Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Swimming with Cousins

When I was a little girl, my brother and I used to go over to my cousin's house to swim.  They had a big pool with a diving board that was regularly invaded by various extended family members.  Each time an invasion occurred, the glassy water would morph into a choppy sea of waves.  Once in the pool, everyone would join a game of Marco Polo or Shark.  Sometimes, the teenagers would tease the younger kids by dunking them under the water.  Shrieks of laughter would ring out across the backyard.  You could definitely tell we were having a good time.  Many years have passed but every now and then I'm reminded of those carefree and silly days. 

This last summer, Son #1 and Son #2 went over to their cousin's house to swim in the pool.  Son #1  tore across the lawn with his towel slung over his shoulder.  Several yards behind, Son #2 and I skipped along side the house to the backyard.  Just as Son #1 was about to hop into the pool, I called out.  "Did you put on your sunscreen?"

"No."  Son #1 responded as he wandered in my direction.  I lathered the sunscreen onto my oldest son and then shooed him off toward the pool.  Then, I turned my attention to Son #2.  My youngest son was hopping up and down impatiently.  Quickly, I slathered sunscreen onto Son #2, buckled his life jacket, and gently guided him into the water.  Their cousin hopped into the water as well.

The first game began as their older cousin swam after the boys pretending to be a sea monster.  Son #1 and Son #2 screamed with delight while their older cousin dove under the water.  My eldest son paddled with all his might trying to escape his cousin stealthily stalking him from the bottom of the pool.  My youngest son splashed about in the middle of the pool completely oblivious to the drama that was about to unfold.  All of a sudden, their cousin rocketed to the surface and lifted Son #1 high into the sky.  Son #1 laughed and flailed helplessly.  A split second later, my eldest son was released and plummeted into the water with a giant splash.  Son #2 clapped with glee.  Son #1 sputtered and spit as he hung onto his cousin's neck.  His cousin asked with a grin.  "Are you O.K?

"Yeah."  Son #1 replied as he wiped his face.  For a second, it looked as though the game was done.  Then, my oldest son shouted.  "Let's do that again!"

The game continued on for quite a while.  Son #1 and Son #2 hung onto their older cousin's neck as he bobbed and dove about in the water.  The boys shrieked with joy while water splashed on their faces.  Periodically, they stopped for drinks, snacks, and a moment to catch their breath.  Soon, they tired of this game and began another.  The sun beat down and eventually they were exhausted.  Finally,  everyone crawled out of the pool and headed for the shade.  The afternoon was coming to a close.  Son #1 and Son #2 waved goodbye to their older cousin.  Then, slowly they closed the gate to the yard.