Our family vacation to visit my grandparents in Ely, Minnesota…complete with a two night stay in Wisconsin Dells on the way home…is coming up quickly, so I signed Madi and Parker up for two weeks of swimming lessons. They are the kind of kids who freak out when a drip of water hits their face in the bathtub, so I thought it would be a good idea to boost their confidence in the water.
It was a good experience for both of them, especially Madi. She mustered up the courage to do the “daddy hippo”, where she put her entire face under the water, and almost jumped into the water without holding onto the instructor’s hands. They also learned how to swim and float wearing a life jacket, which they were able to use already when we went swimming at a friend’s cabin.
About halfway through the five sessions, I wondered why I was enjoying the experience so much, considering the hassle of dragging three kids to the YMCA by 9 a.m., and wrestling dry clothes on all of them afterwards. I realized that it was because all three of the kids were enjoying themselves tremendously. Yep, while Madi and Parker were learning how to float like a starfish, Fiona and I were splashing, kicking, and giggling in the water. It made me realize that time with just Fiona is so precious (other than our occasional middle of the night hang outs). We were able to talk about the giant fish sculpture on the wall and float around the little lazy river…no kids interrupting, no meals to prepare, no telephone calls, no kids interrupting (did I mention that already?)
I was so thankful for these unexpected moments with Fiona, and it reminded me that I need to be more deliberate about finding more one-on-one moments with each of my kids. Difficult to do, but so important…
At the end of the two weeks, I was beat, the older kids did in fact gain a little confidence in the water, and Fiona had some much-needed “mommy time”. And you know what? I would do it again in a heartbeat…it was money well spent…
