Why I Swim

We went swimming yesterday. There are many things that I love about summer. Parades, carnivals, Fourth of July, fireworks, having my kids home...Swimming is not one of the things I love. There are many reasons I don't love swimming:
1. It involves water
2. I don't like water in my face
3. There are usually a lot of people in the pool and I don't like that many people around
4. When I was a kid I was afraid of drowning. As an adult, I know I won't drown because I will stay out of the deep. But, I am afraid of my children drowning. Although they have taken and will continue to take swimming lessons, they can't really swim well and I am a nervous wreck the whole time.
5. It takes a lot of work to get four of us ready to go swimming and it never fails, I always forget something. Yesterday it was a towel for myself and dry clothes for Noah to change into.
6. At least one of us always ends up getting a sunburn no matter how much sunblock we put on. This time it was me that got the worst sunburn, Cora was a close second.
7. I have to wear a swimming suit. Even back when I had my "girlish" figure, I hated swimming suits. Now that my figure has changed:) I hate it even more.

Despite all of this, we went swimming yesterday. My sister, Tiffany, called and delivered a very convincing speech about why we should come swimming with them. So, we went swimming. It wasn't that bad. In fact, I actually enjoyed myself as much as I could.

This was Noah's first attempt at swimming and he really enjoyed it. He kept sticking his face against the water trying to taste it, then he would inhale and start coughing. He would look up at me and give me this look like "What did you do that for, mom?" He was pleasant the whole time. Cora is a fish, she loves the water and the swimming lessons she took last summer are really paying off. She has more self confidence and is more independent in the water. Lily was very timid. She is like her Mom and doesn't like the water in her face. But, she was very brave and went down the little slide that they have and splashed around in the shallow end with us.

So, I guess the moral of the story is: I don't like swimming, but sometimes we have to do things we don't like-right? And, a little sacrifice on my part pays off. My kids were happy. And, according to Lily, I am "the best mom ever" for taking them. Of course, that will quickly change when I require them to eat their vegetables before getting down from the table or something equally as miserable. It is then when I will become the "worst mom ever" But being the best mom ever, if only for a day, is good for me!