Friday, April 20, 2007

Water Water Everywhere...

Hello and Hallelujah, the sun is finally shining! That nor’easter was really a pain in the ass. It made last weekend miserable, and it prevented me from going into work on Monday.

You see, there is only one road into and out of my little neighborhood. That one road runs alongside a canal. So at the highest point of high tide, the canal overflowed and flooded the street. So, since my little Honda Civic doesn’t have a outboard motor, we worked from home that day. The tides did eventually subside some hours later. But with all the train delays, it just wasn’t worth trying to make my way into the office. Besides, I was in my jammies in a warm house with an endless supply of hot coffee with southern pecan coffemate – you couldn’t have pulled me out of there for anything!

That little aforementioned street is at the very north end of my neighborhood. I live on the very south end. South, as in, 8 houses away is the open bay. At the southern most point of my street is a narrow bulkhead with a railing (like you see on dead end streets) and beyond that is good old Atlantic Ocean water. The water came up and over that bulkhead and alllllll the way down the street. See here: That Honda Pilot on the left is ours, sitting in our driveway. The railing is way down at the end beyond the parked white car. The houses on the right, across the street, are on the canal, so the water overflowed from behind their house as well. Back water met front water, so they were completely surrounded. Yikes! We watched the water creep up our driveway, but luckily it stopped a few feet short (we have a High Ranch so no basement). Of course, Big Tuna gets on his Big Tuna Boots and goes wading out into the middle of it all just because he can. He ends up talking to other neighbor husbands who all have on their manly man boots too. Inside, they are all really just 12 year old who like to splash in puddles, aren’t they?

And speaking of water and splashing – seamonkeys lessons aren’t exactly going swimmingly (HA GET IT).The second time we brought him; BT got the not so bright idea to convince my parents to come along. First of all, let’s try to imagine the ridiculousness of four grownups bringing in a 7 month old to watch him be walked up and down the length of a pool shall we? I was mortified. I never want to be one of THOSE parents and here I am doing it. I think having both BT and I there every week is already very silly. Anyway, of course that day he was all off his nap schedule, so he went into it totally over-tired. He did his usual scream thing, and I just kept saying “Don’t worry, he’ll stop soon”. But after saying it 25 times it became clear that stopping wasn’t on the agenda. Making this all the more aggravating, was the fact that my parents were acting as if we had thrown him into a vat of boiling oil. “Wow, he is really crying”. “He really doesn’t like this” “Maybe you should take him out” “Maybe swimming isn’t a good idea” “Starfish, don’t you think he’s had enough?” “Oh my God listen to him cry”. So, Crying Baby+Annoying Parents+Tired after a long day of work + Starving = Complete and utter nervous breakdown. I finally got up (you can watch from a room that overlooks the pool with a one way mirror), went into the pool area, and took seamonkey out after 20 minutes. The ride home was pretty quiet. I believe the only words I said were “You are NEVER allowed to come again”. I think I heard my mom laugh. Sheesh, grandparents. I sure don’t recall my parents going that nutso over ME.

The third time we brought him, we tried to ease him into it. We brought him to the pool area well before his session. We let him get used to the noise, and see the other kids. Alas, as soon as I handed him over to Shawn, he started crying again. Now let me say, that we know his cries. It wasn’t the ‘I’m in excruciating pain cry’ or the ‘something just scared the living shit out of me’ cry…it’s the ‘I am just not happy at all and I must tell everyone around me’ cry. Kind of moany and whiny screaming. If it were the all out red faced can’t catch my breath cry, I would have pulled him out immediately. I’m not a complete barbarian. Partial maybe. So we left him in. After about 10 minutes, BT and I start trading looks, and I start to feel the nervous breakdown feeling creeping back in. So I went to the front desk to talk to them. As soon as I began talking I started getting all choked up, which, if you knew me, is NOT like me at all. I managed to keep my shit together, and I asked the woman “Look, he is still screaming…at what point do we say enough is enough? I feel like we’re torturing him”. From the time I approached the desk, she had a knowing smile on her lips. She patiently let me talk, and then she said very nicely “Okay. Listen to me. “DO NOT PULL HIM OUT. You will be sorry you did. If you can’t watch him cry, then STAY OUT HERE.” She then went on to tell me about all the kids who have cried and proceeded to be awesome swimmers. I was really happy that she told me flat out what I needed to hear. She gave us some other options if we still didn’t feel right about it, like changing instructors, or time of day, or allowing us in the pool before the session to ease the transition…but my gut tells me he’ll be okay – he just needs to get used to it.

So THIS week when we brought him, he cried for 15 minutes and then stopped. And he actually enjoyed himself. In fact, he SWAM. No, seriously! Shawn had him lying in the water, holding him by the armpits and and Holy Crap if this kid wasn’t kicking his legs with a big ol’ smile on his face. *Sigh* I swear. This is why God created Vodka. And is why I just found this:

12 comments:

Tami said...

Sorry to post this here, but I can't seem to find a way to email you! :) You can email me back at tamiclymer@yahoo.com

BTW - I love reading your blog. This one had me thinking about our oldest son and his first experience with haircuts. We took him to a salon in the mall for his first haircut. As soon as his little butt touched the seat he started crying...by the time they came at him with the scissors he was screaming...after the first couple of clips it was blood curdling! He cried so hard he broke some capillaries in his face and looked like he had freckles for weeks! We ended up taking him home with only half of his hair cut. The ladies were nice and understanding, but we were drawing a crowd!
When we got home he fell asleep in his dad's arms and I finished the trim as best I could...
He didn't get his hair cut again for a VERY long time! :)
I'm so glad you kept up the swimming lessons.

Anonymous said...

OK, sorry about the grey hair...but he SWAM! He did it! You did it!

Most importantly, what brand of vodka do you fancy?

beagle said...

A grey hair? (Only one and you seriously want sympathy??) Just kidding . . . grey hair is THE symbol of motherhood. I'm 39 and my mother still blames me for each of hers.

beagle said...

MAn, what am I saying? I am 38, 39 looms ahead in less than three weeks!

Jenni said...

ACK! Not a gray hair! :) I think that is part of a boy's job - to give his mom gray hair.

Although, I think that flooding may have contributed to the gray hair too. Yikes! I love the image of all the men out there in their boots, discussing the weather. Men!

Glad you stuck with the lessons - the boy SWAM! That is amazing! Pretty soon, he'll be living up to his blogger name.

Deb said...

Wow! What an ordeal. I'm glad he enjoyed it more the last time. He'll be a water bug soon I'm sure.
And the water outside your house, WOW! And I thought my hail was note worthy news. I can't imagine being trapped in the house due to water.

Melissa said...

My kids will be going swimming for the first time next month. I hope we have a better experience. Glad taht he finally enjoyed it.

JW said...

Grey hairs seem to come with motherhood, I'm the only one out of my younger friends who are all moms who have none yet. But I'm surprised infertility doesn't cause grey hair either LOL. You'd think it would. By the way, I'm sure you look sophisticated and dashing with the new grey look. x

ferenge mama said...

Love that gray hair photo!!

I *did* get your AMAZING package!! Thank you thank you thank you. I did a big ol' rave about it on my blog just now.

I'm an idiot, though, and tossed the wrapping before realizing that's where your address info was written. Would you be so kind as to with that info?

I feel like an idiot for losing track of it...

xoxoxo
chou-chou

Lauren said...

The image of the men was cracking me up.

I didn't realize you were mixed up in all that bad weather until I read your posts. Glad you didn't get water in your house, though.

YAHOO for swimming. One thing I have learned is never take anyone with me to lessons exept the husband because then my girl doesn't do so well. I used to throw up before every swimming lesson as a kid but now I love swimming so I am glad you are sticking to it.

As for the grey hair, I can so feel your pain. My hair is also dark and I have one in the exact same place you do. But over the past year my one has turned into about 5 or 6. This sucks...

Rachael said...

It is no coincidence that I starting high-lighting my hair after I had kids, it's just a fact of motherhood, and unfortunately, the first of many.
Glad the swimming is going better. I know that feeling oh so well of "torturing" your kids because you know (you hope) it will be good for them in the end.

Barely Sane said...

Ahhhh, we just had our first episode with Sweet Pea in the pool and she screamed like I'd cut off a limb. I guess I'll have to try it again. Wonder how many of those special hairs she'll give me before she's comfy with it.

Congrats on him actually swimming tho. That is so very cool!