Swimming Fun.

Yesterday we Nepper's took to our local pool. It have to admit, we live about 4 blocks from said pool and its 'only' taken us 2.5 years of living in this house to finally get to it. I can't really say why, oh right, because we aren't exactly swimmers. I suppose unless you plunk a lake or a river in front of us, which aren't in huge supply around these parts, especially when there's still 4 feet of snow on the ground.

So the kids were delighted at this out of character move by Mom and Dad. We bought a community league membership this year (also the first time in 2.5 years), and you get a free swim one Sunday a month. All for $25 a year. Not too shabby. I mean you knew it had to be a deal for me to be taking my kids somewhere...right ;)

Bodies of water are fascinating social situations I must say. I mean where else are people scantily clad, splashing about, acting like its the most normal thing in the world? Maybe there are dance clubs that fit this criteria, although if you hadn't guessed, I don't frequent many night clubs these days...

This may be a hint to our lack of pool-ness, that whole bathing suit requirement. I know few people who are actually comfortable in a bathing suit. Then once you add kids to the scenario (not to mention an extra 20lbs!), well, then you can't just spend the entire time in the comfort of the hot tub, where conveniently, the water goes right up to your neck.

Nope, once you take kids to the pool, you are bending, chasing, sprawling, and just plain old having fun. And for the most part, you can let go of those silly bathing suit insecurities, because heaven knows, kids certainly don't have them. Abbi could care less that her bum crack is peeking out the top of her bikini bottoms.

Then there's the whole change room aspect of things. I remember being appalled at my Mother's apparent lack of concern about being naked in the change room. For the longest time, I preferred the rooms with doors that locked. But again, when you have two kids and they are hungry and cold and ready to run, well, that goes out the window too! I was the naked Mom in the change room yesterday. Sigh. And I always remember, as a kid and a teenager, looking at these older women and thinking...'Ack, my bodies going to turn into that!' Well, I'm sure some girls around Mill woods today are thinking...'Ack, that's what I have to look forward to?"

No really, I don't think girls are doing that currently. I don't give my body that much credit, although it makes me smile to think that I've moved into a new era of change room-ness. I still like to think that I'm a bit of a change room ninja. You'd have to be really focused to catch much of a glimpse of anything, but I do enjoy the ladies who chat away, totally naked, do their hair, put on their lotion...all naked, in the change room. Not sure that will ever be me.

My final pool anecdote is a rather funny one. I think. Rob and I were sitting in the kiddie pool side by side, people watching, and a little Asian girl swam right up to us. Too close for it to be a coincidence, so we thought she was going to say something, but instead, she moved towards Rob, cocked her head and looked at his arm. It was only after she swam away and I looked at where she was looking that I realized she was reading this tattoo! Rob has a Chinese symbol as a tattoo (Year of the Tiger), and she was actually reading it! It was priceless.

Heh. Gotta love multiculturalism.