Summer Kick-Off Pool Party--2026!

Okay, peeps.

I've done the posts to commemorate the end-of-school wrap-ups (except for Little Man's school year overview that will come, soon!), so now it's time for...

The PARTY vibes!

I'll be totally honest, the above pic is practically the only one I managed to take, last Thursday!

It's been our long-standing tradition (three or four years running?) to host a big, rowdy, happy pool party the day before the last day of school.

Why, then, you might ask???

Because the last day of school is usually a half day and people are OVER it-over it--and so many families immediately flee to head out of town.

So several years ago, we decided it would be super-fantastic-amazing to celebrate just before everybody scatters, and it's been a formula that really works for us.

Like always, it was fast and furious leading up the event, with lots of spinning plates and flaming chainsaws (as the hubby would say).

So I didn't manage to take any pretty prep shots and I'm also highly aware that it's not coolio to take a bunch of pics of my tween/teen daughters and their friends in bathing suits, so...enjoy these few precious pics I got before everybody was in the water!

Oh! It's also important to note that this event sort of became a tradition because we realized it was very hard to get Chica's friends together for her midsummer bday. Everybody is always so scattered. So for the past couple of years, it's been a bit of a pre-birthday celebration.

However...we decided to make it double the fun this year and throw Chicklet and her friends into the mix, as well, since there are a handful of older/younger sister combos among the group, and everybody seems to get along pretty well.

In the end, it was a gaggle of 18-20 girlies all very, very happy to be celebrating the end of the school year--and the end of middle school, for a bunch of them!

Now.

It has to be said that, although I love hosting this party, it definitely takes a lot of work, and I'm always super-excited to have the fun and then have the fun done, ha.

However.

This was a year where the fun just kept on coming!

Toward the end of the event, the only girlies left were Chica's closest group of buddies and they all started giving me the puppy dog eyes, begging for a sleepover.

Shocker, I know. 

Originally, I was going to tell them to keep on dreaming (or, at least, that was my answer when the whole gaggle of 18-20 girlies was collectively lobbying for a sleepover (NEVER GONNA HAPPEN).

But...after some consideration, some consult with other Mamas, along with the realization that it was already evening, so by the time they ran home to change, shower and gather up their overnight gear, it wouldn't be long before my bedtime...

I caved.

What the heck.

We went for it.

On a school night, no less!

Albeit, the last school night of the year--so who cares if they stayed up until 2:30 in the morning and then dragged themselves out of bed four hours later. 

(OYE.)

It was actually such a joy to feel like the heroine for saying yes. They were all so happy to be together (for even longer than they already had been). They happily crafted at the dining room table to prep their commemorative t-shirts they all wear and have one another sign on the last day of school. Such a happy milestone--that Chicklet got to participate in, as well!

You'd think a handful of girlies sharing one bathroom to get ready the following morning would be an epic disaster, but they were all sweet and adorable, applying makeup and straightening hair throughout Chica's bedroom, and it warmed my heart to listen to them all sleepy but happy before sending them off for their very last day. :)

Oh! And it's important to note that the hubby rescued Little Man for a decent portion of the evening, evacuating him from the girl-overload zone and taking him for dinner with a buddy.

And then, when the pool party turned into a sleepover hoopla, I double-caved and invited Little Man's buddy over for a sleepover, as well.

Talk about kids, kids, everywhere!

So many happy vibes--and then so many exhausted vibes. But they were still smiling when they walked home from the bus that afternoon. :)

Honestly, it's been nearly a week since many of the events of my last few catch-up posts, and I feel like we're still recovering a bit, ha.

As any parent knows: May is no joke. It's overflowing and never-ending, but...we made it through yet another school year, we're so happy for the change-up of summer, and we're looking to make the absolute best of June/July before we gear up for another wave of insanity!

More on all of our summer plans, soon!

Until then...enjoy some of the historic posts of our pool party shenanigans!

Happy Hump Day, peeps!

Over and out.

https://delappenings.blogspot.com/2024/05/a-smashing-splashing-summer-kick-off.html

https://delappenings.blogspot.com/2025/05/splashy-honors-splashy-summer-kick-off.html