Summer Fun

We've had a lot of fun at home this summer.  

We collected all sorts of bugs, leaves, sticks, and one day we even harvested some cat tails.  (Ashley was thrilled).

The kids constantly made grand plans.

Our neighbors have a pool and a hot tub and everything fun, and three girls our kids' ages who are always having their gymnastics friends over.  One day Everett was spying on a pool party with a whole bunch of girls, and I had to take a picture.  He's going to really, really like living next door to them in about six years. . .

But when our kids aren't swimming with our very generous and friendly neighbors who are always feeding us and inviting us over (it's ok; you can be a little jealous), the sprinklers do the job in our yard just fine.

Ashley still doesn't like water in her face, but after a few swimming lessons, she no longer panics when she is in the pool, as long as she has a flotation device strapped to her body.

Her first few lessons with her best friend's dad went pretty well, but Ashley started to get more and more anxious as each lesson came on.  I nudged her every day to go and try because I just want to know that if she fell into water she'd be able to keep herself alive for at least a little while.  One day before her lesson, Ashley had what I can only figure was a panic attack.  She started breathing heavily, trembled with a little bit of a wild look in her eyes, and crouched over the toilet, convinced she was going to throw up.  I helped her get herself together and went to see her off to her lesson.  

She and her teacher, who she knows well, were working on floating.  Ashley could float as long as she had goggles on. . .and was holding onto her teacher's arm (so she really couldn't float at all).  Her teacher's main objective for that lesson was for Ashley to float, let go of his arm for one second, and grab back on.

Ashley couldn't do it.  The moment she let go, her body seized up in panic and her legs kicked out wildly until she was upright again.  

As the minutes slogged by, Ashley grew more and more upset.  I could tell she was on the verge of tears, but she was desperately trying to fight them back so her teacher wouldn't see.  I took Ashley away for a bathroom break, held her for a minute, and asked her if she'd like to end the lesson a little early.  Relief flooded her body.  

She gave the teacher her apologies and we went home.  Poor Ashley is terrified of the water.  After a whole summer of swimming next door, she is now brave enough to go into the deep end (with floaties, of course), so that's progress!

We had the opportunity to have a few discussions about how fears are not really logical (I explained that I am still scared of the dark, even though I know nothing will hurt me), but that sometimes we have to face them anyway, even when it is painful.  I am proud of how brave she was.  I don't think anyone but I knew how difficult it really was for her.

And most importantly, she is proud of herself!

But she is never more relaxed than when her feet are firmly planted on the ground.

As I was taking pictures, William came over with a mouth full of water to spew on me.

But he couldn't do it for all his giggling!  I sure love that kid.  

James loves wrapping himself in a towel and then getting wet.  Make sense?

It must make plenty of sense to him.

Although James thinks he is a "big boy" just like the other kids, he doesn't have quite the stamina they do.  I constantly found him curled up throughout the summer, sound asleep with his beloved Moose.

Sweet little guy.  I never could resist giving those sleeping cheeks a little loving.