Today was a chance for me and Bethany to spend some quality time together. With a 40 hour week and a 7am start, we don't get to spend as much time together as I'd like.
We started our day with breakfast on the move at 7.30am. As usual, we headed up to Trust Porirua Aquatic Centre for some swimming/splashing fun. The routine we've developed works quite well. The pool opens around 8am, so we're there for dead on 8:00 to make sure we get Bethany's favourite changing room (like some kind of Hollywood movie star, nothing else will do!).
This morning was a bit different though, as Bethany decided she was big enough to ride the huge water slide by herself. After a few practice runs together, she convinced herself that she could travel down the tube by herself, and land upright at the bottom. Struggling to stay upright myself, I knew it couldn't be done, but didn't want to crimp her style. So purely in the interest of science, and looking for stories to tell her when she's older, off we went up to the slide again.
We sat at the mouth of the slide, Bethany pulls her goggles on and starts to shout "Go!" We both went at the same time, only instead of Bethany holding my legs as usual, she was out in front flying solo! The fun lasted about 1.78965 seconds before she'd spun round onto her front, facing upstream and accelerating away at some kind of unearthly pace. I caught up with her a couple of seconds later, but by the time we hit the pool at the bottom, both were spread-eagle in some kind of contortionists position and all I could think was "I hope nobody saw that!"
It only took a few minutes for the adrenalin subside, and by then the crying had stopped. I shouldn't laugh at this moment, because Bethany wasn't amused in the slightest, but it must of have been a sight to see us come crashing out of the slide and hit the water like something from Dam Busters!
After the fun in the pool, it was time to go home and get ready for the party. Bethany's friend Sammy was having a party at Kilbirnie Recreation Centre, with a huge indoor open space for bikes, scooters and roller skates. Marrisa had gone to get her haircut, so that left me and Bethany to have fun on the bike, and not so much fun attempting roller skating!
After all the riding and falling off, roller skating and head-bumping, it was time to sit down for some birthday cake. I may also have eaten some.... I don't think anyone was looking :-)
Sammy,The Birthday Girl.
So now it's time to relax a bit and wind down for bed. With an hour to go, there's still time for an episode of Dora The Explorer and some popcorn. Then maybe a glass of the red stuff!
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