One Of The Funnest Benefits Of Being A Parent

One of my fondest memories of my childhood was packing up my dad’s station wagon almost Tetris-style to ensure we brought all of our essentials, rolling down the windows, and blaring “You Can Call Me Al” as we made our way along country roads to a sequestered sleepy summer town for our yearly vacation. The bay that hosted our stay was lined with Birch trees and highlighted by coloured cottages. The car no sooner was put in Park than we were swallowed by the pool. Who could cannonball the most water out of the pool, who could dive with the greatest finesse, and many other improvised water theatrics consumed the better part of our vacation. Sometime during my pubescence my unabashed approach to the pool changed and changed for good. Preserving my hair so I didn’t have to do it again took precedence over pool games. While I continued to enjoy our summer experience, it was no longer the all-consuming fun it once was. Self-preservation and composure took precedence above all else.

The amazing and obvious thing about parenthood is that it changes anyone brave and/ or clueless enough to have a child. It certainly has made me more uptight in certain ways.

Having one’s heart exist outside of their body certainly lends itself to increased concern, caution, worries, and diligence in certain matters. The counterbalance and one of the funnest parts of having kids is, of course, becoming a kid again. Their gleeful, full-bodied laughter becomes both incentive and reinforcement to just live freely and seize the moment.

This summer, each day has been a blank slate of opportunity. Touring our new city, making friends at the park, feeding ducks, or scavenging the trails around our home have been go-tos. An especial highlight for me has been the days we have been out without swimsuits and the lure of water features, spray parks, or splashpads have been too enticing to forgo. My usual spot on the sidelines watching their natural play unfold has not sufficed. And so, I have been one of the big kids teasing the timed sprays, chasing my kids, or counting to three holding both kids’ hands and running in full throttle. In the pool, on our family vacation, the teasing of “Mama get me” has trumped my desire for maintained hair. Being a pool shark that attacks toddlers is too fun to care about convenience once I’m out of the pool. And so, I’ve found myself submerged this summer. Not only am I typically the most soaking wet, ill-dressed adult-sized kid at the park, but I also feel immersed in the most audaciously enjoyable parts of summer.

What are some of your highlights from summer so far? Please share <3