I have this memory from my childhood. I fondly remember a summer afternoon at the wading pool. Not the wading pools of today, where the names are now "splash pools," with a softer floor. This was a completely concrete pool where my knees would scrape the bottom as I swam. There weren't adults in the pool with the children. All of the moms were off to the side, laying out on their beach towels, casually glancing at their children every now and then. As as child I loved it. Thinking back on that memory today as a parent, I wonder what it would be like to parent in the 80's.
Anyways, back to this day. When I would be done swimming, I would climb into our hot car, wrapped in a huge towel. I doubt I had a seatbelt on. The car would be piping hot, but the air conditioner would cool it down quickly. Then my teeth would chatter and I'd curl deeper into my towel. On our way home we'd stop by Rocky Rococo's Pizza. I'd take it home, watch cartoons, eat my pizza, while smelling like a pool. It was heaven and one of my favorite memories.
In my mind, this happened often as a child. In reality, it only happened a handful of times. It's funny how the mind works. I was reminded of this memory today. I took today off since we have an afternoon and evening of dance recitals. Actually, that's how our entire weekend looks, so I wanted to have a bit of fun this morning with my minis.
We went to a nearby sprayground and spent the hot morning running between the water and playground. After we loaded into the car, we picked up Chick Fil A for lunch, brought it home, and the minis turned on cartoons. They ate their food, wrapped in beach towels and bath robes, shivering from the air conditioning, while they watched a show. The swimming and Rocky Rococo's instantly popped into my mind and gave me a smile. Life comes full circle in odd ways sometimes.
