Summer

Summer is in full swing here, and thanks to friends, we are often able to escape the suffocating humidity with mornings spent at the pool.

Growing up in small town Alabama, most of my formative summers were spent at the community pool.  I have such vivid memories of the chain link fence, the lifeguard's whistle, my mom's cooler full of lunch--because we certainly weren't allowed to purchase something from the snack machines (which I fully understand why now), and the drowsy heat of the station wagon as we drove home each afternoon. 

Then in Jr. High, I remember the pressure of buying just the right bathing suit and the relationship games that began when we were much too young to understand the consequences.

Because of those pool side memories, I have always loved the following poem.  It is summer to me.

The Summer I Was Sixteen

Geraldine Connolly


The turquoise pool rose up to meet us,
its slide a silver afterthought down which
we plunged, screaming, into a mirage of bubbles.
We did not exist beyond the gaze of a boy.


Shaking water off our limbs, we lifted
up from ladder rungs across the fern-cool
lip of rim. Afternoon. Oiled and sated,
we sunbathed, rose and paraded the concrete,


danced to the low beat of "Duke of Earl".
Past cherry colas, hot-dogs, Dreamsicles,
we came to the counter where bees staggered
into root beer cups and drowned. We gobbled

cotton candy torches, sweet as furtive kisses,
shared on benches beneath summer shadows.
Cherry. Elm. Sycamore. We spread our chenille
blankets across grass, pressed radios to our ears,


mouthing the old words, then loosened
thin bikini straps and rubbed baby oil with iodine
across sunburned shoulders, tossing a glance
through the chain link at an improbable world.

I know it makes me somewhat weird, but I have loved poetry since elementary school, so I sometimes feel the need to pass them along.  It is my blog after all, a sort of online journal, so consider this poem something I scribbled into my journal because it's summer, and it whispers of a life I once lived.

Summer is knocking at my door

It is threatening to come to my house already, even though it is only May. Summer in the deep South is a bit like torture at times, don't you think?

Yesterday after I had showered and dried my hair, it was hard for me to put on my make up because my face was damp with sweat, and I looked at little Ada, whose hair was frizzy with curl and heat, and I said, "it's coming isn't it, sweetie?" Summer is on it's way.

The first summer that Ada was born, and we were fighting each other every step of the way as I tried to get her to nurse, our air conditioner in our apartment broke. We lived on the third floor, and all of the heat rose up to meet us and surround us and tried to drown us. Ada, her tiny infant pink self, was drenched in sweat, as was I. And yesterday when I saw her curls wet around her forehead from the heat, I was reminded that she and I don't do so well with the heat. It made me think of this poem, which is my plea when summer comes in the South.

Heat

O wind, rend open the heat,
cut apart the heat,
rend it to tatters.

Fruit cannot drop
through this thick air--
fruit cannot fall into heat
that presses up and blunts
the points of pears
and rounds the grapes

Cut the heat--
plough through it,
turning it on either side
of your path.

(taken from my book, Bartlett's Poems for Occasions)

Swiftly summer is making it's way here, and I am not sure that I am ready.

Beach Weekend Recap

I will post pictures later, but I wanted to go ahead and recap the beach weekend while it is fresh on my mind.

First of all--the place where we stayed was amazing. All bedrooms had a view of the water, and from the living area both the ocean and the bay were visible--breathtaking!! Plus, the condo was huge and brand new and completely FREE because it belongs to Shannon's aunt. Thanks again, Shannon!!! Also, it was completely uncrowded. We spent a lot of time by the pool because it was rather hot and there were lots of jellyfish in the ocean. The pool was never crowded at all. So nice!! And the weather was perfect. The sky was so blue with perfect white clouds. Perfect beach weather.

So...that was the setting.

The company consisted of TEN of us. That never happens. There are always conflicts, and we can't ever find a time when all of us can get together. Of course, there were still a few people missing, but we were still amazed that so many of us made it. Of course it was so much fun to see everyone and catch up. We laughed at how different our conversations are these days. Friday night, we all sat around talking about politics (which I know nothing about), then we went to bed fairly early, and were all awake by 7 am Saturday morning. Not quite the same as past beach trips.

I will admit that I experienced a lot of Ada homesickness. I didn't think I would because I was okay the other two times I left her, but I think being so far away made it worse. The farthest away I had been was Auburn, so she had been less than two hours away, and I always had the option of hopping in the car and being where she was fairly quickly. When I thought about the fact that I was seven hours away, I became pretty overwhelmed. I tried not to think about it because I wanted to soak up the time away with friends. Friday night as I was going to bed is when I felt it the worst, but I just prayed until I fell asleep, and I was okay.

Another strange emotion I felt was feeling somewhat disconnected to everyone else's lives. Most of my friends are living, what seem to me, exciting lives. They are all working successful jobs or planning mission trips to "far away" lands. I had to spend some time praying for contentment where God has me--in a rather mundane place. Now, I am well aware that each life situation has postive and negatives, but you know how it is so easy to only see the positive when you are on the outside looking in. Because, honestly, I have all I ever wanted--a Godly husband, a daughter, and a "career" as a stay-at-home-mom, so I am sure that if I was in any other situation, the mom thing might seem a lot different than the reality that it is. It's all in perspective, right? But in an effort to make this blog as transparent as possible, I wanted to share some of the struggles I had this past weekend.

Don't get me wrong--overall it was a fabulous weekend, and it was so sad to leave. Those girls are my best, best friends. I think that they always will be, but I did feel slightly out of place at times. Like the "dorky" mom if that makes sense. I mean, let's face it, my tight budget and dreams of a mini-van don't paint the most glamorous picture, and it's easy to find myself envious of other life situations. But...I prayed my little heart out each time I felt those feelings creeping up, and God was faithful to take those lies away and allow me to relax and simply enjoy the company of my closest college friends. It was a great weekend despite my sinful nature trying to rear it's ugly head.

Two goals for the summer

One--I must, must, must get my house painted. The quest for the perfect colors continues, but I do now have in my possession a benjamin moore paint fan, so things are looking up. Instead of watching television at night, I now pour over all the color possibilites. Stay tuned for house improvement updates.
Two--Ada must, must, must start wearing her bathing suit for the purpose it was intended--playing in the pool. Surely by the end of summer I will have figured out the secret to her enjoying the baby pool. We'll see. Until then, she can play in her suit inside.

it's summertime at the Moore house

I have a slight addiction to sunshine and being tan. I am trying to overcome this addiction due to the reality of skin cancer. However, I naturally associate summer with pools, lying out, and, let's face it, a great tan. Last summer I was so very pregnant. So pregnant, in fact, that at least weekly, complete strangers asked me if I was having twins. Because I was five feet tall, there was no where for my stomach to go but out, and by June, I was fairly miserable. The one place that I could find relief was in our apartment swimming pool. The pool was empty during the day, and I could get in the water and feel weightless and stay cool. It was the perfect solution, and it allowed me to get a tan despite the pregnancy. Plus, if I was going to be that huge, it helped to be tan--you know?

Well June has arrived out of nowhere, and here it is summer time again. Now, as little as I take care of my own skin, I am, if anything, over protective of Ada's white, white red headed skin. I do, however, think that all children need to spend some time outside everyday. So, I bought spf 55 baby sunscreen, a baby pool with a little shade type thing, and Ada and I headed outside today for my first afternoon of lying out in the sun. It did not go so well. Ada loves to sit in the bathtub and splash and play, so, naturally, I thought she would love the baby pool. Not so. She wanted to crawl in and out of the pool instead. She did love it when the hose was on, filling up the pool, and she even stuck her head under the hose at one point. Once the pool was full, and I turned off the water, she did not want to sit and play. The pool was on our concrete back patio, so, obviously, I couldn't let her climb in and out on her own. I did let her crawl around on the patio, though, and we stayed out there for a little while, but I certainly wouldn't call it a successful first day of lying out. Oh well, we will try again tomorrow, and I will try to record the event with photos.

On a happier summer note, I am headed to the beach this weekend with all of my best college friends. I am so excited. Scott's parents are coming to stay with Scott and Ada, so I won't even have to worry about Scott being here all alone. I am so thankful that Ada has two sets of grandparents that love her so much and are always willing to help out. Last time I was at the beach I was 9 months pregnant, and it rained the whole time, so I am so looking forward to this weekend. Best friends and a weekend in the beach--it doesn't get any better.

Finally, Memorial Day Pictures

Ada got into the toilet paper--she loves to do this. She does it with the paper towels as well. One of these days I am going to learn not to leave things where she can get to them.
Ada with the birthday boy. Ada loved the tissue paper that came with all of the presents.