuse he begins to create tsunamis.  He throws his body from one end of the tub to the other and sloshing as much water as he can up the sides of the tub.  Makes me wish we had just given him bubbles.  Occasionally we can lure him out of the tub by singing "bath time is over....", but we have to be very prepared because if we aren't we have a naked, wet, possibly soapy child running through the house, and if we are really having a bad day, into the backyard.

Since it's summer we have added a new dimension to the bath scenario and Grandpa helped.  Grandpa brought over an extra plastic pool he and Grandma had at their house and the pool has replaced the tub.  For instance, this morning Z was in the tub before school, after school, before dinner, and after dinner.  The best part is no bubbles!!  Worst part is the backyard is much less air conditioned then the bathroom.  Oh well. He's happy as a clam.  His most favorite thing to do is to sit in the tub and have the sprinkler on sprinkling him.  True bliss.

Z also likes to watch water running.  He enjoys seeing the water in the kitchen or bathroom sink and enjoys the feel of it on his skin or watching it splash into the water collecting in the basin.  He loves this so much.  You just have to make sure that he aware of how full the basin is, otherwise things get really, really wet. (go figure).  There have been times where I have had Z set up at the kitchen sink with a couple of yellow rubber ducks and a half sink full of water and he's been in water bliss for 30 minutes or more.  There have also been times where we've had to turn off the water under the sink because he can't leave the water alone and we are in fear of needing to build an ark.

Z also likes to drink water.  It's his favorite drink and really the only thing he does drink other than sometimes lemonade and his white grape juice with his morning medicine.  He comes into our bed when he wakes up in the morning and without fail within 5 minutes of arriving, or less, he asks for a drink of water.  Thus it begins. He drinks, a lot.  He has had a sippy cup we got several years ago from dollar general that looks like a water bottle but does not leak.  It was fantastic and we were able to get almost a dozen of them.  Well, time has passed and we are down to our last one.  Dollar general doesn't carry them anymore so we are once again on the lookout for an option for Z to use to drink his water.  There are several components we need for this cup.  It has to have a one way valve.  This is because Z likes to drink in various places and we like to sit on those places and get up with a dry butt afterwards.  We also need one that is not a straw as he just chews on them until they are a mess.  Been there done that.  The last thing we need is something that does not look too babyish.

Z also likes to be in water, swimming.  He loved being at Family Camp and going to the "Ocean".  He would sit in the waves and have them hit his body.  He would wander out as far as I would let him and move among the waves.  When we go to public pools he loves the slides and wants to be in the middle of everything, splashing and jumping.  He is such a water baby.  One of his favorite parts of camp was riding in the speed boats and on the jet skis. Over and over and over again.  Happy as a clam.

I've learned to take extra clothes and extra shoes.  We love crocs and bare feet.  We keep towels handy and know not to let Z take a bath without constant supervision.  With those accommodations Z's love affair with water will continue.  We will continue to figure out ways to allow him to interact with this medium that brings him such joy and entertainment.