Sprinkler Phobia

Wouldn't you know it, summer finally arrived around these parts and our $12 deal of a plastic wading pool we purchased last summer has a giant crack in the bottom - sorry Hayden, no swimming wading sitting in 3 inches of water this year!  Seeing as the pool lasted us all last summer, I suppose we got our money out of it, but it was still disappointing nonetheless.  So Dave ran out this past week and bought this fun toy for the boys!

"What fun" we thought... a wiggling, squiggling, super sprinkler that Hayden could run and play in and would double as a nifty device to keep our lawn green.  I had visions of my boys running and skipping and shrieking with delight as they gallivanted across my lawn and I got glorious photos of them in action worthy of istockphoto!

Well there were shrieks alright... just not the delighted kind.  Hayden apparently has a "sprinkler phobia."

He is happy to watch the sprinkler.
Run AROUND the sprinkler.
Encourage others to get in the sprinkler.
But as for getting wet, he wants none of the action himself.


There was much crying, shrieking and flailing of appendages when we suggested* he get in the mix and try it out.

* suggestion may or may not have included forcibly moving said child into the middle of sprinklers against their will.

(Click photo to enlarge)

We finally figured out that we'd have to either carry or drag him to get him to play in them - and so that's what we did. It was a whole family affair with all four of us in the sprinkler.  Elijah loved it, Dave and I took turns running through with the boys, and I'm happy to report we got smiles and giggles out of our "trembling with fear" toddler which was the goal. We kept telling him how brave he was being and then bribing him with otter pops to let us run through with him again.

Yes... give the kid sugar to make him do what we want... that's how we roll!

At the end of the day I'd love to tell you his phobia was cured... but it's not....yet. 
However, there's always tomorrow.
And I've still got a whole freezer full of otter pops!