Lessons Learned

Last week I bought a used bouncy water slide thingy for the kids to play on during our hot summer days. I could have bought a pool - but where's the fun in that? With a bouncy thing, the kids can roll off and maybe break an arm or crack their head open. It can be an adventure - and possibly hilarious to watch. Of course I'm kidding!

Through this process I've learned some important lessons:

Lesson #1: The minute you buy an outdoor toy like this because the weather has been scorching hot, it will cool off and barely be warm enough outside to use it. It was inflated twice, used once, and has been sitting in the same spot killing grass ever since. The upside? One less place to mow. And in my world, that's a good thing :)

Lesson #2: Check the product out before you pay for it. I made the assumption that the slide would be in good condition and stay inflated. This was based on the ad stating it was in excellent condition and freshly cleaned/ready to use. Now, I am not the greatest cleaner in the world and can put up with dirt on a lot of things, but this was something else. The kids and I inflated it the next day and got busy cleaning. This was when we discovered the leak in the seams. 

Lesson #3: When the package of seam sealer says "wear rubber gloves to ensure easier clean up", actually dig out some rubber gloves and wear them. I didn't. My hands were covered in glue. Washing in warm soapy water only seemed to make my hands stickier. Same with a variety of toxic cleaners. I would have tried gas, but the stuff is so expensive these days I didn't want to waste it. The upside? My hand got stuck to a bottle of tequila that afternoon. I don't remember much after that . . .

Lesson #4: Tequila is almost as good as Gin.

Now if it would warm up so we can inflate this bad boy again and have a blast watching the kids roll off the side and down the hill.

Add a little Gin & Tonic to your day!  Follow @GTMothersSoul