This morning as I was coming out of the bathroom after washing up, a spot of soapy water that splashed on the wood floor somehow reminded me of when my mom lived with me, and it was summer, and it was hot, and it was morning but I wasn’t on my way to work. And I longed to be transported back to that time. I started rifling my memory and trying to come up with times like that with my kids. For Al the one that popped up right away was when we were being lizards in the sun in a beach chair by the pool at my parents Ocean City time share. Summer of 1990 – I had my 35th birthday that trip, and Al wouldn’t be two till the end of October. He’d been scaring all of us, insisting on doing it “myself”, where it equaled jumping into water over his head. Getting him to be a lizard with me was relaxing not just for the pleasure of lying still with his little warm “myself”, it also meant I knew he wasn’t drowning.
For John, somehow the first thing I thought of was the time I drove to Milwaukee on a cold morning in late winter, January or February, dug him out of his apartment and took him to traffic court in Waukesha (Tuesday January 8, 2008 – I wrote at the time). We were contesting a ticket he’d gotten the previous summer – speeding – no fighting that part, but then they tacked on brake light out. So we showed up with the receipt for the repair, and they knocked something like $180 off the fine, and even John thought the trip was worth it. I think what makes me remember the adventure fondly is the joy of being right – and seeing my recalcitrant, probably hung over, or at least sleepy, son, realize that what I told him to do was the right thing to do. Later that spring when John and three other art school kids all came for waffles at the start of their cross country trip is another good one, but I didn’t take any pictures.
I think I have a photograph of me & Al as lizards; maybe I can scan it in for that grainy old color photo on facebook look. Sometimes I wonder if I remember because of, or through, the photos. What would Ray say? I hope he made a ton of money when Hewlett-Packard used his song.
Mommy & Al being lizards in the sun
Mommy & Al - note diaper pin holding my sunglasses together
John dives in - such a big boy - 3 1/2. This is actually kind of a beautiful picture - bet my dad took it - click for larger.
