CJ

Cassie

Julia

Skotte gets a bath and a haircut from Sean

Skottie may be wet, but he's cool for the day.

Zachary (Chris' dog) enjoys the sun for a bit.

I am burned and worn out and tired and am just about to go upstairs to my well-below-freezing-temperature room.

It was a very good Summer day. I woke up at around 11am, the room a tomb in Winter, and wondered what kept me in bed for so long. The second I opened the door and was hit with a blast of soupy, hot air, I realized.

I came downstairs to find Sean joint compounding the bathroom walls (there are still a few spots that need to be done before painting) and the kids already in the pool. I ambled down to the pool and took a water sample to take with me to the pool store (it's been getting a little cloudy whenever anyone churns it up at all), then blasted my car's a/c all the way to the store.

Water tested, chemicals bought (as well as a pair of sport goggles so I can wear my contact lenses while doing laps), I headed home.

I had lunch with Sean, all the while hearing the splashing around outside. Sean had finished his work and threw on a pair of swimming trunks, which I thought was a fine idea. The sky was overcast, but it was still warm.

My usual method of "walk into the shallow end and stand there while I try to get used to the temperature" was discarded. I called, "cannonball!" to the kids, and immediately jumped in. The firt moment underwater was a shock; everything afterwards was bliss.

The kids have been learning to dive during swimming lessons at the Y. The girls understand the concept really well, but CJ is having a lot of trouble with it. I spent a good couple of hours showing him how to put his head down, push off from the side so that his feet are higher than his head when he goes into the water.

Usually when CJ doesn't know how to do something well the first time, he gives up, but today he was patient and wanted instruction.

After awhile, I thought that Laurie and Mary Ellen might be sweltering, so I called Laurie and invited them both to come swimming. It didn't take much convincing, and by late afternoon, the three of us were bobbing along in the pool like a parade of floats.

I don't remember a day where I spent so much time in the pool. Maybe a Fourth of July, but usually that's just the time during the parade, when everyone else has left. I don't know why it appealed to me so much today (besides the heat). I spent a fair of my time completely underwater, swimming along the bottom of the pool. I've always loved to swim underwater. CJ timed me while I was under there, picking up sinking plastic rings, and said that I'd been under for over 60 seconds. Sean and I used to have contests to see who could stay underwater the longest. I remember being able to hold my breath for over two minutes back then. I don't know if I could do that now.

The skies clouded over and we heard thunder approaching (a storm never hit), the three of us left the pool and went out for some Chinese food.

After that, I dropped Mary Ellen off at home and drove Laurie back to her car at my house. I flirted with the idea of a run, but as the temperature doesn't feel like it's dropped one bit since this morning, I decided that a walk with Skottie would be enough. Besides, I swam back and forth all day today; I think I might have gotten enough exercise for the day.

I must have. I'm pooped out.