A Perfectly Perfect Day.

And I can do it again tomorrow!!

Yesterday, I stayed home and did a dozen little things that I had been ignoring on my to-do list for weeks. 

Today, I did the Shopping Circuit - Home Depot, Target, Petco, Publix. 

I think I found my flooring.  Have you seen this tile that looks like wood?

I love it.  It's not the cheapest option, for sure, but it's the most practical and long-lasting - and if Sophie has to make an Executive Decision while I'm working late, or Murphy's old man bladder fails him in the middle of the night, no harm done.  And when we came in from the pool this afternoon, still dripping a bit even after the brief walk home, I realized again that hardwood and laminate flooring is really not a great choice for this lifestyle, and tile really does make the most sense. And damn, this stuff really does look like wood!  I'm picturing it with bright throw rugs - a rug in front of the fireplace, etc.

The only issue is that it doesn't work with my original color choice for kitchen cabinets, so that choice needs to be revisited.  I found a backsplash I adore, too - it's little squares of glass that look like shades of amber.  I suspect I'll end up picking a cabinet color that goes with the elements I fall in love with, rather than picking the cabinets first and decorating around them. 

Late this afternoon, my daughter and Miss D came over and we went to the pool.  It was absolutely perfect - the sun was warm, the humidity was low, the breeze was, while not cool, actually refreshing.  We bobbed with Miss D, took turns holding her while the other one swam a little - when her mommy dove under and swam underwater, Delaney said, "Uh-oh, Mommy!"  Her mommy has started teaching her kicking and paddling, but she hasn't put her face in yet, and I don't think she's quite ready to do that yet.  There were two big boys in the water - one about 4 or 5, the other maybe 12-ish - and she was absolutely fascinated with watching them swim.  When the smaller boy did a cannonball into the deep end, she was riveted. She wants to do that too.

My daughter is debating formal swimming lessons for her - Miss D is ready to swim, she's very advanced physically in every way - her coordination and motor skills are off the charts - but we're not sure she's ready to cooperate with a stranger teaching her.  She is very cautious about approaching new people, and the combination of stranger and unfamiliar and somewhat scary lessons might be too much.  

My daughter started swimming lessons at a year old because we had a backyard pool and I was a nervous mother, and while she hated her lessons, she was like a tiny dolphin in the water by the time she turned 3 - she could swim the length of the pool, mostly underwater.    By the time she was turning 5 and her brother was going-on-8, I'd leave them in the pool in the afternoon and go inside to start dinner, keeping an eye on them out the window as I cooked. I was just watching for running on the deck or otherwise getting too silly;  they were both stronger swimmers than I was by then. Teaching very small children to swim fell out of favor after the 80s, but I still swear it was the best thing for them. 

I realized today that I really am turning into my mother - my favorite thing to do in the pool is float on my back.  Delaney was fascinated with that, too, but couldn't quite lay out and put her ears in the water yet (with mommy holding her, of course). 

Of course, I think it was only her second or third trip to the pool this season (first time with me) so give her a couple of weeks.  She's the most determined little person I've ever seen - she wants to be Big Right Now!  She pushes herself to learn new things like she's going to be tested on it later. She will practice putting her shoes on, over and over. She practices dressing herself, over and over.  She is extremely observant, and absolutely obsessed with mastering new skills, and swimming is on her list.

And tomorrow is a holiday, and the weather should be a repeat of today. I plan to spend the afternoon at the pool - I will baste myself in sunblock, stake out a chaise, arm myself with book and Diet Coke,  and veg out.  I am so relaxed this evening, after less than an hour in the water!  I need this.