Who Says Teenagers Are Useless?

After an entire day at home during which I not ONCE wanted to ship my children off to Siberia neighbors (no, really. No sarcasm-they were GOOD today), I decided to reward them with a trip to the pool, even though we had all showered earlier in the day. I'm cool like that.

While I roasted in 90 degree heat and thanked the Lord that it wasn't 100 degrees, (and who DOES that by the way-is thankful for 90 degree weather?) the girls happily swam and cavorted and worked off excess energy. They of course made a friend five minutes before I was ready to leave, and proceeded to play for an additional 45 minutes, at which time the other girl's grandpa and I had had enough baking and called the girls in.

Mind you, we are on the sidelines, using our STERN VOICES, trying to persuade three girls to get out of the fun pool and go eat dinner and get ready for bed. We were not successful, mostly because the girls knew Grandpa SO didn't want to get wet again and I was not even dressed for swimming.

So what did we do? We turned to the teenage lifeguard, no doubt waking him up, and jokingly said "hey, isn't it adult swim time?". This young man didn't hesitate - he must have actually been awake and listening to our negotiations. With three blows of his whistle, he used HIS stern voice to inform the girls that they needed to listen to their parents and get out of the pool right now. They could have made the Olympic swim team with the times they clocked getting out.

As we left, I said thanks, and the lifeguard replied, "You're welcome. Have a good evening."

I think I love him. As a SON, mind you.