Thursday, August 03, 2006

Small, Loud and Bossy!

These are the qualifications the Baltimore Rowing Club is looking for in a coxswain. At 5'4", 135 solid, size 2 or 4 (depending on the time of the month or whether I've been to Kclingers a few times), always accused of being too loud by my family, and definitely bossy in my classes, I think I'm a good fit. Tonight was going to be my first class, but with the heat and a memorial service of a BRC member, the beginning Coxswain class has been cancelled. It is rescheduled for next week while we are on vacation. MHP has told me I can make the trip from Bethany into Baltimore. I've been wanting to try rowing ever since I read all Laura Lippman's novels and managed to catch 5 minutes of a BRC special on MPT. Next summer, I'll learn it all!

Audrey and friend wanted to have a picnic today at Christmas Tree Park. They were celebrating the birthday of another friend. They made a card, sandwiches, found the picnic basket while I dug out the linen tablecloth and cloth napkins. They were having a bonafide picnic! We picked the young man up and went to the park. They walked around, played on the slides, and other equipment. I found a nice bench swing in the shade and had an absolutely lovely afternoon, reading the latest James Lee Burke novel. Twenty years ago, when My Handsome Prince and I first moved to the area, I used to go to Christmas Tree Park after work. It was when he was on 3-11 shift. Tuffy the Wonder pup and I would go, she would wander around and I would sit on the bench swing and read. It's a nice park, full of pine trees and typically about 5 degrees cooler. There are the usual park amenities, tennis courts, sand pit for volley ball, slides, swings, and one of those things that goes round and round and usually someone either throws up or gets hurt. They're great!

I am thankful that 90% of my time as a parent has been in the stay at home capacity. I had and still have the freedom to do these things with my kids. Today, I witnessed a grouchy Grandpa with his grandkids, calling the middle boy a sissy and just not pleasant to these kids. What was the point? They weren't doing anything that wasn't childlike. I guess it's the heat, brings out the worst sometimes. But he made a point of telling me that his daughter, their mother, doesn't do anything and he's caregiver 24/7 and it pisses him off! TMI. I also witnessed a daycare group, tired, hot, but on the go, doing things to keep them active and not bored. I am thankful, especially, when the kids I picked up today and yesterday, enter the car, with thank yous and I love yous. I have always been the transporter, the one who gets called from school because an instrument has been left at home and parents can't get it or picked up from work because they can't reach their parents. I'm thankful I am trusted by these kids.

Audrey apologized today for staying at the park so long and me having to pick everyone up. I told her exactly what I have written. It's been a delight!

One more thing, we had a ball at my sister's yesteday. It was especially funny once her husband got home. We all piled up in a small boat, 6 of us, 3 kids, 3 adults. We were laughing so hard! That along with the crazy boat/float races. It's always a hoot going over there!

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