Tell me I’m not the grossest mother ever. Or don’t.

Honestly, after 21.5 years as a mom, I don’t really care what people think.

Which is a darn good thing.

As I sent my 9 year old off to the shower just now

on August 18th

ten solid weeks into summer vacation

it occurred to me that this might be no more than her 3rd shower since school got out.

Gross. But whatever.

She’s been in the pool. A lot.

She’s soaped up with Dawn dish soap.

A LOT of Dawn dish soap. (see below)

She’s been in a half-dozen lakes.

Run through the sprinkler.

Danced in the rain.

And she doesn’t smell. Not too bad, anyway.

I’d say the summer was a success.

And thank God for lakes and sprinklers and pools,

because otherwise

I’d be the grossest mom ever. If I cared.

Update: last night after her shower I went to tuck her in, anticipating the delicious smell of clean kid. Instead I was bombarded by the toxic scent of bug repellant. She has this real or imagined mosquito she thinks is out to get her. She covered herself with that nasty stuff. See . . . what’s the point?

I look forward to that clean kid smell

next month. . .

And check out the best way to get clean in the summer. My daughter came up with body bubbles all by herself. She said a bubble happened one day in the shower and that’s where she got the idea. I think it’s adorable genius!