Hurray for swimming....

Swimming is one of our favorite summer activities, although this hasn't always been the case for me. For years I was too humiliated to be seen in public in a swimming suit, but then I reached that point of parenthood where you just aren't embarrassed about anything anymore. Although I must admit there is a bit of apprehension each time we exit the dressing room to see the crowd at the children's pool- how many perfect bodied mom's will be poolside today? Most often I take a look around and think - in reference to how I look in a swim suit - "Well, it could definitely be better, but it could also be worse." So I find contentment in being in the average zone most of the time. Although while swimming last week, a size 1 girl was there with my same swimming suit on! This was not at all fun for me and I was just waiting for my Eli to make the comparison between "big" and "little" like he learned about in preschool this year.

Asher's favorite activity at the pool is picking up food off the ground and eating it. I spend way too much time chasing him around the deck running interference between dropped food and his mouth. Maybe more exciting toys to play with in the pool will minimize the time spent out of the pool scrounging around for food....

Asher shoving a fresh-from-the-ground Tic Tac that I thought I had taken away. I think he decided to go for it again when he saw me trying to take his picture and knew I couldn't get to him quick enough to take it away again. 20 month olds are way smarter than I give them credit for....

Eli has increased his pool bravery 100 fold. He's always been nervous around the water and swimming lessons this spring at the indoor pool only made it worse. Once his teacher tried to get him to put has face in the water and blow bubbles, it was all over. He wouldn't go back to lessons again. So I was really surprised when he, all on his own, started going down the tube slide in the kiddie pool. He must go down that slide over 100 times each time we've gone swimming this summer. He always wants me to watch him and give him the "thumbs up" when comes out the bottom of the slide into the pool. He still grins from ear to ear, most likely the result of the satisfaction of having overcome a huge fear of his.

Eli is so proud of himself for conquering the tube slide at the pool!

Oakley spends his time going down the big waterslide and in the lazy river. He often makes friends with other kids and plays with them. So I just have to check on him regularly and he is totally self-entertained, which is so nice! The only problem with Oakley at the pool is that he never, ever wants to leave. Even after four, five, six hours of swimming- he is totally mad when I tell him it's time to go. The solution I've found to this problem is the kiddie pool closes at 8:00 p.m. The lifeguards blow their whistles and yell that the pool is closed. They turn off the water to all of the slides and things on the play equipment. The big pool stays open for two more hours, but Oakley and Eli think that both pools are closed- so they willingly get out. The entertaining thing is Oakley yells out at all the people in the big pool as we're walking into the dressing rooms, "The pool is closed! You need to get out!" Most people completely ignore him, but once in a while he'll get a strange look from somebody. I'm dreading the day someone actually responds to him and tells him that the big pool isn't closed until 10:00.