Tub Time
Some days are better than others and today was planned to be one of the better ones! I had it all figured out, everything under control. I had just enough time to relax in the bath this morning.
First, get my six year-old’s breakfast ready and serve it casual style (in front of the TV on the coffee table in the living room), check.
Next, turn on A Charlie Brown Christmas, he loves A Charlie Brown Christmas (which will give me about twenty minutes of me time), check.
Now, I run to my room, into the bathroom and turn on the bath water, HOT.
Bath Bomb is in! Bubbles are starting to form. Oh, I can’t wait. Come on tub fill up, I don’t have much time! I think while entranced by the water flowing from the spout.
“Maaameeee!” Azul’s bellow snapped me out of it.
“Yes, my love.” I said while heading back out to the living room to face my parental duties.
Whoa! To my surprise I was met in the hall by a naked little boy. “I want to take a bath,” he explained.
“I thought you were eating?” I probably sounded more exasperated than I meant to.
He replied, pushing his belly out in front of him as far as he could and rubbing it, “I’m full.”
“Okay. Let’s go fill up your tub, but first I’m going to turn my water off.” So, with my quiet time on hold we get Azul ready for his bath.
Thirty minutes full of bubbles, washing body parts and hair, and some playing went by as slow as you could imagine. All I wanted was a quick soak.
Azul is now out of the tub, oiled up, hair combed, with robe on and says, “Can I have a good boy bath treat?”
“You still have to eat your breakfast, then you can.” His breakfast was the only audience in front of the TV with the DVD’s menu running on repeat.
I follow him into the living room, make sure he is good, and set-up Charlie Brown again. Okay, we’re all good!
Now, I can continue where I left off, I turn my water back on, light the candles I have strategically placed around the tub to create a relaxing ambiance, and “Maaameeee!”
Aaugh!
I yelled back from my bathroom, “What, my love?”
Still in separate rooms, he yelled, “Can I have a good boy bath treat?”
“Did you finish breakfast?” I was not going to get tricked into going back to the living room, not this time.
The yelling continued, “Yes, I did.”
More yelling, “Then yes you can. I’m jumping into the tub, okay.” Spa music is now playing on Pandora.
“Okay,” he yelled back one last time.
I slide into the warm water filled with bubbles, start getting comfortable and … sit on something! I reach into my perfectly planned escape and pull out a wet sudsy plastic green army man! Why wouldn’t I?
Good grief Charlie Brown.
Not so fast!
I had been looking forward to a day of relaxation at a local spa and bath house for quite some time, and that day was finally here! My plan was to get there early and soak in their outdoor tub, then get a massage and then soak some more. I wore my bathing suit, an unassuming, full coverage, one-piece, black suit I always use when I soak, under my cover-up so I could start relaxing the moment I got there. After my massage, I put my bathing suit back on and went outside to the “women only” pool. This is the pool where, obviously, there are only women, and many of them strip down to the buff in a comfortable atmosphere. After looking around (I know I’m not supposed to be looking, but there is all this skin and hair everywhere), finally, I spot a lounge chair, lay back and get comfortable. I had just gotten a massage, my body felt good, and after peeking at my companions I was feeling pretty good about myself too. I started thinking, why am I ashamed to get naked when these ladies aren’t, what am I afraid of, I look alright. And that’s when I did it. For the first time ever, I slid out of my suit, and the sun felt awesome. It was a beautiful bright Fall day and I took full advantage. Well they say “All good things must come to an end,” and they did, but I felt rejuvenated and also got a bonus self-esteem boost… until evening rolled around. There may be a reason all those parts never see the light of day — THEY GET BURNED! And I was, figuratively and literally.
Carmelina Hart 