HAPPINESS IS A SUMMER POOL

Princess Pirate had a long summer vacation. Her last exam was June 10th, and for the first time since she began school in Quebec, she is returning after the Labour Day weekend. The one constant, that was almost the same luxurious length of her break, was the open season of the neighbourhood outdoor pool.

For many years she took lessons. Last year was the first time she didn't take any at all. This year, I gave her the choice between lessons and swim team, because she doesn't do any other sport. She took Silver, which I didn't find valuable because it includes the butterfly arms, but it got her in the pool swimming half an hour, four times a week, and I think she finds her animal spirit in the stroke! Her lessons were at 8, and she didn't like to be late. She got herself there on her own pretty early on, and went without complaint.

It was a hot summer, and the pool was definitely heated for parts, so the water was warmer than I ever remember. This last week, however, have had cool nights, some rain, and no extrinsic heating to speak of, so the pool water has been cool. That being said, my warm blooded kid loves it as much as anything. I have to will myself to jump in, as though it was a polar swim, steeling myself for the cold. I do a couple laps to warm up, and sometimes have to interrupt a game to warm myself up again. But PP never notices. She wants to go everyday. So we go often, and have made up a word that describes my inertia most days: swangry. Hungry and angry is known as hangry. Swangry describes me at the idea of going to the pool again. Swimming and angry. However, there has never been a swim that I left unhappy about. Sure, my hair is dry and frizzy, and my skin faintly gives off a chlorine smell, but there is something joyous about floating in water in the the last days of summer with your kid that makes it an amazing day.

I don't know if I swim any better this year than I did last year, but my capacity to float gets better every year, and I had a blast swimming with my beluga daughter every time.

I had hoped that she would find playmates her age that would be her companions, especially as the pool water cools, but I have seen her try, and some kids are such snobs, even at 12 and 13. So I am grateful for another year that I can be her companion, blocking shots from a rubber ball, chasing each other under water, and swimming like only mermaids and belugas can!