Thursday we took the younger 4 to a little local water park. They'd reminded me that I'd told them before summer began that I'd do it. The only problem was the entry fee. Madalynn emptied her purse of $1.36 and said she'd use her money. While straightening her room, I found $5 she'd misplaced. She was in! Macklynn had $17, plus money from the sell of his calf. Melody cashed her birthday money. Michael also sold calves and teaches archery, so he was an easy in (although, he's getting kinda growny for such low key entertainment). He pitched in his opinion to his younger siblings that his Oakley sunglasses would be less valuable to him if he hadn't had to spend all the money, $150, he got for his birthday on them, after he found a half price discount. McKala, still broke from all her money tied up in calves, opted out to go with her best friend, she hadn't seen but once all summer, to a football game and found something in her closet that I could return to cover the cost.
As I watched Madalynn's interplay with perfect strangers, I couldn't help thinking that she might be having the best time of anyone there because getting in wasn't a given. At 4 years old, she payed her way and waited all summer for it. It had value that a good time alone can't offer.
Macklynn insisted that I go down the water slides with him. I haven't walked around a pool without a wrap in years. As the varicose veins worsened with each pregnancy, I quit wearing shorts. I've worn some form of pants for 15 years now and have neglected my legs altogether. It was freeing to abandon self consciousness in order to have a good time with my 7 year old. Getting back to the top as fast as we could, we were having a close 2nd to Madalynn's good time.
The best body there was a young mother with a super cute turquoise bikini. Her stomach looked what mine would look like in optimum shape: a pouch of saggy, stretch marked skin. I can't figure out why she didn't get a one piece and look like a million dollars, which leads to similar observations I made at Carowinds.
Melody's 12th birthday was Friday. For months, she's wanted to go to Carowinds to celebrate it. Originally, a couple of friends would come. Maybe we'd have had a small party too and some gifts she's wanted or needed for a while. However, Mike's truck is sucking in all the water and is in dire need of repair before it blows a head gasket. It's a wash; can't be done. We're borrowed out and belly up.
Melody is the only of seven who has her birthday all to herself and usually has a blowout of an outdoor party bringing in lots of presents. This year she had very few choices and it's yet to be seen if we made the right one. She decided that we would use $20 coupons so she and I could go to Carowinds together, take a picnic, and stop for a Georgia Mud Fudge Blizzard at Dairy Queen on the way home ...no cake, no party, no other present from us.
My city girl wore 1 pair and took 2 pairs of shoes to change into. The plan was to get there when they opened and ride until we were so hot or hungry that we'd go to the car, eat, and get bags to change for the water park. We got to ride The Intimidator coaster for the first time. The suspended feeling that happens about 4 times throughout is exquisite. I left the head banging rides to her. I held up pretty well but lagged behind between rides occasionally and breathed in her uncommon excitement causing her to run to and from them, especially after the downpour caused 2/3rds of the visitors to leave and the temperature to drop from 97 to 79.
I'm sure it's not nice but I was glad to see the crowds retreat. I had seen enough skin for the day. I'm still trying to discover why women wear strapless clothes. Even the best of boobs look better with some support, as opposed to being pressed down flat. Sleeveless is another of my issues. Why in creation do women like me not keep unfit triceps to themselves? Midriffs are jaw dropping. Is it a take it or leave it mentality? Again, why do mothers reveal their biggest flaws? And don't some parents give too much false esteem to their daughters? For a lot of people, modesty is a favor to the rest of the of us. Just because they sell it doesn't mean we can sport it. Then there's the parent who doesn't give a, excuse me, damn that their daughters are walking around half naked. Booty shorts are something Melody noticed particularly at the grocery store not long ago. She said I'm the only one in here without them. Problem is not just one of being unassuming but one of fitness. Virtually every girl, much less woman, isn't tone enough to wear them. Does anyone exercise anymore? Does no one like her hair color? Does anyone have a glow from the sun instead of bulbs? Does no one have enough to do that fake nails get in the way? My overview of society is that mechanization has only made a small dent in improving who we are and done little to nothing for the way we look.
I'm confused. About the time I think every one of us is full of vanity, I begin over to think we don't really care. It's so easy to get a guy that we just don't have to work all that hard to prove we're anything exceptional. Then, my mind wanders into the "possession" realm, that we are so busy doing things to our bodies to display them that we rarely sacrifice them to the life giving potential they have and if we do, we limit that time to within our own desires and boundaries. THEN, it all reminds me of men who have wives whose bodies have provided their legacies; yet, those same men feast their eyes on the bodies of other women that haven't been given to anything so selfless and if they have, were fortunate enough not to be scarred from it. I want to walk up and slap the man with such little regard for his God given position in life. Sometimes, I want to smack the woman into reality who's taken such little care of herself, since her husband has committed himself to her, that he looks lonely and detached from the family.
Good grief, how hard is it to be good to each other? If we'd open our Bibles, we'd know. Too, how hard is it to pee where we're supposed to? I'm tired of theaters and other public places wreaking of urine. It was almost worth standing on top of a swaying 6 story tower to get away from it ...that was until I got halfway down the swirling slide in pitch black, going what had to be 100 miles an hour with water spraying into my nose.
All I know is that canned Cheerwine in the cooler never tasted so good when we returned to the car twice and that the jeans I had to leave in were soaked; Dairy Queen was about 65 degrees; the money I saved paying for gas in South Carolina payed for the ice cream; and I was so cold that I took the jeans off to ride home ...and it was a great day for Melody and me.
It got even better when her sister came in from Georgia about an hour after we arrived home. She was bearing a requested tie dying kit for Melody and a kayaking trip to their hometown in The Blue Ridge for yesterday. Several of the others got to participate and I hope it confirmed to them that when they step up with the right attitude and right choices that even more good things can be waiting in the wings.
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