Real Quick

I have to get to bed, but before I forgot I wanted to post about swimming at the Roy Aquatic Center with Megan and her kids. The day was memorable for three things, mostly.

One) I took Cowen down the really big curvy slide once and then I took Kiersten down and told Cowen to come down after me and I would catch him. He was a little nervous about going by himself, but decided to do it. I went down with Kiersten and carried her to the side. Then I turned and started back to the base of the flume (I read the rules *gasp* and found out that's what the tube is really called--who knew?) when I heard Cowen yell, "Mom, I'm coming!" Then he put his feet out and stopped himself until I was right at the flume (almost knocking himself over in the process) before allowing himself to the enter the water. Then, when I pulled him over to me he proudly announced, "I am so brave!" which caused the lifeguard, and myself, to chuckle.

Two) The weather was crazy. When we first arrived it was hot but then a brief while later the sun went behind the clouds and the wind blew and it was really cold. Then the cycle repeated, only the chilly became much chillier. Then the clouds really built up and the wind started blowing so hard that water was blown off the pools at high speeds and all the lawn chairs were being blown around and into the water and almost into me. Fortunately, I used my super-sonic speed to dodge at the last second. Not really. In truth, I didn't even notice the chair until it blew past about an inch away from me. I've never seen a pool empty so quickly. And I've never seen towels and goggles and chairs flying about in the wind either. Myles kept throwing his towel in the air to see how far it would fly--good times.

Three) We lost Miriam and Kiersten. Or rather, they deserted us and lost themselves. When the wind really came up Megan took the little ones from the wading pool to wrap them in towels and I carried Eli to the middle kid pool to collect Miriam and Kiersten. I found them and sent them to where Megan and the other kids were. Then I went looking for Myles and Danica and Lynnaea. I met Megan, who was also looking for the other three kids, and she found them in line to go down the slides. I went back to the rest of the kids, only to discover that Miriam and Kiersten weren't there. I toweled off some kids, gathered up stuff, and by the time I was ready to head out Danica and Lynnaea were back--but still no Miriam and Kiersten. I gave Danica my keys and sent her towards the cars with some of the younger kids, Myles took Cowen to the bathroom, and I started looking for the two lost girls. I didn't find them. I told Megan that my best guess was that Miriam, being Miriam, had probably already headed to the car, so we all walked toward the entrance/exit of the pool--where a lifeguard found me and told me that she had my lost children. Sure enough, Miriam and Kiersten had been detained on their way out by someone who thought they were too young to be unattended. Miriam saw me as we were leaving and claimed me as her mother. I was therefore forced to take her home with me. Grr. Just kidding. I'm glad she saw me as I was leaving because if we'd reached the cars with no sign of the girls it would have been really worrying.

Despite the weather we had a nice time and Emeline was happy as a clam. She's had to watch the kids in swimming lessons all week without being able to go in the water (although she almost went in head first this morning when I wasn't paying attention--I was daydreaming with Megan about what we'd be doing if we didn't have kids and spouses, she said something about being a doctor and I said something about running political campaigns or urban renewal--and I got all swept up in the beauty of the vision and failed to notice Emeline having a little chat by the side of the pool with Myles).

I'm off to bed now. To drift off to sleep thinking about how precious and darling my children are. Not about how much sushi I could afford if I was single. Sweet dreams to the rest of you.