From School Days to Pool Days

First of all, let me say that I love my job. I am a 7th grade English teacher. The staff that I work with is amazing. They are so dedicated to their students and have so much fun that it makes going to work easy. Believe it or not, even those quirky tweeners are fun! But, they can also be very exhausting. So, I am always extremely anxious for summer break. Those three glorious months are very much needed for my sanity!! After many years of searching, I have found the perfect place of solitude: my backyard pool. When we first installed the pool, I spent most of the time responding to "Hey, Mom ~~ watch this". Apparently, it was life threatening to my children, Mallory and Luke, if I didn't see EVERY SINGLE handstand, dive, stunt, race across the pool, and the discovery of items thrown to the bottom of the pool. At the time, I grew so weary of this and didn't find the pool so relaxing. But now, these memories are cherished. And even just last week, Luke and his girlfriend Briley (16 and 15, respectively) were racing each other across the pool and playing the "colors" game!! But, for the most part, I am in the pool alone each afternoon. This is when the honest to goodness relaxation takes place. I can float on my raft for hours reading a book. Let me tell you, I have read some amazing books in that pool!! The Meg Cabot Queen of Babble series is the favorite so far in summer 2010!! I can honestly say that I can escape from just about anything in that pool!! Last summer was a little hard for me, because every time I was in the pool, the memories of Mallory were too painful. She was my fish and I missed her splashing around me and struggling to get back on her raft when she flipped off of it. But, this summer, I have been given the strength to enjoy it again! I cannot believe we are already well into the month of July. I begin to panic thinking about running out of pool days and having to go back to school. This just requires me to get even more pool time in during the last 6 weeks of my break! I have now even become brave enough to leave my cell phone inside the house while I'm in the pool!! Those closest to me know where I am. And if I have fallen asleep and rolled to my watery grave, at least they know I was in my favorite place!! So, as I watch the calender flipping daily to the end of my pool days, society will probably see less and less of me. The only days I'll be out of the pool will be when it's raining!! So I would suggest that all of you find your place of solitude and do not let anything disturb you!! It's good for your health!