How to lure a child into a swimming pool

Yesterday was the Diplomat's first day of leisure. He is taking 6 weeks between his old job and his start at the Foreign Service for pure leisure (apparently equated with laziness in his mind). That means an obscene amount of playing tennis for him while I sit there and roll my eyes and make snide remarks. He even suggested I go and watch him play (clearly, to admire him). I just don't see it in the cards for him. Mirka gets paid to go to those games, I don't. I did put him to use yesterday though--he took the car for inspection, changed the oil and bought tomatoes. I am one lucky, lucky lady!

The highlight of our day was taking Son to our pool. It is a bit odd--when we vacationed in Bermuda, Son was all about the pool. He would jump off the ledge and play with us in there. For the past few months he has behaved as if there are monsters in the pool (or maybe people offering him food since he behaves like that when I try to feed him as well). Well, yesterday we found a cool baby flotation thingy and stuffed him in it. After the initial shock, he loved it. Only proves that one has to be a little pushy with new things at times with small kids, otherwise they might never try them. Although we really don't have that kind of problem with Son. He is the absolute risk-taker, I truly hope he does not become an investment banker or Chairman of the National Bank of Greece. As a side note, Son has also taken on feeding himself lately--a turn of events heartily saluted by his parents. For let me tell you--there is no other more boring/frustrating/unnerving/maddening/discouraging routine event in motherhood world than trying to feed a protesting child by shoving spoons of food in his mouth while he tries to send it flying up in the air. Since Son had a bit of a weight issue, feeding him has been a (boring) priority for me. I am (sadly) known as the mom who is always chasing Son with a spoon at the playground. So, let's hope this lasts.

I had thought that Sunday was our last night hosting friends in NYC, but I was wrong. A couple of our closest friends who couldn't make it to the party in Saturday called me earlier in the day and came over for a BBQ. It was a nice surprise to see them (and to find out they were expecting a second baby!!) and to have dinner on the patio. When they were leaving, I noticed that my friend's purse was huge--you know the type, they call them the "mothership" purses, and we had a nice, productive discussion about it. I never quite got the large purse syndrome (it is a syndrome, I swear!). I carry three things in mine--keys, phone, wallet. I cannot for the life of me think of anything else to put in there. My purses are tiny and I have always been intimidated by women with those large monsters. It is almost as if they are saying to me--"we are very important, our bags are full of important and fascinating things, you got nothing!"

One last piece of news: I now come clean and admit that I have also been taking the Foreign Service exam and have managed to somehow pass through to Oral Assessment. I scheduled it yesterday for September 2. Everyone--circle the date and pray.