It's so much fun to play with little ones in the baby pool. Tossing toys in the air. Tightly holding toddlers while they "float'' on their backs. Swishing them around in the water, and watching them delight at splashing every living person who comes within an 18-inch radius. But I admit, when my daughter was this age and I was incessantly worrying about how much sunscreen had washed off, I occasionaly fantasized about what it would be like -- someday -- to actually go to the pool and relax with a book or chat with a friend. Having just a teeny break from playing, and not worrying every second whether she was getting too close to the edge of the pool when she should have been napping or eating, seemed like a luxury far in the future.

Well, someday came Sunday and now I'm fantasizing about the days that I never read or word or shut an eyelid while we were at the pool. I found myself wishing they were here again. I took my daughter and a friend to the pool Sunday and, gasp, decided to stay too. We, of course, sat in different places -- so that I would not embarrass them -- but I still positioned myself where I could get a constant good view -- and, unbeknownst to them, their every move. About an hour into our stay, they came over and asked if I'd ever let my daughter come to the pool without me, but with friends. Someday, I told them. But I took the hint and moved my blanket a little farther from the girls and their growing group of pals. I read, and worked on a crossword puzzle. I even caught up with friends. I guess the worrying never ends, it just takes a different form.