I was in Target yesterday when I walked by the pool section...and kept right on walking. It dawned on me that this is the first summer in almost a dozen when my summer's pleasure hasn't been all wrapped up in...swim goggles.
Join me on a walk down memory lane:
--The screaming and wailing when pool water seeps into sub-par goggles and my kids' eyes threaten to shrivel up and fall out as if burned by carbolic acid.
--The pile of rejected goggles deemed so because of poor suction, cheesy "Dora" motifs, or that certain je ne sais quoi understood only by the annoying toddler/kid set.
--The attempts to negotiate so that one kid will give the other the "good" goggles for the entire summer because otherwise he/she (okay, HE!) will not dangle a toe in the pool without them. "Would $5 work for you, honey? Because it would work for me."
--The secret nighttime shopping trips trying to stock up on exact duplicate goggles just in case the "good" goggles disappear.
--The threats: "Under no circumstances may you come home from the pool without these goggles. Do you understand? Shoes? Who cares? Sibiling? Meh. Do NOT lose these goggles!"
--The gripping fear, as August and beach-time looms, and the rubbery band of the "good" goggles starts to slacken, thin, and threaten to break.
--The attempt to broker a new goggle purchase as August winds down. Which, I must say, is like trying to buy a Compass and Protractor set in June. Yes, I have tried both.
But this summer? Nary a mention of goggles, good, bad, or otherwise. I am relieved. I am happy. The world seems full of promise and possibility. The kids frolic in the neighbors' pools without any protective eye wear whatsoever. This observation is something I note inside my gray head, but I dare not mention to them.
Because I haven't a stinkin' clue where the "good" goggles are.
Too, too funny. I just wore some new-ish goggles in the pool this morning, and looked in the mirror when I finished my swim. HOLY MOLY they must be way too tight because they left huge indentations in my face - I looked like a FREAK. Definitely those goggles wouldn't have worked for your kids. :)
ReplyDeleteMy son used to have goggle marks around his eyes for hours each evening. The whole goggle thing was so weird to me. As weird as I am about getting things in my eyes, opening them underwater was just something I always did.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised I wasn't blinded...
Haha...
ReplyDeleteI used to wear googles over my eye contacts when going to a water park. I was 13 and it was my first year wearing eye contacts.
I hate seeing these photos... they make me cringe!!!!
We have certainly bought our share of sub-par goggles. After doing it a couple of times, I got the message. Only the expensive, Speedo ones will do.
ReplyDeleteAnd a stern look to the children as I place my face within inches of theirs…
Lose these and DIE.
Well perhaps not that dramatic, but you lose, you buy. Case close.
It was amazing how well they kept up with them.
It was a necessity on swim team. I bought those and the super expensive swim team suits.
Can't say I miss those days too much. Nothing like sweating at an epically long swim meet. Invariably I'd miss my kids' swims. Sigh.
i HATE goggles and they NEVER fit right or allow me to see correctly!? argh....
ReplyDeleteHaha! Don't say one word or even let them see a pic og googles or you're a gonner! Weird how kids are fanatical about something and then it suddenly doesn't matter. They are mysterious beings!
ReplyDeleteHaha! "The world feels full of promise and possibility"...that made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteBen just got his first pair of goggles and it's like he has a new lease on life. I think he believes he's acquired a superpower. He also ripped his first pair within a couple of hours and Scott had to race to the store to replace them minutes before his swimming lesson. I'm telling you all of this because I can relate and I feel like I'll be relating for a while.