Family Fun on the Fourth

We started our tradition of heading to our neighborhood pool early on the 4th. Normally this is a blast. However, Campbell recently went through a pretty traumatic experience at a friend's house where I had to jump in after him with my coverup and shoes on (I somehow managed to save my margarita). Last year, he was a fish. Jumping off diving boards, swimming under water with no floaties. I guess he got a little rusty so that understandably really shook him up.

He acts like he's never been swimming in his life and is quite ok with never swimming again in water over 6". So pool time has been pretty torturous this summer until last week. It seemed like with Nolan we always had to start over every year but Cam was pretty fearless. We tried not pushing him but he would just cling to my neck like I was sticking a cat in water.

Finally after about 6 trips to the pool, we're back to at least wearing floaties. Hallelujah. Baby steps....baby steps. I didn't get too many photos of our pool time because he was so terrified and all hands needed to be on deck.

What do I love most about the pool? That it wears my kids out!

I've been eyeing this skirt on Pinterest since Landry was a baby but I knew it was well above my skill level. My friend Kristen is way more talented than me and decided she was ready to tackle it. So we did a crafty swap. She made the skirts and I made the shirts and bows. I got the way better end of the deal. But I do vote them as the cutest patriotic outfits ever. I'm glad Landry's is a little big on her because that means she can wear it again next year!

 

I mean...seriously? 

 

My mom made the cookie patriotic pops and they were a bonus cute photo opp. The kids were eating them faster than I could take pictures though.

Grandma always comes with cute pinwheels and decor to make it feel festive.

  

My brother moved to town and lives less than 10 minutes away. I've seen him more in the past month than I have in 3 years. It's been great!

  

I love that you can just smell the grill throughout the day on the 4th of July. Burgers, dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad...it all just feels American. 

I'm so thankful for this country, for our freedom...I do take it for granted way too easily.

And it's not the 4th without loading up the kids to watch fireworks. We have definitely had our mishaps over the years trying to watch them but we've finally found a great place that has a 360 degree view of all of them across town.

Glow sticks, pinwheels, and patriotic colors blazin'.

 

Landry really couldn't have cared less about the fireworks. She was completely content with her blowin' pinwheel and glow sticks. 

While the fireworks weren't as close as they normally are, the kids loved being up so high that they could see about 10-12 firework shows going on a once. There's something so American seeing all these mini celebrations going on all around us.

And I think we have a little pyromaniac on our hands. Should I be scared?

Happy 4th of July from our family to yours!

Big water, big step

What Campbell doesn't know yet...that he could probably get anyway with ANYTHING if he just wore goggles all the time. Tell me this kid ain't cute!

Goggles and a few other things have saved my sanity this summer. Well, make that most days.

 
I'm not gonna lie and sugar coat things. This summer has been pretty hard for me with two energetic guys and being 7 months pregnant at home all day by myself. I feel so guilty that I just wanted summer to be here so badly and now that it's here, I'm so worn out and snappy. I remember having days like this last summer but not so frequently...so I'm blaming it on the fact that I'm pregnant and just feeling the burn.

Since my boys aren't exactly Michael Phelps caliber yet, the pool is a lot of work, especially when I'm by myself. First, they make me a nervous wreck. All it takes hearing one horrible story of a mother losing their child to drowning at the pool to make your days of laying out by the pool a distant memory. 

But each year the pool seems to be a little more manageable. Church camp did wonders for Nolan as did swim lessons. Houston, we have our heads under water! Again, thank goodness for goggles!

Swim lessons were over this week and I gotta tell ya, as thankful as I am for the confidence the lessons gave my children, I'm doing a little happy dance that they're over. I'm not sure if they put ice cubes in their pool every night or what but that sucker was ridiculously cold. And getting in my moo moo of a swimsuit with a kicking toddler wasn't exactly up there on my fun meter.

Nolan has be intrigued by my growing belly this pregnancy and asks to look at it daily. Recently, when I showed it to him, his only response was, "Whoa."

Exhibit A : Whoa

Campbell was awarded the flying fish in his swim lessons class and was a pro. This boy was 4-5 seconds under water after only 8 days of lessons. I can't ever imagine how he got the flying fish award. 

And Nolan being our more cautious one has really made some leaps and bounds this summer too. Last summer I was so worried about his fear of water that I asked my doctor about it and she just said, "Give it time." And it's amazing what time has already done.

But when we're lucky and we've got Justin home on the weekends, pool time is way more fun. There's even time to snap a few fun shots. I think it must be something about his aura but kids flock to him in the pool and before you know it, Justin's tossing strangers' kids across the pool. Sometimes, it's so hard waiting for a turn with Daddy.

 

But sometimes even Mommy isn't so bad either. 

 

 As much as I may whine about how much work it is and how exhausted I am, I wouldn't trade being anywhere else but with them. Although a random pedicure or girls night out might help remedy the situation. 

Swim lessons

We made it through swim lessons and contrary to what I thought it was going to be at the beginning of the summer, it was not a waste of money! Let's take a time machine back to the first week of June at the pool...it was TERRIBLE! Nolan refused to go in the pool without a minimum of 8 floaties around some appendage of his body or holding me so tight that I can hardly breathe. So I usually had two boys-one on each hip trying to stay afloat myself.

Ok, fast forward three weeks later...Nolan is swimming with floaties on his arms only, jumping in the pool from the side and Justin and I can throw him to each other in the pool. He's not a fan of putting his face under water or floating on his back yet but look how far we've come!

I took a mommy-and-me class with Campbell while Nolan took his class and it was a lot of fun. They have the babies swim after rubber duckies and it really works! Campbell crawls out of the pool, gets his rubber ducky, and jumps back in. We still have a long way to go to blow bubbles instead of swallowing water but I hope starting him out early really helps. The more I take the boys to the pool, the better they get. It's still a lot of work to take them to the pool by myself. I'm tan from the waist up. My days of laying out at the pool are on the back burner for a few years it looks like. Until then, I'll just have to use spray tan on my legs.