we are pool people!

I have a friend who has kids that are now both on the swim team. She was telling me recently how crazy it is that her kids are so capable in the water and how much her pool days have changed since they were my kids' age. I told her with enthusiasm, "you're a magazine mom! you could actually bring a magazine to the pool and read it!" ***

Last night I brought my kids to the community pool for the evening rate and felt my own sort of graduation into a new season of motherhood. The past two years we haven't hardly ventured to the pool. We just were too little and the whole scene was too overwhelming for one mama to take two wiggly toddlers. We went one time last year, with Rory. But last night, equipped with puddle jumper life jackets (that I found at Aldi Grocery Store for $12 each!) I also graduated into another season of motherhood. The one where I can safely and sanely bring my kids to the pool and enjoy it!

Now these pictures don't show it, but I was in the water the whole time with them (well, not the toddler pool in the last picture.) But every time they were in the big pool I was right there, guiding their arms as they floated and hopped around. I recently read Ali Edwards' summer manifesto to simply get in the pool with her kids where she linked to Jessica Turner's article encouraging mom's to put on that swimsuit. I loved every word of it...be sure to click on that link.

So last night I took my six month pregnant self and celebrated my two puddle jumping kids. Next summer will likely be completely different again with a baby and we'll likely have a summer or two where it feels too overwhelming. But this summer we're going to be pool people!

(***obviously still keeping an eye on her kids! I'm all about pool safety here, people!)