The Water Table

When we first moved into the house, our garage was wide open from the floor to the roof. I spend a few weekend putting in the supports for a floor and created an attic space. Some time after that my father came up and helped me insulate the garage and we now effectively have an attic above the garage. We store most of our Spring and Summer paraphernalia up there: lawn chairs, plant pots, window box planters, hoses. We also put some of the outdoor Winter stuff like sleds and lights up there as well.

But every Spring, ever since it was unveiled for them, the kids are interested in one thing that they know is up there. The want the Water Table.

It’s a Step 2 toy that they got back when the boy was 3, maybe 4. It stands about 20 inches high and it’s shape is circular. About 30 inches in diameter, I’d guess. It’s a light blue color with a couple of different levels and a ramp on the side. It has 3 legs.

When it was first assembled, there was a water wheel that mounted on the upper portion of the Water Table. The water wheel had a reservoir that could be filled precisely using a pitcher that was supplied. All the water wheel did was spin and spray the water around a little when the water flowed through the reservoir. It also came with a little plastic sailing boat.

Over the years, we got other little boats that were also used in the Water Table. The kids would place a boat in the upper portion of the table and try to sail it down the ramp to the lower portion of the table. The would try to submerge and sink the boats. On occasion, they’d try to figure out ways to keep the boats under water.

Most of those little things are gone now. Every now and again, I’ll see one of the little boats in a sand box. The only time it gets wet is when it rains now.

But the Water Table endures.

When I went up into the attic above the garage over the weekend, I went up there intending to pull a few of the usual things down for the Wife to continue with her Spring chores. But the kids knew the Water Table was up there, and as soon as they heard the creek of the pull down door, they appeared in the garage. Both of them wanted me to bring down their Water Table. Much to there chagrin, it was the final item I brought down from the attic.

They wasted little time in getting it out on the deck and filling it up.

Truth be told, it’s held much more than water in it’s time. It’s held sand, dirt, rocks, a snapping turtle (for a couple hours anyway), and a painted turtle (for a whole day- it’s one of my first posts). It’s held “bubble juice” mixed into the water. It’s even held the kids at various times. The lass in particular had a penchant for climbing up into the table. Or she did, when she was smaller. It’s held water so dirty you’d wouldn’t believe it was actually water. It’s held chunks of ice from early freezes. This morning it had ice in it; brought on by the latest in a spate of freezing nights we’ve had lately.

But, remarkably, the best thing it’s held all this time is their attention.