Today's Happy List

Monday's List of Reasons to Be Happy-

1. A great weekend....(minus getting pooped on by a bird. An ill feeling bird, apparently).

A brief synopsis~

• a very relaxing and fun stay-cation with the kiddos at a local resort.
• J blasting "Margaritaville," as a reminder to make margaritas on Cinco de Mayo.
• a productive Saturday afternoon around the house.
• a beautiful evening enjoying C's baseball game. Seeing his big smile every time he runs into the dug out makes me smile.
• having the "big lights" on for C's game...it's unusual to have an evening game.
• the group of local elderly men who came to watch the game. Made me think of my G'pa.
• KK participating in a "Feed My Starving Children" service project.
• KK spending time and having an overnight with her BFF. Very much needed.
• cocktails on the patio with J, enjoying the moon on Sat. night.
• great sleep for everyone...9 a.m. wake up times.
• Mass.
• a text from my Uncle Whiskers.
• a picture sent from my aunt of her making homemade donuts...and thinking of me.
• Science Project Sunday. Both kiddos got a good start on their projects...all by themselves! Almost.
• J stripping the base boards in our room to prep for paint and new carpet.
• moving our bed under the window. Big decision but neither of us slept well last night. Giving it 3 more sleeps to determine if we keep it there.
• delicious family dinner at my parents.
• all the laundry getting done.

Lots of convincing to get this 4 year old from the wading pool to the big one.

But he did it!

 

"Bro, let's go scope out the ladies."

 

 

When I was growing up, thanks to my mom's job, we used to frequent resorts a lot. Here in Arizona it's not an uncommon for locals to stay at resorts in summer to swim and relax without having to head to the beach. (However, if you're heading to the beach, I know a great beach rental company. Tell them I sent you.)  Great hotel deals are available during the summer months here. To escape the heat and enjoy pool time we'd stay all over AZ for mini vacations.

Two things I distinctly remember from those trips: my parents sunbathing-slathered in baby oil (!) and Arizona Sun Sunscreen.

When we were swimming Saturday morning, I was shocked to smell that same fragrance in the air. Oh, how that brought back memories of swimming for hours without a care in world other than what we were ordering from room service.


Now it is my turn to sit pool side (slathered in sunscreen, NOT baby oil) and watch the kiddos. As you can imagine, it was very entertaining.  I observed a rather large (in population) family in town for a graduation. It was fun to see the dads playing with their kiddos in the pool.  Fun to see both G'ma and G'pa each with two grand kids hanging on them in the water. Fun to see the sisters/in-laws chatting pool side. And then their story climaxed...OBVIOUSLY the sister in law that nobody liked showed up. After listening to her talk for 20 minutes, I could understand why. Can women in their mid thirties with three children in tow really be that. damn. annoying? Yes, they can. The only person she had listening to her was her poor father in law. Well, and me.

She met the following check list:
--screechy high pitched voice
--spoke very loudly and even made eye contact with others to make sure they heard her
--size 0
--full on make up...AT THE POOL.
--screamed when she got splashed...AT THE POOL.
--talked about her running regimen and how "amazing" she's doing at it.
--talked about how traumatized she was by MCA's death. I loved it when her FIL said, "Who the hell is that?"
--it was her hubby who was graduating the next day and she could hardly wait to "get through the ceremony so she could get tanked." "It's open bar. Of course, there's beer. Why else have a party?" is what she told her 12 year old.

~Don't even get me started.~

I think I actually spoke out loud when they left the pool. Something along the lines of, "thank God."

Truth be told, I was a bit self conscious heading to the pool in the a.m. Figured it'd be stocked full of ASU grads and their  boobs friends. Maybe I felt that way after a comment my God son recently said to me, "You have a tiny head on a big, fat body." Isn't that called a pin head?"

"Does this sweater make me look fat?"

People of all shapes, sizes, colors and varieties were swimming.  I was shocked by the amount of women wearing bikinis...who probably shouldn't have been. Or maybe I was shocked by their confidence?

Everyone looked normal. Normal and flawed, like the rest of us.

That was until the power couple showed up.  And yes, I totally had to refrain from taking a picture, although they'd have posed I'm sure. Toned and tan. Checking themselves out as often as each other. Constantly stretching to show their ads and um, "floating boobs," as KK says. Oh, and the man had those distinct crevices on his torso right above his suit. Yep, you know the ones.

We had so much fun--just 5 miles from home yet a mental vacation taking us away to a pool filled with people smelling of Arizona Sun sunscreen, floating boobs and a pin head.