Night Swim

This summer has held a big, BIG change for us.  Early July, my in-laws moved into our neighboring town. It's a six minute commute driveway to driveway.  I am happy for them in so many ways but selfishly speaking, I'm happy for me and the kids too.

Exhibit A:  Yesterday was the first time in 9 years I went to a gyno appointment without kids. You'd have thought I hit the lottery.

Exhibit B: The girls are in heaven, especially when their cousins and aunts are here. It doesn't hurt that my in-laws now have a beautiful in-ground pool nestled in a giant, private, peaceful backyard either.

Their pool is a great place to take CB who is still in diapers, has a seizure disorder and is unable to swim - all of which makes it difficult to take her into the big pool at our swim club. Instead, we can swing by Grandma's house any time and CB is in her happy place... and I am relaxed instead of stressed.  

 

This week we went over for a night swim with our two nieces.  It was F-U-N.  Simple, yet fun.  I love 'simple fun.'  LOVE it.

At some point Tink came swimming up smiling and said "I can't believe I'm saying this... but' I'm going BUNGEE JUMPING."  

"Oh, really?" I asked. "Where are you doing that?" I was mildly confused, but kids have such great imaginations so who knew what she was talking about.

"Yeah, help me get my bathing suit off... I'm doing it! I'm going bungee jumping!"

I soon figured out that she meant SKINNY DIPPING, not bungee jumping.  She had them a tad confused. They have so much in common I can see where she made the mistake.

Don't ask me how she even knows what skinny dipping IS.  

 Switching gears a little...

I received the first issue of Pentimento, a literary magazine for the disabled community. My friend Lori is the Publisher and Editor of this beautiful magazine and has been working hard for years to launch it. Her son and CB were in school together 100 lifetimes ago in Maryland. He is also on the Autistic Spectrum. I am so thrilled our paths have crossed again and I can see this magazine bloom from concept to real.

I sat in my sunroom after sending my children out to wash the minivan. I use the word "wash" loosely.

My heart was still as I read Elizabeth Dolan's poem, and I felt a deep kinship with Erika Konya's essay "Tribes." The magazine, similar in look and feel to The Sun, is perfection. Furthermore, it fills a huge gap in their target community.  There is nothing like it that exists at present - NOTHING.

Pentimento has a website, but they are currently a print-only magazine. Therefore, they rely on subscriptions and the contribution of the community's most lovely and honest poetry, prose, photography, artwork and 'uncut' pieces. They are looking for art work and writings by children, teens, and adults living with any type of neurodiversity, physical or cognitive differences. They also welcome pieces written by parents, grandparents, caregivers and people working in the helping profession.

Pentimento is published twice a year, Summer and Winter.  Subscriptions can be purchased for $10.00/year (in the US only. $20 in all other countries). Please be patient with the website - it is a work in progress! Staff is reading now for the December 2013 issue. Visit Pentimento for submission guidelines or to subscribe. There are some remaining FREE first copies available - email Lori directly at lori@pentimentomag.org if you would like to have a trial issue for free! And don't forget to submit and encourage others you know (especially those living with disabilities) to submit art, prose and poetry as well.