Awareness
by GinafishOn Monday, Memorial Day, the family and I went to a cookout at the in-laws and I totally became aware, once again, that I’m aging. Some of the nephews had brought friends, and for once, I didn’t introduce myself, try to keep up with who was with who, and instead just visited with ‘the older generation’ pretty much. And tried to remember to watch my kids in the pool. I was just really distracted for some reason, and not doing a good job sometimes. No accidents, but too much hacking up of water by the wee ones. Don’t worry, Daddy was in the pool playing with them, but sometimes 4 or 6 or even 8 eyes are needed to really watch kids in the pool.
The oldest nephew is 23, making him the age my hubby was when we got married. I was 26. Seeing my nephew and how goofy he still is, made me remember when my hubby would still try to hold his own in the pool with the nephews. 10 years later, he knows better and stays in the shallow end with the kids. Fewer bruises and sore muscles the next day.
I also became aware of a difference between my daughter and son that is one of those things I forget until it happens again. My son is not the type of person who likes crowds of unknown people. Especially when they are at a place that he feels is like his second or third home. They are on ‘his territory’ and it makes him retreat faster than a roly poly bug, or a turtle hiding in his shell, or faster than a magician can say “Abra ca dabra Disappear E!”
When we went to my in-laws it was within 10 minutes of him waking up from his nap. I whisk him over and tada!! What looks like 20 strangers are in his Nana’s pool! Then Poof! He disappears into the tree house. I shortly follow after making sure daughter is secured with Dad.
Meanwhile, daughter doesn’t really care who all these people are, she just wants to swim and wants to swim NOW! Once she has made up her mind, the sight of 20 people she doesn’t know doesn’t throw her off her game, she has a one track mind!
It’s funny to me, b/c my son is always saying he gets easily distracted, and while my daughter does too, she also gets so focused that nothing will stop her once she starts to do something. I found it really weird though, because this year, she has had an especially hard time with separation from mommy, so even though I wasn’t there to get in the pool with her, Daddy was, and she had an immediate ‘girl friend’ (woohoo Erin!!) so she was ready to hop in.
I didn’t even wear a suit yesterday because I knew the water would be too chilly for me, and seeing Erin’s cute suit made me remember that I have been meaning to buy a new one since my last one probably is worn out.
Which leads to a very disappointing awareness, that I am over the hill (and out of shape) for tankini’s much less bikini’s. And that I should probably invest in something like this for the summer…maybe they’ll be the next trend setter for the over 35 crowd? I might even bring back “bathing caps”…as a public service for all those with bleached hair that turns green or blue in the pool…
What do you think? Do you like the extra long swimsuit version? I’m thinking I don’t need skin cancer anyway…if I could wear a wet suit I might… hmm…maybe that would be even better…
