Water + Sun = Fun

I opted for a positive title for this post.  The first was Pinterest, You Duplicitous Temptress, You.  Maybe it's just me, but only about 50% of my Pinterest pins that I actually try are success stories.  Food, crafts, cleaners, kid experiments, whatevs.  If I take food out of that, the ratio of success to failure goes down significantly.  

The most recent fail is the water pillow.  So let's get back on my positive approach:  water + sun = fun. Doesn't matter what kind of water…ocean, lake, pond, river, stream, creek, pool, waterslide, mud puddle or bathtub.  The same is true for a water pillow, regardless if it's made properly or not.

I found a couple Pinterest  posts about making one of these and they made it look so easy and fun and successful.  Then someone I know on Facebook posted one that they made and played on.  That was enough confirmation for me; even I could make one!  

The directions said to get thick plastic sheets, like 3 or 4mm in thickness.  Whilst at the store I found .7mm.  But why was this so cheap?  In my head I was double checking my math.  Point seven is more than point 4, right?  The directions suggested 3 or 4, so 7 had to be super-tough.  This was going to be the best water pillow ever!

The minute I opened it I knew something was wrong with my math.  This was not super-tough, but super-thin.  I read the directions again, only to find out I was supposed to get 3 or 4 mm, not point 3 or 4mm.  I got out the ironing board and melted the edges anyway.  Daisy didn't know what the ironing board was…so maybe I don't iron much.  Don't judge.

Like I said before, just add water and it's a party. 

Didn't last long, what with all the holes that were in it before we started plus all those after we started, so we added some sprinkler action.

It wasn't long before we had our own redneck pool out of nothing but standing water.

Stupid is as stupid does.  Realizing the error of my ways and looking at triple-digit temps in the forecast, I tried again.  This time we found 3.5mm plastic.  We're cookin' with heat now, folks!  

When we pulled it out this time, it was so thick.  I grabbed the ironing board and this time got many questions from Zeke, who never knew we had an ironing board.  There is a reason I don't iron, y'all.  All I did was fold the thing over on itself and carefully using parchment paper ironed up 3 sides.  One would think that was easy.  This goes to show you why my kids don't know I own an ironing board.  I couldn't even get the sides matched up evenly when I was done.  I just blobbed it together and melted it.

Once again, it was exciting seeing it all come together.

Unfortunately, even with our 3.5mm plastic, it sprang holes as we were filling it up.  I started putting duct tape everywhere.  That ironing job I was so careful with somehow melted holes all along one side.  I told Zekers we were just going to have to 'dill with it.'  

So it worked for the afternoon.  

After we were done the water was slowly leaking out of some places, and quickly pouring out of others.

The Temptress gave us one afternoon of fun in the sun, anyway.