I observed a mom today at the baby pool, looking down. Leaning over and looking down at the top of her son's head. He couldn't have been more than 2 years old, 2 1/2 at the most. She never looked away until he was done splashing, and had him securely fastened in his stroller. At which point she began feeding him. Or should I say tried to feed him. He screamed and screamed wanting to get out of his strapped in position. She took him out and as he wadded back in, she resumed her customary lean in position. I tried not to stare from across the pool, but couldn't help it. As I sat there reading the last chapter of the Elin Hilderbrand novel I had only just started this week (excellent vacation reading) I remembered that position all too well.
When the girls were really little, 1 and 3 or 2 and 4- I was her. Leaning over, making sure one or the other did not fall in as they held tightly to my legs. I also vividly remember adjusting the top of my bathing suit all the time so when leaning in, nothing leaned out. Anytime we were at any pool, beach, or body of water that was me. The leaning-over-adjusting-the-top-of-my-bathing-suit mom. I even remembered being at this same pool in the fall of 2007 during one of our first Disney vacations with the girls. I remember leaning and adjusting and thinking one day I am going to buy a fabulous bathing suit - the kind that didn't scream mommy, and does not need adjusting on top because I won't be leaning. The girls will be old enough, and I will be a relaxing mom, one that will read summer novels just because she can and her children will be old enough they will not need me to hold them up, in fact they will be playing BY THEMSELVES in the pool, while I look up from my book every few minutes to smile and nod.
Today I was that mom. The other mom, with the grown up girls playing in the pool, while I laid on the lounge chair near them reading. And I thought... where did the time go? And how could I ever have wished them to hurry and grow up? How how I miss those toddler days. And where the heck is the fabulous bathing suit?
