A Wink and a Smile

Since I am quickly trying to fulfill as many things left on my checklist that I can before Sept. 1, I decided to squeeze in a trip to this awesome public pool/slide extravaganza place I saw just down the road from us. I had driven by it once, thought it looked like so much fun and have had going there stuck in my mind for over a year now. I mentioned I wanted to do it within the next few weeks so my friend, Summer, met to go with me yesterday morning.
Of course, I’ve been all talking it up to SaraRose like “on Friday we’re going to the funnest pool ever! There are slides and waterfalls and all sorts of things to explore!” And I, myself, am getting pumped just picturing this dream checked off my list while she and I have a blast with the few other toddlers and moms who might be there.
Yea.
So as we drive around the corner yesterday, I see it--the massive pool and the silly slides......
…..and it is not the vision of my dreams.
But rather an enormous waterworks filled to the brim with big, loud, crazy campers and kids with their yelling chaperones. It’s so jam-packed I can’t even spot water, just bathing-suited masses of humanity. And pumping loudly into my car window I hear “Who-Let-The-Dogs-Out?-woof-woof-woof-woof -woof” from the massive pool speakers.
And then.
Then I hear the life-guard announce, “Little girl’s bathing suit contest starts in ten minutes!”
Oh. my. word. Get me the heck out of here!
I whipped the car around and started laughing.
Because I crack myself up. This is not the waterpark of my dreams. In fact it’s quite the opposite. And I’m so amused, because this is one of my quirkiest habits: I have super high expectations when I’ve wanted to do something for a long time. I get a perfect picture in my imagination of the way all of it is going to go down.
And I know that every once in a while it’s really, REALLY good for me to get a big old dose of reality. It’s almost like God looks down, winks at me and says, “Kristen, you ain’t missin as much as you think you are!”

So back to our sweet, quiet little condo pool we went with no “little girl bathing suit contests” in sight.
and we all had a fabulous time. ;)