Mermaids and underwater tea parties. . .

When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time in the pool with my legs together and my feet splayed, pretending to be a mermaid. That just what girls do.

My mermaid love was further fueled by the dazzling beauty of Daryl Hannah in the movie "Splash."

I have to admit that I've always felt a bit betrayed by my genes and their refusal to make me grow up into a 5'10 blond amazon. I also have to admit that the movie "Splash," besides still being delightful, makes me ponder getting a crimping iron. My sister had one in the '80s that I borrowed sometimes, and it did add fantastic body and texture to my stick-straight hair.

So today, I was on Pinterest, as I am every day, trying to fill the whistling void within my soul by hoarding ideas I hope to someday pursue. And I came across this pin:

So now, I want to go back in time and give the amazing FINIS Mermaid Swim Fin to my child self.

Perhaps a more practical idea is for me to get one of these babies for Savannah a few years down the line.

And now I have another idea for a swimming pool accessory designed to make every little girl happy. Remember having an "underwater tea party," where you stay underwater as long as you can and pretend to sip an imaginary cup of tea? Perhaps the imaginative pool-owner could affix a pretty little tea table and chairs to the bottom of their pool. There are probably some safety concerns there, but one might say that life itself poses some safety concerns.

Happy swimming!

--Sarah Torribio