The Waterstraut Waterspout: Social Distancing Journal, Day 112 & 113: The 9th Annual Waterstraut Olympics

Traditions might have to be put on hold during Coronavirus times, but one tradition could continue: The 9th Annual Waterstraut Olympics

Basically, if you haven't heard of them before, we hold them on the 4th of July and there are different water related events every year. But one event always remains the same: the frozen t-shirt contest. I freeze tshirts in a block of ice, and then the first person to melt the ice and put on the shirt is the winner. This year, I got to freeze the shirts in the new refrigerator.

We've also been treating ourselves to Panera pantry on the weekends. Basically I get the bread, cheese and chips from there- and everyone feels like they're eating panera for a fraction of the cost! (Plus, they do curbside pick up really well, and usually offer a discount- AND there's free coffee until September).

We had started another one of our 500 piece puzzles on our failed all nighter, so we kept going with it.

And of course, when you get to the end, there's always the 'wait! we're missing a piece!' situation. But, so far, we've always found it.

Friday, the 3rd we grilled out over by the pool yet again. This time hamburgers and hot dogs.

And we kept working on the birthday apple pie (who needs plates?)

I already miss the pool.

Of course, there weren't really any city wide fireworks around here this 4th of July (you could have headed to SeaWorld or Legoland though). But that just meant more firworks in the neighborhood, which really just set poor Etta into a tailspin.

Saturday was the 4th, so I made out Waterstraut Olympics banner.

And this year, we got to hold them at the pool. With drinks!

In the first event you had to get the watermelon across the pool without using your hands.

Hayden was victorious there.

Then we played essentially bear pong (without the beer), in a tournament style. I beat Calib, then Peyton beat Hayden.

So Calib faced Hayden in the bronze medal match.

And I faced Peyton in the gold medal match.

Peyton won, though. So her got the gold, I got the silver, and Hayden beat out Calib for the Bronze.

For our next event, we threw all kinds of pool noodle pieces with letters on them into the pool. The goal was to make the longest word you could in the 4 minute time limit.

Calib tried for Mississippi, but couldn't find all the letters he needed.

Peyton went with "strawberry"

But Hayden was the winner with "eliminations"

And then of course, it was time for the last event: the frozen t-shirt contest. I make "medals" for these, because as Calib says "everyone knows that's the only event that matters".

They picked their shirts, and off they went. The event was significantly shorter with the pool water helping to melt the ice.

Calib was the first one to get his shirt on.

Leaving Peyton and Hayden to duke it out for the silver.

When that went to Hayden, there wasn't a lot of competition left for bronze. Asa was not too excited about putting a cold, wet shirt over his infected, throbbing ear- and Peyton I think, finally put it on just to appease me.

So there you have it, your 2020 Frozen T-shirt medalists.

Pandemic or no, at least we still get to have some fun things.

Grandma had wanted to Zoom to see the competition, but she just missed it. So we talked to her for awhile.

And then Hayden and Calib made their own game out of all the pool noodle pieces hanging around.

And we hung out while, made some drinks, and enjoyed the intermittent sunshine.

For dinner, I brought over a charcuterie board, and some pasta salad, while Asa grilled us up some steaks.

We headed back when it was time for ear drops. Meanwhile, Hayden had some sort of situation with red, itchy eyes. I went out to get him some allergy eye drops (I was pretty sure that's what that was- and it's much better today). But the poor guys laying with their drops in, was a little sad.