Swim!

Swim lessons have been a usual part of our summer plans for the last several years. Each weekday morning for the last two weeks we've been heading out right after an early breakfast. It's been cold and dreary every morning except one, with temperatures hovering around 60 degrees. It's what they call June Gloom around here: The marine layer takes half the day to burn off.

The pool where my older two take lessons is used by a high school water polo team, so the water is kept  cold intentionally. It has taken much determination on my kids' part to get in and stay in each morning. I've loved it! I love that they have pushed themselves, swam countless laps, and improved their strokes and endurance. It was especially fun to be in a class with our friends this year, and together the thought of surviving early morning laps was more tolerable.

I've wished I could join them! It would be invigorating to be in a class like that again, and I sure could use a drill sergeant type instructor to push me a little!

My little guys took lessons at a community pool close by, their class time overlapping with Michael and Olivia's lesson. Thank you, Nelly, for making it all possible for me!

These two were hilarious to watch. This picture tells it all: Andrew was determined to learn, and Jacob was there for a good time! They both had fun and were always smiling and laughing, but Jacob was less motivated to swim independently.

(I don't know what it is about my boys: They've always preferred to squat.)

After lessons each morning, I made them hot chocolate to warm up. On this particular morning it was necessary to run errands before returning home, so we made a quick stop at Starbucks. Don't worry, they don't have black eyes. They like their googles on so tight that their eyes do look a little messed up for a while afterwards.

I didn't take any usable pictures of my older two, but this morning I tried to take one of my four all together. This was the most useable. Andrew looks like he's posing as Mr. Bean and this was Jacob's most decent pose. I can't help but laugh.

Now if the weather would only clear up, we'd head to the beach for a change!

~Katherine