Category Archives: swimming

That time Regan was stupid.

If I’ve told him once I’ve told him a thousand times. You CANNOT jump INTO the edge of the pool.  He jumps and then turns back to the edge while in the air! But did he listen to me or any other adult who saw him pull this stunt? Noooo. For a couple of summers now he’s been pulled out of pools whenever he’s jumped in wrong. And told why and what will happen. But did he believe me (or any adult)? Nope. So he just kept doing the stupid thing of jumping into the edge of the pool.

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So I’m in the pool doing swim lessons (meaning I had a baby in a foatie with one hand and a three year old jumping to me with no floaties) Regan was playing with is buddy next to me a few feet away, the girls were on the steps. All kids heads were above water and life was shiny. And then I see him jump like he is not supposed to and then the screaming. And the blood. And me being grateful we were in the shallow end (because it could have been SO SO much worse. In all ways.) and pissed about it all.IMG_8894I was just pissed. I’m not even going to lie. I was not sympathetic at all. Especially after he said, “I believe you now Mom!” To which I yelled, “Ya think!” I may have scarred my friends kids.

And then after a quick exam of the wounds and his teeth I mentioned that it looked like he needed stitches but not a dentist. Oh, boy! I mean he totally lost his brain at that point and my friend who had gone inside to take care of littles ran outside to see why Regan was dying. She was equally non sympathetic (because of all the times she had told Regan) and used it as a great visual life lesson on why there are safety rules.IMG_8896I told him I’d try some butterflys and see how that goes and that if he was lucky Dad wouldn’t have to take him to get stitches. So I hauled four soaking wet kids home and put on my nurse hat. I told him I didn’t want to hear one complaint about the pain. And you know what, he thought that was fair. So lots of ouchy faces, but no whiny chatter. IMG_8897He held rock still while I disinfected and closed him up.IMG_8898Jon brought home tagaderm so we could shower him up and keep everything in place.IMG_8909This was the next morning when I checked it. All his med ointment for his skin had loosened the adhesive and I had to redo his butterfly and tagaderm. But it was already staying together and not popping apart.

So he has some “when I was young and dumb” scars on his chin. But it’s okay because he believes me now…. (I’m not still ticked about this at all.)

Labor day 2015

We got to go check out the Benton’s newly refinished pool.
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The new slide is fantastic.DSC00787

V did great in the pool this time. YEA! And Monkey girl was SUPER mad at me for having left her with her new parents for the weekend. It took her a long time to be happy with me. 🙁DSC00788

Jon and R didn’t get in the pool. R enjoyed land play and toys. We had fun with family so that’s a win. 🙂DSC00798 MOV00793 MOV00803

Swimming lessons 2015

Our awesome friends have the most amazing pool. Half of it is only 3ish feet. It’s PERFECT for teaching children to swim. I made a happy deal with my friend. Her kiddos try to live in the pool during the summer. She babysits a couple of littles and so she can’t take them swimming and she doesn’t like her kids to be unsupervised.
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The deal was I could come over every day and do swim lessons with Kaylee and Regan as long as I also did lifeguard duty. So for over a month this summer we spent a couple of hours in the pool Monday – Friday. Man, oh MAN! The progress. The skills. The confidence.

Day one Kaylee would hardly put a toe in the water. When Gillian asked her to jump off the diving board Kaylee’s response was, “No. I’m too worried”

Gillian: Worried about what.

Kaylee: That I will drown and DIE! (It was not the first time she had uttered those words.)

Thankfully Gillian just shrugged her little shoulders and jumped and swam anyway.  Kaylee kept talking about drowning and dying and I was really worried that we would end up breaking Gillian and her fearless fish like self. But we didn’t. She kept being a little fish and showed Kaylee and Regan how fun the water can be.

IMG_7513Poor dude totally biffed it and gave himself a minor bloody nose. It kept him out of the pool for about ten minutes ant then he was back in. Diving, swimming, using his little legs and arms to shoot through the water like a shark.

I took all these photos the last day we swam before our family vacation. Our friends were leaving right after we got back, and then summer break was about done after that.IMG_7514

He was very upset to be out of the pool until the bleeding stopped.

IMG_7520Our little Monkey HATED the water at the start of our swim adventure. But by the last day she was ALL about the pool. She especially like putting swim goggles on. And the big boys were super helpful babysitting her (next to me while she was in her floatie) when I was working with Kaylee and Regan.IMG_7532Jodi’s kids are fish, and were great co teachers during swim lessons. They gave such great tips and words of encouragement. Especially for Kaylee. They really cheered her on.IMG_7546And just look at her GO! From not wanting her feet in the water to full on swimming in just over a month!IMG_7560She is swimming the width of the pool in the DEEP end. Gillian’s face says it all. We were all just SO proud of her for concurring her fears. No drowning and dying for this one. 😉

She first swam the width of the deep and them immediately wanted to swim the length. I’m not gonna lie. I was super nervous about her swimming the length. But she killed it. Swam until she could stand up! AMAZING!

IMG_7576They were all doing crazy jumps off the board into the pool I was laughing SO hard. I didn’t get nearly enough video.

IMG_7582 IMG_7588 IMG_7594 IMG_7624 IMG_7652 IMG_7655 IMG_7671After two hours of swimming we would come home shower up, get the baby down for a nap and climb into my bed for a movie. Because swimming in 110+ heat wears a person out.