A Penitent Man

I missed the shot. Oh well. But I think the splash looks pretty cool, so that's something.

The shot I'm talking about is the picture I tried to take, but couldn't get in position in time to take, and that is Kiernan pushing Grance into the pool. Missed it. But more pictures and words will follow and you'll get the idea.

Tonight Grance went swimming. This was well after the sun went down, as I'm sure you are able to determine from the light in the above picture. We are in Phoenix, but good lord it is cold. It feels much colder than Southern California. It took a long time after my run this morning for me to feel like my fingers were fingers again. So the idea of swimming should be relegated to crazy town. Still, Rance will do it. He will go into that cold water without a moment's hesitation. It's really something to see. Fear of shrinkage means nothing to this man.

The other day Rance and Kiernan and I were all hanging out together, and Rance decided he wanted to take a quick dip in the pool. He made this a part of the game he has developed with his grandkids. The Doopty Doopty Doo Game. In the Doopty Doopty Doo Game, Grance invites Kiernan (or any of his grandkids) to push him in the pool. He does this by saying, "You'd better not EVER push me in the pool!" And Kiernan knows exactly what Grance means, because Grance is a master of tone. Then Grance goes out to the pool and does a devil-may-care kind of walk while saying some nonsense like "doopty doopty doo" and then Kiernan (or Kelsey, or Dorian, or Sebastian) pushes him into the pool.

The kids go nuts over this.

The other day when it was just the three of us, Kiernan elected to go out to the pool in his own swimsuit. I tried to talk him out of this, as it really is cold here, but he wanted to do it. So I thought, "What the heck. Mom's not here today. She's out getting a massage. What's the worst that could happen?" I figured Kiernan would make it two steps out of the door and turn around and beg for a sweater.

Nope.

Kiernan and Grance, both clad only in swimsuits, headed to the pool. Grance did his little act and Kiernan pushed him in. Then Kiernan said he wanted to go in too. I suggested he test the water first, thinking this would disuade him. Nope. He felt the water and declared it "fine". So, with my permission, he jumped to Grance.

Wow. The rapidity of the change was amazing. His eyes popped wide open and he made tracks for the towel I was holding for him. I had a momentary weird worry about shock, until I realized what had just happened. Kiernan and Grance had just had a true bonding moment. It was very cool. They had weathered an adversity together. I'd been on the sidelines, but they had experienced it together. Even as I wrapped Kiernan in his towel he was high-fiving his Grance. It was really cool, although I must admit that I did kind of feel like a wimp.

Tonight Grance went into the pool again, this time pushed by all of the grandkids that are present (which is to say all but Dorian). None of the grandkids followed him in this time, but they all pushed. Part of this was because we tried to take them all swimming at the hotel where Thorsten and Ceci and the kids are staying, but it didn't work out. We thought the hotel had a heated indoor pool, but indeed the pools, while heated, were all outside. And seriously, you don't really want to walk outside much right now, much less walk outside wet. So we disappointed the kids by deciding not to swim. Unfortunately this decision came after hyping them all up on the idea of going swimming.

So Grance made up for it by letting the grandkids push him into the pool at the the house. Crazy and great. I wouldn't have been up for it, but he was, and he suggested it.

The kids loved it, and it totally averted the disaster of disappointment. Nice.