The mother in law can no longer handle pool time. The kids love to swim and have their pool time. While the mother in law "grandma" tries to watch it has been driving her crazy.
I don't want her to come out and see the kids swim, not because she is bothersome but to save her from herself. I can handle she treats me as if I am not at the pool watching the kids. She will sit right next to me off and on but like I am not even there. She won't speak a word to me...chop liver.
It's her actions and words that make me wanna protect her from her own mind. Normally I would get all over the kids asses, for tormenting her or anyone else about playing around of drowning but... There is nothing I can do.
The last 3 or 4 times around the pool grandma has been showing weird behaviors.
Once I just started counting, 10 seconds every 10 seconds for 25 minutes she kept sifting. She could not sit still for more then 10 seconds. She kept getting up and walking and sitting in every chair there was around the pool. Every two minutes she asked the kids where their older sister was. She would come to me and say she was too hot, go to the gate then turn around and find shade. The younger kids are used to asking the same questions over and over and just repeat the same answer as if the question was asked for the first time. She told the younger kids to get out of the pool and dry off. So they came to me, their towels at my feet, I just said get back in the pool. But grandma said get out, I know go ahead and swim. She yells at them to swim if they are just hanging out. Make them swim! They can take a break they don't have to swim constantly while in the pool, I say.
The last few times she is on there cases to come up for air. She gets on their cases don't swallow the water. She gets on their cases if she thinks they are taking too long to jump in for the first time. Oh my, it was every minute she yelled at my oldest to jump in. I know you can swim get in! Oh come on you can swim get in! It really bothers her if she doesn't see them constantly swimming. It really bothers her if they are under water more then 2 seconds.
The other day the two younger ones where playing with a quarter in the pool. They would toss it and the other person had to retrieve it. Unfrotunately the pool was especailly sparkling clean and they had problems seeing the quarter. In their play they would talk to each other about helping find the quarter. What a nasty and mean laugh the mother law would give them everytime they talked to each other about the quarter. Haha, meanly its long gone! The children would respond it's in the pool. They play and talk to each other about the quarter. Haha evil in sounding each time a response it was gone or stolen. She was very mean in sounding. Finally I told her to stop telling the kids the quarter is gone it is in the pool just as they been telling her. NO! it's not in the pool she demanding. Yes it is, they keep throwing it in. NO they have been looking for that quarter for three weeks. Dispite her anger I tried to keep calm and say again they just threw in the quarter and have been playing with it.
Ok fine I will just sit here and say nothing she replied, crossing her arms and pout on her face like a child.
Her evil and mean laugh, reminded me of the (pasted) father in law . He would have a laugh that was mean in tone too.
A neighbor said hi to her yesterday, she replied come in the gate is right over there, the kids are in the pool come watch them. The neighbor declined and gave a reason of too busy. I snickered she didn't hear me, I don't know just found it funny.
She is pacing around the pool more and more, it makes me nervous, very nervous. She might fall in, she does have problems walking from time to time. Sure she can swim but will she remember she can? Will she hurt herself in the process of falling in? She is fragile I would not be able to pull her up from me being on the outside of the pool, I would have to get in and help her to the side, or across the pool to the steps. Would she panic?
A lifetime ago I did get training and certification in lifesaving for pool. I can handle the situation if it were to come up, I better train my oldest in case, I am not there.
