Saturday, August 2, 2014

Just Keep Swimming

223/365

What a Busy Busy Day.  Oy!  We were partying all day long, and didn't get home until 5. But what a great way to go!   To start, last week was our last swim class.  But with all the crazy - I must confess I wasn't too disappointed when it got cancelled due to weather.  It meant I got an earlier start on my road trip, and Eric made it to the Family Reunion on time.   AND as an added bonus, we had the last swim class on a day we could make it, and still be able to stay late.  We usually try to end the swim season by paying to stay late, and swim as much as we can.  The water was cold, but our moods are good.

During the last class, I dropped the boys off to swim, and I ran to the grocery store, to pick up some picnic makin's.  Well, to make a long story short, I locked my keys in the car, and didn't realize it until checkout.  I sat there with Jake and my cheese, and started to freak out... when I looked up and saw a Pike Department Fire Truck.  Now, my father-in-law works with them, and they've always struck me as a classy team, so I took a chance, and went over and asked if they could help me get into my car.  Since it wasn't an official run, they could, and did!  I was exhausted from the stress before I even got back to the pool.  But then I got to see my boys finish their swim season.


For me, this was my proudest moment.  See that tiny speck at the top of the giant waterslide?
That's Christopher!  

He is still 1 1/2 inches too short to technically ride that waterslide, but his teachers know he's a strong enough swimmer to let him go down.  So, as a reward, for the end of the year, they let him, just the one time, before the pool technically opened.  And the lifeguard stayed close.  


And he did Great!  
I'm so proud of him!  



Sam generally has been kind of scared of getting wet, or going down slides, or getting wet.  
He told me that earlier in the class season, he slipped off the kickboard and was terrified he'd drown.  He clearly didn't, but he must've sputtered and been traumatized, because anytime we or they try to get him out in water and get his head wet, he freaks out.  


Sam will get out there eventually, but in the mean time, he's ok at the edge.  And he stays pretty close to us. I don't have to worry about him doing any daring tricks.   So he stayed close to Daddy and Jake. After our picnic we went right back into the pool and played some more.  I could see why the kids were blue so often this season, it was rather cold.  But it's been a chilly summer.  And actually, even though it was cold, it felt good to soak.  Gravity sucks.  I much prefer to take the edge off my joints in a nice pool.  And cold, well, I couldn't feel the pain in my joints anyway.  I could barely feel my legs.  ;)  But the kids don't care.  They play until they are blue. 


Then there's this one, who was going down the kiddie slide like he was surfing.  


Jacob made some progress today too.  
He and Daddy were doing the baby slides.  
He didn't love it, but he kept going around on his own and climbing up the stairs.  
This year, he needs a little help.  



But I bet by next year, he'll be doing it all on his own.  


Christopher is more my daring one.  


Sam did venture around the splash zone, and got a little wet by the sprinklers.  
Not his hair of course, but he let the rest of him get wet.  


Jacob was getting a lot braver walking around in the shallow water.  


OK, when we all started getting really cold, we had to tell Chris, one more waterslide ride for the road. 
So he did his surfer trick down the slide. 


Totally surfer dude! 


Like I said, it was a little chilly, so all the kids lay like lizards in the sun to warm up a bit.  


We were going to John's birthday party, but it wasn't until 2, and the kids were done at 1.  So, how do you kill a bit of time after a good swim.  The answer - ice cream!  Well, frozen custard anyway. We took over the joint!  Nothing cures a swim exhaustion like a mass trip to Culver's.  That cured what ailed me.  Daddy and Jake shared some fried cheese curds.  Jake may be our child after all.  He liked my chocolate ice cream, and daddy's fried cheese.  The kids had fun at the big kid table while the grownups chatted a bit.  Good times, and a perfect end to the swim season.  


Afterward we went to John John's 1st birthday party.  His cake was orange.  And it was great.  


Nothing says a successful first birthday party like a sweetboy covered in icing, and smiling madly because he's hyped up on sugar.  Ah...


Then the sugar crash came, and he needed out, and a bath, and a nap. 
And we left shortly thereafter.  It's fun to see Jacob's baby friends get older too.  They are growing way too fast.  But what a great day to spend a summer day. 

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