Swim Lessons

Something had to happen.
We HAD to get OUT of this house on a regular basis!
NO MORE BARBIE!
NO MORE FOOD MESSES!
NO MORE...BARBIE!

It is a HARD job to be a stay-at-home mom!  I'm not trying to "downgrade" how hard working moms work.  I KNOW their job is HARD, too!  But, it is HARD to deal with children from before sun up to WELL after the sun sinks into the horizon!  Imagine being tested in every single thing you said and did all...day...long.  ...EVERY day.  It's exhausting...thankless...humbling.  One day last week, I had had enough.  I had a "Mommy meltdown" of sorts.  The next morning, my husband told me he wanted me to go sign our family up at our local YMCA, so after I worked out, showered, got the kids up and ready for school, and after I took the girls to the doctor and then out to lunch and then, and then and then, and before MY doctor's appointment, I went to the YMCA and signed our family up.  I also signed "The Pixie" and myself up for Mommy-n-Me gymnastics and swim lessons.  We had our first swim lesson on Friday.

I was somewhat afraid of this hour long swim lesson.  I mean, I'm a strong swimmer.  I was a lifeguard in high school, but I'm no Navy Seal, and I've never been trained in water combat.  I also had a feeling I was going into a situation in which water combat, armed or unarmed, would be necessary.  A friend told me I'd be fine, but to wear a life jacket.  I didn't.

The night before, I dug out our swimsuits, towels, shampoo etc.  The next morning, we headed out for our swim lesson.  Darby was PUMPED!  We threw our suits on, and I realized we might have a small problem.  The suits being the "problem."  Darby's, even though it was a 4T, was seriously tight.  Mine, because I haven't pulled my lap swim speedo out in a couple years, had essentially turned into a crumbly, stretched out mess.  It was hanging off my butt!  I actually had to gather the material and hold it when I was out of the pool so I didn't accidentally moon anyone!  Darby, on the other hand, absolutely mooned EVERYONE!  Her little bitty backside had a perpetual wedgie going on.  She didn't care.  No one else seemed to care, and I went to Target the very next day to buy her a new suit.

Darby is a WATER...BABY.

Every time she climbed out of the pool, she'd question, "Can I do it AGAIN?!"  Then, before I counted to three, she was flying through the air, red hair blazing, right in my direction.  Mouth full of water?  No problem!  "Can I do it again?"  Near drowning experience?  No problem!  "Can I do it again?"

"Can I do it again?
Can I do it again?
Can I do it again?"

I almost went rogue several times when these little "water babies" and their moms were taking so long they may as well have been swimming through molasses!

"Can I do it again?"
"YES!  Let's wait for your teacher to tell us what to do first!"
"Can I do it (she jumps and flies through the air, hits the water, pops through the surface and gasps, water dripping down her face) again?"
"Yes.  Just...yes.  Do it again!  Just...do it again!"

We had a little play time at the end of class, and she was happily sitting on the side of the pool.  I told her to stay there and watch me swim to the other side.  I took off, swimming freestyle, to the other side of the pool.  As I was on my way back, swimming breaststroke, Darby stood up and, you got it, JUMPED!  I kicked it in to high gear while the teacher and all the other moms abandoned their posts next to their own little water babies in order to save mine.

Ultimately, we survived and will try again this Friday (after I go to the local sporting goods store to buy a new speedo~wink, wink).
So, here's to water babies everywhere!
Can we do it again?!