Perfect Moment of Summer

Today, while the girls and the neighbors swam I read a book poolside.  It was loud, filled with shrieks and periodic, far-reaching splashes of hot water.  The pool is 85 degrees plus.  We had Popsicles, and chips and the fun went on and on. 

At one point, after hours of this background noise, it was quiet.  And not, as you would think, because they had all slipped under the water out of sheer exhaustion – get real, they are 8, 8, 10 and 11.  They never get tired. 

It was quiet, so I looked up.  Garrett was in the inflatable yellow sun floating at the edge of the pool, staring at a rock.  Andra was in the blue inner tube, flipping a bamboo stick back and forth in the deep end.  Back – splash.  Forth -splash.  Anna was on a noodle, filling and pouring and filling and pouring water in and out and in and out of a bottle.  Grace was sitting.  calmly.  In the lagoon.  No one was looking at each other.  No one was interacting.  They were all relaxed, just on the edge of boredom but not quite there yet. 

It was surreal.  And lovely.  And was a perfect moment of summer.  Hot, fruity, and sufficiently balanced between opportunity and boredom.

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