Swim Little One, Swim

I should’ve signed them up at the beginning of the summer, but I didn’t.  Max and Noelle did attend the last two week, 10 lesson, session of swim class at our local outdoor pool.  My expectations were not high, we were all just excited to be able to go to a pool everyday.  Well, the kids were excited.  Me?  I was dreading keeping Violette and Zane occupied while the other two swam. 

The Bohn Pool, as it is called, is really nice actually.  I’ve lived here for almost six years and didn’t know it existed, or when I did find out, I didn’t believe that it was as nice as the pictures on the website. This pool is definitely a little gem. We were all very happy when we walked up.  A gigantic water slide greeted us, and immediately peaked the interested of N & M.  The sun was shinning and the water sparkled.  This was going to be a nice two week session, I thought to myself.

Two neighbors were also attending, which was nice.  I had two adults to chat with.  Well, I use that term loosely, as we all kept our eyes glued to our own children and I chased around Zane and Violette.

Noelle and Max were shy at first, but blossomed over the 10 lessons.  Max was dipping under water and retrieving rings, floating almost independently on his back and front, and jumping off the side and popping up without help. His bright smile was planted on his face the entire time and he would wave and say, “Hi Mommy!  Did you see me?” about 30 times a lesson! Noelle was able to actually swim by the end, on her own for a pretty decent distance.  They both were passed on to the next level of classes. 

I can only imagine how well they would be doing had they attended all four sessions.  Oh, well, next year, it’s on.  Violette will be able to attend too and I can sit back with Zane and watch three children at once. 

On the final day, a women from the newspaper came around taking pictures.  She got a good one of Noelle and it was in the paper!  Noelle has been in love with the picture, asking to hold it and see it multiple times a day.  She even said to Max, “I’m famous now.  Do you want my autograph”.  She proceeded to sign a piece of paper and give it to him! 

Noelle also, wait for it, went down the big slide, twice!  A jump off the diving board was taken too!  My very shy, cautious little girl had no problem climbing the mountain of stairs and taking the slide in stride.  I held my breath as she walked up, hoping she would be brave and conquer this constant cautious whimper that comes alive when any and seemingly every challenge comes her way.  She took that chicken little inside her and squashed it without hesitation!  Yay Noelle! 

I love that they are flourishing during their lessons and as the summer winds down, they are more comfortable with water. 

Treasures

I went snorkeling this weekend. Dove deep into the water and glided until my lungs burned.  I popped to the surface expelling water from the snorkel with a big puff of air.  Head down, legs kicking with flipper feet propelling my body forward quickly, an arm over arm stroke keep me going.  I didn’t stop for a long while.  Lake Michigan was clear and as I plugged along, my head firmly faced downward breathing steady through the snorkel I stared at the bottom.  The ripples in the sand raced by underneath me, broken up by large rocks and buried wood.  Depth increased but clarity was still sharp.  Fish darted in and out of hiding as my body went by on the surface.  It was beautiful.

Every so often I would glance back at the boat, spotting little bodies bouncing back and forth.  Beyond the boat the shore was spotted with more little bodies digging holes in the sand and tossing rocks back into the water.  They were having fun and watched over by Daddy, Grandma, and Uncle Alex

It’s been way too long since I let myself enjoy the water.  My Dad and I had treasures to find and as I put my head back down I assured myself I needed this.  It felt so damn good to swim in the lake.  Words cannot express the joy the washed over me and the amount of love I have for water. 

When the spot was reached (my Dad knew just the right place) I watched the bottom carefully as I slowly circled around.  When I thought I spotted something I sucked in air and dove down.  Depth was deceiving.  From the surface it didn’t seem far but as I dove the bottom seemed to dip farther as the pressure popped my ears.  It didn’t matter because it felt good to be submerged in the water.  I waved my hand over the suspicious object hoping it was something special.  This time a shell was unearthed and I turned toward the surface with a mighty kick.  My Dad tapped me on the shoulder holding a piece of a plate.  I just had to find one myself. 

I squinted my eyes and focused, spotting what was probably another shell, but still beckoned to be picked up.  This time it was a piece of plate too.  I clenched it in my hand and shot up.  Tearing off my mask I turned over the plate and saw marking on the back.  Pope Gosser China it said.  On the front was scalloped edges and a faint decorative design.

How amazing that at one time this was on a ship, being used to dine on by it’s patrons.  One can not help but dream and wonder about the treasures they find.

A few more small pieces I found, but the one with markings was by far the coolest.  I proudly hauled my findings back to the boat, loving the distance needed to cover to get back.  My eyes were still focusing on the bottom as I kicked toward the boat, not wanting to miss anymore hidden treasures that could be underneath.  The bottom is a treasure unto itself.  Bare of anything at times, the ripples themselves are lovely as you swim over them. 

I was able to really enjoy my time, sneaking in some snorkeling.  The children also enjoy the many hours that we spent out on the water.  They had their first try fishing and caught a few.  They were a bit uneasy around the fish, not wanting to hold it, but were very excited when one got on the line.  First experiences are always memorable and I love the interest and excitement on the cute faces of my darling children.

Noelle drove boat.  Max, Violette, and Uncle Alex snuggled while enjoying the motion and sweet hum of the boat, drifting off for a nice nap. 

We all soaked up the warmth, dipped and dived in the pristine waters of Lake Michigan and were under the umbrella of love from Grandpa, Grandma, and Uncle Alex.  It was a successful trip, again to Traverse City!

Back In The Saddle

Things are back around this household. Splints removed, crawling resumed, sickness fought and booted out, new flooring installed, fighting/bickering a constant, yeah, we are back.

Zane’s splint was removed and a week after he regained his arm strength. Determination locked on his face, he is crawling everywhere and into everything, it’s great to have him back. He loves the freedom to go where he wants, even if he’s not wanted.
It’s been hot. Walk outside and immediately begin dripping hot. Cross your legs and they split apart, hot. It’s not attractive or enjoyable for me to be out so we’ve been sticking around home, inside, mostly. Early one morning I told the kiddos to strip down to underwear and wait outside patiently. They giggled in anticipation. I came outside with paint brushes and paint. I told them to go at it, paint whatever and wherever they wanted on their bodies. They had fun, a lot of pure childish fun!

The local fair was around last week and we had to go. The attraction of animal filled barns, the smell of elephant ears, corn dogs, and the large array of interesting people held all of our attention for a few hours. Noelle begged to ride the horses. Although only going around in circles, she loved just being on top of a horse again. Max and Violette also joined in, their smiles were glued on their faces as the they went around too. Seeing their joy was intoxicating. They also really loved seeing all the animals, horses, sheep, cows, etc.

Noelle is sporting new specs, just picked up yesterday. She needed a new prescription after a pediatric ophthalmologist appointment a few weeks ago. I took her one evening to pick out some glasses. She carefully eyed the choices and was drawn to a bright pink pair with purple arms. I tried to steer her toward a muted brown pair. Her face is still petite and most of the youth frames still looked large. Instinctively I wanted the pair that blended in and didn’t draw attention to themselves. I fought for many days, internally, after the ordering of the glasses. I was worried she would look goofy with big pink glasses. I was worried with kindergarten quickly approaching that she would be made fun of. In the end, as hard as it is to admit, the most important thing is that she likes them and they bring a positive image to herself. She tried on the glasses, after they came in, and immediately smiled her shy smile and declared, “I really like these on me. They look very pretty.” There, that’s exactly what is important.

Tom has been working diligently on installing some new flooring. It looks great and I love it. The only draw back is the amount of dirt shown. I keep telling myself during the fifth or sixth time sweeping, that I’m getting up dirt/animal hair that we used to play in and not notice. I guess that is a good thing! I wake up and walk out into the family room and smile. It’s fresh and new.

A visit from Grandpa Roehrig this past Saturday and one from some out of town good friends, all very welcomed visits but without photos. Some days that camera stays in hiding unfortunately. Also Zane had his nine month well visit in there too. He weighed in just under 22 pounds, at 21 lb 11 oz. and was 29.5 inches in length. He’s a BIG healthy boy.

That’s all, it’s long and scattered, but complete. Finally!