It’s that time of the year, my friends. The snow has finally melted, the street sweepers have cleaned the roads, and all the eager Canadians are jumping into their barely warm pools. Pool party season is finally upon us!
This week, we enjoy some poolside Coronas and Kabobs in the ultimate pool party!
The Menu: Hot Off the Skewer
As the secondary chef in my household, I know the best way to ensure everyone enjoys their meal is to make sure they are very hungry. This is especially easy to do when you are burning extra calories in the pool. Our hosts unintentionally used this trick on us. Even after sneaking a few leftover Rolos from my daughter’s first birthday party, we were delighted to see dinner arrive!
The drink of the night was a classic Corona, served with a sliced lime. They also offered nonalcoholic Coronas, which, as far as nonalcoholic beer goes, is one of my favourites. Word to the wise – do not overindulge on these. The extra vitamin D can cause you some discomfort later on.
My sister very confidently put her whole mouth over the glass bottle and swigged it backwards. She was apparently attempting to get the lime to go to the bottom, as she had seen done before. Instead she choked herself and foamed up the beer. I’m still not sure what she was going for but it was so unexpected and funny I would recommend pulling that move at your next pool party.
For dinner, we had a selection of chicken, pork and veggie kabobs. They were absolutely delicious. For dessert, we enjoyed fruit kabobs and brownies. As someone who loves children but hates colds, fruit kabobs are an excellent way to serve older kids.
Pool Party Stories: Tans and Sunburns
Since reading about a one-year-old swimming isn’t very exciting, I pulled together some of our best and worst pool party memories.
Full Moon on a Sunny Day
We grew up with a pool in the backyard, so most afternoons were spent in the water. Near the end of one summer I had outgrown my bathing suit. My parents had me wear my older cousins hand me down one piece to get me to the end of the season. It was well used, a bit too big on me, and the fabric was very absorbent. That meant that every time I got myself out of the water I would moon whoever was behind me. I used elastic bands and hair ties but eventually, the saggy suit would give way. I can’t remember how old I was exactly, but old enough that it bothered me but young enough I still kept swimming.
Marco Polo Misfortunes
While at a friend’s pool party in elementary school, my sister got kicked in the face during a competitive game of Marco Polo. With as much dignity as she could muster with a nose bleed and a natural sense of drama, she approached the parents for some assistance. They quickly came to her aid with napkins and a piece of cheese pizza. The disappointment over the lack of pepperoni overshadows any memory of the pain.
Dog Days of Summer
One sunny summer day, we hosted a few of my dad’s friends and their rambunctious boys. The pool dropped probably about a foot from all of the cannon balls and splashing. This worked up a pretty significant thirst in the youngest boy, who was found drinking from the dog’s bowl throughout the day. He was later found hiding in an empty china cabinet.
Gift For Your Host: Poolside Perks
For the newbie hosts: my sister and her partner just moved into their home last year (I was a couple of days from my due date and helped them with moving hoping I would go into labour), so they are still in need of some pool party essentials like floaties, toys and spare towels. I’m a big fan of the Big Joe Noodle Slings, which they often have at Costco.
For the experienced host: bring your favourite poolside drinks for them to try. Alternatively, if you want to be invited back, splurge on some quality pool products like Pharmaspa’s Spa Crystals. That’s my dad’s favourite for his hot tub.
What are your favourite pool party stories?
