Two Moments in the Dells

Last year while in the Dells, I captured daily posts about our four-day, three-night stay. This year, I did not do that, not so much because it would have been the same stories as last year (afterall, we were staying at the same resort) nor because there were just no experiences worthy of sharing -- it wasn't the same and there were plenty of sharable experiences.  I'm in a bit of a lull with my writing, finding it hard to find the time and, when I do, finding it hard to stay on point.  I start with simple stories and find myself wandering into unfinished (and, as a result, unposted) novels.  It's already happening with this one.  Enough!

Anyway, we left the Dells today, three days after we arrived, two days after friends Pam and Joe left and one day after Cal's friend Colin and his dad left.  And from those four days with all of those people, there are two very simple moments I want to share.

Moment 1:
Pam and I were floating down one of the lazy rivers at the resort, keeping Cal in check. This year, he loved spending time in the lazy river not in or on an inflated tube but tubeless, half running and half swimming with the current.  When he was with Colin and Mark (Colin's dad), I was okay floating on a tube alongside Pam and well behind Cal; when Colin and Mark got out and Cal wanted to stay in, I insisted he stay with us and not stray far ahead.  He accepted this condition of his continuing to enjoy the lazy river and actually adhered to it without much reminder from me to do so.

All of this is the lead-in to the shareable moment about which I don't even remember all of the details.  I think Cal may have taken a break from his run-swim and grabbed on to my tube.  He wanted to say or ask me something and started with, "Mama..."

I don't remember what he said after that.  What I do remember is how incredibly special I felt at that moment when that beautiful boy... that miracle of a human being... that eventual independent man... called me "Mama" in his unique Cal voice.  He calls no one else "Mama," just me.  I am this kid's mom!  What a gift I was given!

Clearly this wasn't the first time Cal's called me "Mama."  I don't know what about this particular time struck me any differently than the others.  Perhaps it was his vulnerability and my instinct to protect him.  Perhaps it was because it was in the presence of my childhood friend.  Perhaps the moment was one of no stress, no need to rush out the door and no distractions that enabled me to really hear him.  Whatever it was, it was truly a special moment for me.

Moment 2:
Our days in the Dells started and ended with a visit to the indoor water park.  There were a few water slides in there worthy of some time and to try to enjoy them midday is next to impossible with the crowds.

Two of these slides require an inflated tube, and two do not.  All of them require that you be 48" to ride, else you need to ride with an adult (or not at all).  Yesterday, we finally convinced Ella to give the requiring-a-tube slides a shot.

She's four ("and a half" she now adds), so this was no easy feat for her little self.  Getting to the top of the slide required a long stair climb; and, once at the top, getting down the slide -- the first time an entirely unknown path -- required a lot of faith that her family and the lifeguard weren't leading her somewhere she really wouldn't want to go or be.

For Ella to go down the slide, she had to be positioned on top of me positioned over the rear hole of the figure-eight tube, her little buns situated between my legs and her body lying on my stomach and chest such that her head was snugly tucked into the left side of my neck.  As we were in our bathing suits, there was a lot of skin-to-skin contact.

Immediately after Cal and Ella were each born, the nurse or midwife placed my newborn baby on my bare chest.  They say skin-to-skin contact is a natural way to build and further the bond between a mother and her new baby after birth.  I understand it even has some health benefits for the baby, too.  Good for the baby, yes... good for this mama, absolutely -- it was a wonderful feeling when the kids were born and, evidently, still is.

Riding those water slides with Ella draped on top of me... feeling her skin on mine... feeling the weight of her little body on mine... feeling her trust in me... feeling her fears and knowing I would keep her safe... hearing her, copying me, say "thank you" to the guard as he pushed us down the slide... I could have ridden those water slides with her all day.  We probably did ride them for an hour and a half -- Ella leading us up the stairs, the two of us zipping down the slide and me making sure we didn't tip at the base of the slide or on any part of our navigation with the current to the exit for another round.  It took Ella's need to go potty and my brain kicking in to tell us to experience stuff outside to stop us.

These were two very simple moments in the Dells that pulled on my heartstrings without anyone knowing.  I am one happy, lucky mama to have been given these gifts.