A few weeks ago Coach’s Mom and Step-Dad came to our neck of the woods and spent a week at our little rental condo; they were ready for a change in scenery and they brought our Great Niece Kinsley with them for the visit.
The Coach and I had dinner with them one evening and then another afternoon I went over to swim with Kinsley and give my In-laws a much needed break. Not sure if ya’ll know this, but 3 1/2 year olds are busy people.
Have I told you today about my obsession with porpoises? Well, it’s still early, but I am OBSESSED. I can see 18 in one day and I’ll squeal with delight each and every time. So, it’s no surprise that when I saw one from the window just before dinner, I stopped what I was doing/saying and ran out to visit with my new best friend.
Back to the human part of our visit…
Me: Kins, do you want to swim in the pool with Aunt Suzanne?
Kins: YES!
Please picture a huge, empty pool with just the two of us, a lone noodle and an occasional pelican.
I was not fully prepared for the amount of imagination that I needed to pack with me for this visit.
We were mermaids.
We were dolphins.
We were mermaid princess dolphins.
We fell asleep while floating.
We sang songs about falling asleep while floating.
We wondered if the pelicans ever pooped in the pool.
We decided to not put water in our mouths, just in case.
We were princesses who could point our fingers and turn things into ICE.
We were princesses who could point our fingers and turn things into HOT LAVA.
I paused for a moment wishing I really had those powers. Suz, Let It Go, Let It Go.
Do you think Kins would be happy with 30 minutes of frolicking around with her Great Aunt Suz?
Hell to the NO.
An hour and a half later, I said your Aunt Suzanne needs to get out of the pool because her fingers and toes are turning into raisins. This of course, brought on eleventy questions about how is that even capable of happening?!
It’s all butterflies and rainbows until The {elder} Mermaid Princess Dolphin was done with the pool and the {mini} Mermaid Princess Dolphin was NEVER going to be done with the pool.
Needless to say, there was some complaining, moaning, big exhales and pouting involved; It dawned on me that someone really needed a nap.
And when Kinsley ALSO started to whine, I knew our imaginative swim session was really over.
XOXO
Busy Bee Suz 
I swam with the dolphins once. It was indeed magical!
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I’ve been lucky enough to swim with them twice in my life and boy oh boy, how delightful is that? VERY!
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I feel the exact same way about dolphins, totally obsessed! Great video capture Suz. I don’t know if Id have the energy to keep with with a 3 1/2 year old these days, sounds exhausting! She sure is cute though. 🙂
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Dolphins are magical creatures!
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Loved this post. Brought me back to my mermaid princess dolphin days, in the family pool.
Deb
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I’m glad I’ve got you reminiscing about your mermaid dolphin princess days.
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I would be super excited to see a dolphin or porpoise, too! I’ve only seen them in the wild a few times, but they just look like they’re having fun.
I spend a lot of time with my 3 year old grandson, so I can relate. Scenario usually involves lots of matchbox cars and me laying on the couch on my stomach with one arm dangling, pretending to really drive a car all over the place.
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Boys and the matchbox cars. I totally get that.
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Glad you enjoyed your cute great niece!
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Hilarious. You are the rock star kind of aunt little people dream of. This brought me back. I used to sneak up on my kids and video their conversations while playing. “Let’s pretend this guy does this and then that guy wants to do that.” So much plotting what the guys were gonna do and say there was little time to have it happen. This is why I would’ve really struggled if I ended up with an only child.
The dolphins was RIGHT THERE. So exciting. How did you not ask for a ride?
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Those imagination conversations are pretty fun. I remember Lolo having them with Goofy when she was an only child. Hilarious.
You’re right. He should have been my dolphin uber!
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How cool is that dolphin! Seeing dolphins for you is probably like seeing a deer in the wild for me! I can’t stop looking at them and want to frolic in the woods with them! Your niece is adorable and nice of you to give them a break. I’m sure they needed it!
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YOU ARE THE BEST AUNT EVER. Can I adopt you? For real. Ella would love to have an aunt like you, so I am telling her you exist so that she can dream of doing this with you. Hell, I dream of doing this with you.
I’ve never seen a dolphin in actual life. I know. Sad, isn’t it? We’ve been to Destin three times and never did we see one. Each time I was hoping and nope. They never came out. So in my mind, they ARE like mermaids and unicorns. But your video definitely made me think they are. Just disappearing like that. 🙂
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I don’t know about best Aunt ever as I don’t see her very often; she is a little doll with lots of personality.
We have a plethora of dolphins in our area here in the Gulf of Mexico and I still never tire of seeing them. Where we grew up on the East coast (the Atlantic ocean) we didn’t see them nearly as often. I hope you get to see one in person one day! You guys should plan a trip to Discovery Cove in Orlando and you can swim with them; it’s the most magical thing ever.
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I imagine it would be. 🌈
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Little kids will stay in water forever, even when they are shivering and blue, and they will say, “I’M NOT COLD.”
On Saturday the seven-year old granddaughter had a small sad moment at the lake when she said, and I quote, “Ohhh! I forgot my mermaid tail and I really REALLY wanted to bring it.”
The photo of your niece is hilarious.
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I seem to recall as a kid I never wanted to get out of the water, so I should not have been surprised by this.
Mermaid tails:: they are a thing now!
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I would squee with excitement if I had dolphins swimming nearby as well. All I get are woodchucks and skunks. Not nearly as worthy of a squee. As for 3 1/2 year olds? I’m tired just thinking about being a Princess.
😉
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So you’re saying that skunks and woodchucks don’t deserve a squeal? 😳
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Unless the skunks raise their tails? Probably not.
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Now, there’s a porpoise with a purpose: vanishing into thin air. Where the heck did he go?! Maybe he was just swimming in circles under the dock to mess with you, though he’d need a pretty tight turning radius to be able to pull off that feat!
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I believe he was playing hard to get. A dolphin tease, if you will.
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I love dolphins! I can’t believe he was so close!!!
And yes, 3 year olds have so much energy. It was very nice of you to give Coach’s parents a break! I hope you got your nap!
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What fun! Also, how tiring 🙂 3 1/2 year olds are so cute and fun and hoooooo boy, busy busy. You are a top-notch auntie! I never got to play princess/ mermaid/ dolphin when my kids were that age but who knows, perhaps one day!
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Delightful. Play is fun. Who doesn’t love porpoises? And princesses? I trust that your fingers and toes are no longer raisin-y.
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My raisin stint is also over. And you are correct, play is fun and we need more of it in our lives.
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What a cutie-pie! Both the dolphin and the niece! I remember that imaginary play – except with Man-Child it was always “good guys and bad guys”. I also recall that I NEVER got to be the good guy and all of my actions/words during such play where choreographed by him.
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My Grand Girls, nearly 8 and 12, are past this stage and I miss it but I’m kind of glad I don’t have to keep up anymore. You were brave to volunteer.
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