ML - day 7

It's back to work Monday for most people ... actually, hardly anyone I know... Besides it being our winter holiday, our nanny and Tolga are the only ones that came/went to work today.

Teoman outside his preschool

I brought Teoman to his preschool this morning.  We had taken a few days off last week because of the snow, and today he wasn't so thrilled to go back.  He's often complaining about two boys that are always fighting.  I'm not sure what to do about this.  Do I make him push through it - learn to deal with "bad" kids?  Or, take him out?  Either way, it's not a decision I will make today because I know how quickly a three year olds mind can change, and I know sometimes things are made bigger than they are, for the sake of attention.  He has good friends their too.  So I'm hoping those good things outweigh the bad.  He dragged his feet a lot this morning, and we were "late" getting to school (meaning he got their after breakfast), but we were happy to find two snowmen outside the school doors.  I guess they didn't have "snow days" at the pre-school like the rest of Ankara.

I went to the gym afterwards to go swimming.  I enjoy swimming, I hate exercising - but I am feeling so good with swimming.  I float ... how can that NOT feel good?  I've always thought of myself as a good swimmer - until one day when I watched a good swimmer at a summer camp.  She was in her 50s and the camp director, and she was doing an early morning swim in the lake.  I had no one to compare her too, as she was swimming by herself, but appeared so graceful and quick cutting through the lakes black waters - I realize I definitely did not have her technique.  (I learned later that she had trained for the Olympics at one point in her life).

I, on the other hand, took swim lessons when I was 6 years old.  The place was in the woods somewhere and it was called Christian Brothers something-or-other.  I'm not sure what inspired my parents to give us swim lessons - especially knowing money always seemed to be tight when we were young.  Maybe it was considered a necessity in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes".  But I remember it, and I am grateful for it.  Minnesota summers can be quite hot - but our lessons were early in the morning,  in the shade of a forest, and my lips were always purple in the pool.  I clearly remember the thrill of swimming in "deep" water for the first time, as well as jumping off the diving board and dog paddling to the side.  As I got older, I remember the swim tests to pass the different levels - learning to tread water and the different swim strokes.  To this day I can tread water effortlessly and endlessly - something I kind of thought everyone could do until watching my brother-in-law and husband struggle after a few minutes in deeper water.

Snacks after her nap, still taking care of baby

When I finished swimming I had big circles around my eyes from my goggles that added years to my face.  But I felt good.  I went home - Tomris was happily playing with her Babanne, and she paused to follow me around and help me "organize" the baby clothes.  That's what she even told me:
"I'm gonna help you organize the baby clothes."

It's really amazing the words and phrases she picks up from me.  I left the house again a little bit later to pick Teoman up from pre-school.  Zuleyha, the nanny, didn't want me to go, and didn't want me to go alone - but I was stubborn about it.  She said it was to slippery and I might fall - but I said I should be okay, and left anyway.  It was slippery at parts - but I'm finding that I enjoy walking less and less these days.  I am just too heavy.  I think I'll send Gokhan to pick up Teoman tomorrow.