First Time Swimming...Ever!

A week ago today I took the kids over to a pool that my friend is close to. She offered to help me, which was very gracious of her, since she already had 5 kids there! So that meant 12 kids she'd have to chase after!

We took the life jackets along, because I'm fairly certain Svanna, Gabe and Summer never went swimming before. They took to the water like fish though! Well, Summer was a bit caucious at first, but that's her nature.

After a bit I let Svanna take her life jacket off if she stayed on the shallow side of the rope. It was a really nice pool with a gradual entry. That was nice, that way we could all be in the same pool instead of the little ones in the baby pool. Svanna did get into trouble though for not listening. Had a little bit of a scare and Brenda ran to the rescue. And since that was the second time she went into the deeper area without a life jacket, she had to sit by mom for a bit.

Gabe had a scare in the deeper end (by deeper, I mean probably 4 1/2 feet), but he had a life jacket on. He was bobbing to the side, to the front, to the back...again, Brenda to the rescue! He stayed in the shallow part after that. He was fine, but didn't like that one bit!

Overall, the kids LOVED it and can't wait to go back. Kaitlin took them to the local pool a couple of days later. Since it was our anniversary (did I forget to post that?!?) and we were going out that night I bowed out of that one. She had a friend and Grant helping her. AND I'll have to get pictures from her, since these pics below are the only ones I have from their first swimming EVER!

I'm really not that bad of a mom! I took lots of pics! But I downloaded them onto my computer and then decided it was high time I formatted my camera card. For some odd reason not all of the pics downloaded. UGH!!! UGH!!! UGH!!! Ah well, at least I got a few! Enjoy.

Ok, don't tell him, but he'll be a heartbreaker someday! What a handsome dude!

Mom chillin' on the side. The kids would come over on occasion and get me wet since it was NINETY EIGHT degrees F that day. Take a look at the pic and you can see the garbage bag over my cast. Do I know how to be fashionable or what? Yes, basically Brenda had 13 kids there! LOL! Ok, I may have been a teeny tiny bit of help. I was an oaf though, and forgot to put sunscreen on my back. And I'm a huge sunscreen advocate. Guess who's peeeeeeling? I told Brandy he could let me have it, since I'm always nagging on him about it. He said he figured I was giving myself enough grief, he didn't need to!

A passel of great kids, waiting for the whistle to blow... A beautiful smile on a beautiful girl...