On Friday night, we babysat Liam while my cousin Leah and her husband went to a wedding. The house was pretty nuts, with three kids and a dog — especially when one of those kids is James, and the dog is an energetic puppy. It’s nice to be in this phase where I can have a baby for a few hours (or a dog for a few days) and enjoy him without any of the sleepless nights! Poor little Liam is teething, so I spent most of my time trying to make him comfortable. Leah and Ted didn’t think I’d be able to get him to sleep, but if there’s one thing I’m good at it’s snuggling babies into slumber.
After he was down, I fell asleep on the couch at 9pm. Apparently, I am too old for this!
Around The ‘Net
~My Venezuela Nightmare: A 30-Day Hunt for Food in a Starving Land
~A story of motherhood, mental illness, and a planet on fire.
~The Tragedy of Qandeel Baloch
~Rape Survivor Sues After Texas Authorities Jailed Her For A Month
~Man on the Street: Billy Eichner’s pop-culture game show spares no one.
~Funds Pour In For Homeless Teen Who Biked 50 Miles To Register For College
~What You Like Falls on Party Lines
Diving Back In
After an unplanned hiatus thanks to James’ injury, the kids start back with swim lessons tomorrow. A lot of people have asked me why Annie takes lessons, since she knows how to swim. There are a few reasons. First, yes she can swim, but she has to learn other skills, like treading water. Second, in our swimming program as you progress through the levels, they teach different strokes, like breast, back, and freestyle. Third, it teaches water safety and respect—yes, swimming is fun, but it can be dangerous if you are careless. And fourth, Annie is in lessons because James still needs them, and she would NOT enjoy sitting on the deck all summer while he was in the pool. So they both get water time, and I get 30 minutes every morning to sit quietly. EVERYBODY WINS!
Cool Stuff
~We’re in the middle of a heat wave, and I am flying through these towelettes. They are technically for make-up removal, but they feel soooo good on my face, neck, and arms when I’m really hot.
~Annabel says these pool rings her friend has make her “feel like a dolphin.”
~The kids love these misting fans. Do they use them against each other? Yep. Do I care? Nope, because they aren’t saying, “Moooooom, I’m hooooooot.”
Happy Sunday, everyone!
Callie says:
My mom made me take swim lessons until I could swim the entire length of the pool properly. She did this since we went to the beach weekly and she wanted me to be a strong enough swimmer to get out of a rip current correctly. So I ended up taking lessons till I was 12. And I loved them and continued them in college.
Becca says:
I’m so grateful for all my swim lessons when I was younger. I didn’t take specific classes, but I did grow up going to day/overnight camps that always had a swim class portion. As a result, I’m a pretty good swimmer, despite never really being a swimmer. I know proper form, am comfortable in the water and just started a new hobby of open water swimming. It’s a great skill to be able to KNOW how to swim as opposed to just knowing how to not drown in the water.
Meyli says:
Swim lessons are so important! I took them until I was 12 – I progressed through all the levels, and then ‘graduated’ when I was in 7th grade! I could have gone on to the competitive swim team, or waited until I was 15 to start lifeguard training. I chose neither
But swimming and water safety are so important (and like every other skill, they need to be practiced and reinforced many times!)
evil mutant swim coach says:
As my name suggests, I am a swim coach! Keep them in as long as possible! Swimming is the only sport where NOT knowing how to do it could kill you. I can’t throw a football or hit a baseball and while it makes me lame at Thanksgiving dinner it doesn’t impact my life. However, people are in or around water all the time and not being comfortable or safe could lead to a tragedy.
Anywho, if you are hot on deck, try a Frogg Togg! They are amazing and worth the money! I coached outside this summer and it kept me nice and cool on deck.
Anna says:
I bought the Deep Clean version of those towelettes a while back when Target was having a sale on Neutrogena products and could not believe how strongly they smelled of alcohol when I opened them. Wish I had checked the ingredient list, because those aren’t going on my face! On the plus side, I can use them as alcohol wipes, I guess!