I got up this morning with not a lot on my plate for the day. R was still asleep even though she should have been getting ready for camp. I woke up T to wake up R and then promptly went back to bed. Isn't that how days off are supposed to go?
Last night E & T were out and as I put the kids to bed R asked what we would do tomorrow. I explained that I wouldn't be working and that I didn't know what I was doing but I wasn't sure I would see her until evening or possibly the next morning. She looked worried.
"You're leaving?"
"For the day, yes."
"But you'll come back, right?"
Nothing like a guilt trip from a four year old to make me feel bad about all the other kids I have worked with or lived with and then abandoned. The nanny biz (and living with brothers/sisters) is so cruel.
I spent my day lounging at the pool on the bay. I can't get enough of that view, and I can't get enough of swimming whenever I want to. I look like a tomato.
I got to the pool shortly after opening at 11. I left at closing at 7:30.
The family showed up around 5:30 and I swam with R a bit. The baby even reached for me and called "Mama!"
I'm so in.
All day long I made phone calls until I drained my battery. I watched the lifeguards, who seem to have their own little lifeguard clique. I eyed one lifeguard in particular whose nonchalance and stunning good looks captivated me.
In the morning there's no one at the pool so the guards played in the water.
The early afternoon consists of trophy wives tanning and talking very loudly while I'm trying to sleep and old men doing laps in the lap lanes. There was one younger man who looked about fourteen months pregnant. He had a leisurely cigarette before he did his laps. I wanted to tell him congrats on the baby and that he shouldn't smoke while with child, but instead I just moved into a chair in the shade and read my book.
My large 1,000+ page book.
I pulled it from the shelf of goodies in the playroom. All these books came with the house and since no one else is reading them, I guess I have to. It's a Normal Mailer and the story is very good but the writing is SO graphic that I had a really hard time not cringing while poolside.
Plus, a book that size in hard cover is not the most convenient thing to hold in a chaise.
In the evening the lovely Taryn and Emily joined me for girl time near the diving board. Little R asked me what I was doing and when I told her I was going to be with my friends in the deep end she got excited.
"Can I come?"
"If your mom says you can.--"
"MOM CAN I GO IN THE DEEP END?!"
She was shy at first but she warmed up. Both of my companions work with children and know how to shmooze. Later, E talked R into jumping off the diving board for the first time and that was all she did for the rest of our time there.
At closing time the three of us dined at Chipotle and made great conversation. Not as animated as usual because swimming tends to sap the energy out of people, but still great conversation.
On the way to the restaurant there was a mad-libbing incident. I acquired a new and more accurate job title in the process (see above) and now I have to have all new business cards made.
I'm home and in bed pretty early for me, thanks to all the swimming and sun and laughing with friends. The only downside to extended periods of pool time is the terrible itchiness that soaking in chlorine on and off for eight hours brings me.
When will I learn?
Probably not while I'm living here.
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