We took Thomas and Nell to dinner at my mom and dad’s neighborhood pool this weekend. My mom and dad’s pool is the best – nothing like our dinky neighborhood pool. It was Nell’s first trip to my old stomping grounds – the place where a healthy summer activity became a passion and a sport that played a large part in making me who I am today: Chipper in the mornings, happiest in water, a bit of an athlete, a girl with “strong” (aka massive) shoulders and upper arms, and self confidence in a swimsuit even though I’ve never been and never will be swimsuit model material.
Nell donned a swim suit for photo opportunities.
But anyway, as we were driving down to my mom and dad’s, we were talking I was lecturing about how swim team will be a requirement for Tom and Nell in the summers. We got to talking about the upcoming olympics and Missy Franklin and Michael Phelps. Mr. B asked me what my PR in the 400 Meter Freestyle (my best event in summer league – 500 yard freestyle was my strongest high school event) was.
Me: Umm, I think I was in the 5:10s? I don’t remember. We would be able to check the record board tonight to find out except that whatever idiot was in charge of club records filed my 15-18 age group record in the 13-14 age group, and a girl that I taught to swim freaking beat it as a 13 year old. Can you believe that? She’d still be flopping around in the shallow end with water wings on if it weren’t for me and she had the audacity to break my record? I should request that they reinstate my record in the correct age group.
Mr. B: Em, I hate to break this to you…but if that girl beat your 18 year old PR at 13, she probably blew your PR out of the water when she was 18.
For the record? That same swimmer totally holds a new record in the 15-18 age group. I’ve been obliterated from our summer league record board. My sister who also swam all 13 years she was eligible and went on to coach and guard at the pool has also been obliterated from the record board. My brother who hated swim team and quit as soon as my mom made swim team optional (high school), however? Still up there.
Wait, sorry, I’m distracted. What is your parents’ fabulous neighborhood pool? Where is it? We need a pool like that!
Olive that you have neighborhood pools. I need a neighborhood pool. Heck. I need a neighborhood. An Nell in a swimsuit? Too much cute for one pool to handle.
Of course your brother is still on the board. Of COURSE, ha!
Did Nell even get in the water? Thomas sure looks like he had fun!