Summertime Froggy Swim

Last summer, the boys and their cousins found a frog one evening they named Billy. They swam with him for the whole evening until he finally hopped away! They were always on the lookout for another froggy friend they could enjoy the pool with. Well, Grant got his wish! The boys went downstairs to say goodnight to Mimi and PawPaw and Mimi was outside and saw a frog on the steps of the pool. Grant wasted no time hopping and to go for a swim with his new froggy friend! It was short lived as this little froggy was ready to leave the pool area and hop far far away! But it made Grant's day to finally find a froggy friend again!

Fruity Swimming

One of the best purchases of the summer were these fruit slices from Sam's. They were the perfect floatie for when you wanted to be in the water without being under the water!! Millie especially liked them- well, more when they were on land than on water! They also doubled as boats, space pods, stepping stones, doggy beds, and race cars! They definitely sweetened up our summer!

Family Night @ The Pool

We love a good nighttime swim. When the sun hasn't quite set, but it feels so warm and cozy from the pool. It hasn't been quite warm enough for me to get in the pool yet, but you better believe the boys have been swimming and swimming and swimming!! Levi got in with them last night and it was a total invitation for fun!!! Lots of jumping and splashing and throwing going on!! Made my heart so relieved and so happy to be on Summer Vacation!!

They started with a jumping contest to see who could "catch the most air." I was the judge.  Levi won but the boys won for style!

Millie isn't a fan of the pool or other people swimming it. We call it the Lassie syndrome- she thinks she has to rescue anyone in the pool, so she barks and runs around the perimeter like crazy! The boys put her in the pool for a second. She turned around, swam to the steps, and ran to jump on my lap and that's where she stayed til we all went inside. But she still kept a watchful eye.

Having these special moments makes me want summer to NEVER end!!!

Swimming, Swimming, Swimming!

That's pretty much the song of the summer so far! SO MUCH SWIMMING!!! While the weather is still chilly, it hasn't stopped these boys from swimming everyday! Sometimes it only lasts a few minutes, but other times, I'm surprised at how frozen they can be before they decide they're cold!!

This day, it was 58 degrees outside and they swam with Luke for AN HOUR!! WHAT?!?!

 Cute, but cold!!

 It takes them a while to get all the way in....

But once they're in, they LOVE it!!!!!!!!

A Swimming Wyatt

The time has finally come that we have a Swimming Wyatt at our house!!! Wyatt has always loved the pool- from the shallow end, with his life jacket on, and his face dry!! Water has always been a little terrifying to him. Even showers were difficult for quite some time! But after last summer, when Mimi told him we could take a trip to Great Wolf Lodge if he learned how to swim and jump in the pool without being scared of getting his face wet- his wheels were turning. He tested the waters initially this summer little by little.  Jumping off the step into the shallow end. Putting googles on and quickly getting his face wet. Each day he seemed to get a little bit more brave!! And by mid-June, he was jumping off the deep end and swimming to the ladder. Going down the slide without a life jacket.  Diving for diving sticks. He's a full-fledged swimmer now!!!! And its AWESOME!!!!! Watching him get more and more confident each day is just so amazing to watch! To know that he can join Bub and his cousins down in the deep end just makes me so happy!! 

Here is Wyatt the beginning of June. 

 And this is Wyatt today!!!!

So proud of you little man!!!!! Can't wait to head to Great Wolf Lodge tomorrow to celebrate your swimming success!!!!

Swimming and More Swimming

This summer is off to a good swimming start! It was a little cold at first- well, a lot cold! We opened the pool May 5 and I didn't get in until last week (early June!). But now that the sun has been shining, the pool is almost 90 degrees!! Lots of fun splashing around!

We've been battling a broken filter so far this summer, but it hasn't stopped them from swimming! And you won't believe who is going underwater now.......

Swimming Wyatt

I never thought those two words would go together. Wyatt and the pool are like oil and water- they don't mix. Well, they mix just enough to tolerate each other. If Wyatt has his life jacket, he's happy. If Wyatt doesn't get his face wet, he's happy. If Wyatt is doing swimming lessons, he's NOT happy!!!

I thought by doing private lessons at home, as opposed to throwing him in a class with multiple kids and in an uncomfortable environment, he'd be the kid crying the ENTIRE time. Well, he did that even with private lessons at home, but at least no one else had to live through the misery of his screaming, well other than the neighbors who gave a curious glance over the fence. I thought, well maybe next summer will be better, because we are getting no where fast this summer!

Until last week. We had about a two week break in swimming lessons. He screamed like you wouldn't believe on the last lesson, so I assumed this lesson would be the same. But when Megan asked him to do some things, he happily did them. No tears at all! Wyatt was like a different kid!! I was so so surprised and so so proud!!

And then today, he decided to just walk around the front of the pool on his tip toes, and then walk out from the steps and swim back. By himself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was so so so proud of himself and I am too! He's go this last lesson on Saturday and I can safely say that they were worth it!! Now hopefully he will remember how much he likes swimming when next summer rolls around!!

Lots and Lots of Swimming

Having a pool in our backyard might be the best thing about this house!!!! We went to the base pool nearly every day the past two summers. We'd load up the swim bag, throw the life jackets and swim rings in the trunk, pull out the towels, and drive to base....just to unload it all and carry it all the way across the parking lot through the entire pool area just to get to the kiddie pool. It was kind of a pain, although worth it to swim for a few hours. But to just walk out our back door and get in the pool is pretty amazing!

Never in our wildest dreams did Levi and I think we would be pool owners, but we are so so thankful we are! Although this summer hasn't been scorching hot (yet, I'm sure) the pool has been used just about everyday, and many days- multiple times a day! 

Since the day they jumped in for the first time, until today, they have made major swimming progress!! Grant was hesitant to swim around without his life jacket and certainly wasn't eager to play with diving toys at first. But now, his favorite thing is to dive down to the bottom, swim across the pool floor, and do it all again! He is quite the swimmer. We did start private swimming lessons last week, and he has been working on swimming in the deep end without his life jacket too. He's doing amazing! Wyatt is still fearful and cries most times his face gets wet. He loves swimming and loves to be in the pool with his life jacket. He will go anywhere in the pool with that on, but the second that comes off, hes got a death grip on whoever he is with. Swimming lessons have been good for him though. He's learning how to blow bubbles, swim with a noodle to the deep end without his life jacket, back float, and his teacher has even dunked him a few times. He cries about 1/2 the time, but after each session, he says how much fun he had! So I know he wants to do it, he's just stubborn! Glad I'm not the one teaching him!

We love the pool and I feel so fortunate to be able to enjoy it with my boys!!