Height Hath Not Its Privileges

Mom decided that she'd like to play photographer for a while today. She's actually really good at it--I wish she'd take the time and take a class or two to develop her unpolished skill. All that to say, though, that she had me help her herd Aubrey and Evan into the van and we all drove out to the local Municipal Park to take some pictures.

The temperature is only vaguely boiling today, so it truly wasn't bad. I had a good time helping her be artsy-fartsy and working with the location. She even took some pictures of me when the occasion called for it, the sly devil. We were just finishing up when the swing set was freed of small children, and we all went over there to take a few final pictures. There was much lovey doviness as Evan pushed Aubrey on the swing and they smiled together. They moved off to the little climbing wall when I thought I'd be clever and swing for a while by myself while I waited for them to be finished. I'd walked behind them holding sunglasses and stuff, so I felt a few little travels through the air would be in order.

However, there was a problem that didn't appear, at first, to be totally insurmountable. The swings were too high for me to get up on easily. Now, let's just take a moment and examine this little dilemma, shall we? I'm five feet, two inches tall. Just how tall, pray tell, is the average CHILD? The child that's supposed to be able to play on the PLAYGROUND? How are kids that are only four feet tall supposed to be getting up on that gargantuan swing? But I digress. A little jump was in order to get up into the swing.

As luck would have it, my usual poise and grace in such times was with me. Yes, I'm sure the picture is coming clear to you now. As I lifted myself, I landed in the seat. I experienced a brief moment of victory...that is, until I realized that I was slowly falling BACKWARD. I managed to hold on long enough to land somewhat lightly, but the fact remains that I was on my back looking up at sky.

This has happened to me too many times for it to be a surprise. Of course, being me, I started to laugh at myself. About three milliseconds later, I could hear Mom's, Aubrey's, Evan's, and the lady on the big swing that I didn't know's guffaws joining with me in the air. Ahem. They enjoyed themselves for a while, until I finally managed to get back on my feet and brush myself off. A girl wearing a bikini who obviously thought she was hot stuff sitting on a nearby bench wouldn't look at me. Maybe she thought klutziness was contagious. Who knows?

It all goes to show that no day is normal when I'm around to fall flat on my butt. My mother is still laughing about it downstairs. I like hearing her laugh, so I won't complain. Much.

I was going to include pictures of my victory, but my computer's rioting. I'll try again later.