Fish out of Water? ... Yes, I mean NO!

Do you remember that game Marco Polo? The obnoxious yelling game in a pool- where you holler and holler and try to find kids with your eyes closed. The bain of a lifeguard's summer existence (i.e. Me, circa 1992-1994) And you yell "Fish out of water" if you think a kids on the deck? Those memories came swimming back yesterday at Grammy's pool. Let's start at the beginning.

The Merritt boys spend a lot of time around the water. A lot. We have a place at a lake for crying out loud. We have slip n' slide parties on the front lawn and a kiddie pool. And I like clean kids so we do a lot of bathing and showers and the like. Boys get dirty. Totally dirty. And they need water to be clean. Quite a bit.

Ty has spent a lot of time AROUND the water. Not so much IN the water (meaning submerged)because we paid a whole lot of money and REALLY wanted these Eustachian tubes in his ears to prevent him from re-current ear infections. (FLASHBACK TO DECEMBER 2009: Ty is on antibiotic #7 after 2 Rocifen shots and Multiple, Multiple trips to the Doctor. Insert co-pay again here... and surgery to have tubes place in his sweet little ears.)

And with this surgery came the disclaimer that he should NOT get water in his ears. They gave us these "complimentary" ear plugs ("They're supposed to be $8 you know"- Snotty Office Nurse) that are supposed to remain in his ears in the water. HA! Ha! HAHAHAHAHAHA. Does not happen. I mean he's a toddler for goodness sakes. He takes them out and throws them, puts them everywhere but his ears... we pray he won't eat them. And to make it more of a joke they are Clear. Yes, that's right. CLEAR as in TRANSPARENT. They suggested a sharpie marker (looks like a moldy thing coming out of his ear and the marker wears right off) or nail polish (Cue Mom saying- FOR GOD'S SAKE IS THAT BLOOD COMING OUT OF HIS EAR- WE NEED A CT SCAN STAT!!!!) on them so we can locate them in the bath. CAN YOU FLIPPIN' IMAGINE FINDING THEM ON A BEACH??? We can't even find Will's flipflops on the beach for the love of goodness. And a 1 cm clear apparatus for plugging and ear canal? Not gonna happen. Ever.

And to further complicate the situation we have this...

Yes. We're back where we started. After much ado about ear wax (which is totally gross and I won't divulge here) Tyler's Left Ear Tube is out. Yes, the P.A. just plucked it out with his tiny long forceps and pick-ups. Out. Gone-o. Crap. So we met with the surgeon who says (God willing) we'll just have to see... and maybe we won't need another surgery to put another one in.

BUT keep those ears dry.

So we play at my Parent's pool yesterday. I lecture the kids- "Be careful of TyTy's ears"... I hound my Mom "Please, please don't let any water in there while you're towing him around"... Mick pulls him around like a Sea World dolphin trainer and says, "But we have to be careful of your ears buddy."

And Then, THEN, when I am supposed to be watching him- as I am turning the basketball hoop around so it faces the deck, not the pool- he goes in. He reaches for a blasted basketball and he falls in the POOL. Oh. My. God. So I pull him out. (remember above mentioned lifeguard status) after he's looking up at me FULLY submerged and flailing and Oh. My. God. He's fine. Totally fine. A bit upset about the whole incident, but man. I yell and Ben runs over a towel (like it will help) and laugh. What was I thinking.

Fish out of water. No.

Life happens I guess. And hey, he's already on antibiotics.