Children, Charts & Maxwell Smart

I have 2. More than enough for me. Not enough for a large portion of the population.

You can never be sure what your children remember. And if you have more than one, the chance of parents and children having the same memories grows out of proportion exponentially!! Think Line Chart - your memories in blue - theirs red.

Something that was monumental to you, when retold to those children involved, may get a nod of the head or a "I don't remember that", striking you dumb for a moment before you go off muttering to yourself what ungrateful little bastards your kids are. 

There are things you have saved in your attic - that at the time - were the most important thing your child ever had. When asked, now that they are adults, if they want it - they look at you like you are some kind of vampire-zombie chasing them (I know, I know, there is no way those 2 could even mix, but I do so love a good weird monster) and say, "Why would you save that? Throw it away."

Then there are the vacations. My children really didn't have too many (that is another story), but the few we took are either not remembered, or not remembered the way I remember them. But actually I can relate to that one because there are are several vacations my family took that if you ask my Mom or Dad if they had a good time - they say yes it was great! But I thought it was torture. So I might let that one take a bit of a pass. Although, I am quite sure that ALL my vacations with my children were way more fun for them than any of the torture vacations I was a part of. After all, I am way more fun with my kids than past generations were with their kids - right?

But every now and then one of your children says something that makes you realize they WERE actually there while they were growing up. Case in point.

I love water. I love to be in water. I love to move around in water. I love water from the hose, from sprinklers, from the sky, in a bath, in a shower, in a hot tub, in a hot spring, in a regular spring, in a zombie apocalypse, in a in-ground pool, in an above ground pool, in around and under a waterfall, in a lake, a river, a brook (even if it is not babbling at the time), in a pond, a canal, in a creek, a lake, in an Icelandic fjord, a stream, not in a cave, even in a cattle trough (don’t ask), and I have for the most part, had an above ground pool in the back yard as the kids were growing up. I always told them it was for THEIR enjoyment.

But they are mostly gone now. They are only home for visits now, and the pool, when only around just for me, seemed to be more maintenance than I wanted to keep up. When the last one I had finally split a seam a couple of years ago and I watered the back yard AND the cats laying in it - unintentionally, I decided that now was the time to let the pool area retire and to plant strawberries and raspberries in its spot.

But I live in the south – and it is HOT already. So, last weekend I went to Walmart and bought a $79 – 12’ by 30’ deep Quickset pool. I just set it up in the grass. I love it – it is perfect.

Yesterday I coaxed my son, who is home for the summer, to get into it with me. We sat there for a while just enjoying the cool water when he stated that last week his sister had texted him and asked why I did not have a pool set up. She had been here the week before for his graduation from high school. His second graduation in 2 weeks – thank god that is all over! ANYWAY, I didn't even know she cared or noticed, let alone would ask her brother. Here is his dialog:

“So, Sarah texted me last weekend and asked me why you didn't have a pool up and I told her I didn't know, that I was wondering that too. Then this week I come home from the beach and you have this pool set up! I couldn't believe it. So I texted Sarah and told her that she had in fact only - missed it by a week.” 

In my head I am hearing Maxwell Smart say that line, "Missed it by that much."

So, out of all the things my kids know, or don’t know, or I think they should know, about me – they have this one nailed.

It makes my whole body smile.