Raising My Boys In The Country: Day 8

As soon as we arrived back at the hotel we went down to the pool for a 45 minute swim.
So now I will tell you of the 'pool episode' from last night. We arrived at the hotel looking forward to the boys all going on the waterslide, only to find they could not *all* go, as the waterslide dumped into the deeper end of the pool!

What to do?

I let the bigger boys use the slide and the younger three had to hang out with me, as they are not good swimmers.

Finally, Austin asked me if he couldn't 'please' go sliding? His idea was that Dane or Cassidy would help him when he came off of the slide. I decided to let them try this method. I suppose it worked just fine. I would just have rather had a waterslide that did not tip into the deep pool!

Austin Shot Into the Pool - Cassidy Taking Flight

Brought Out By Two Brothers

Ready to Go Again

Austin gathered more courage as the time went by. I have found given that we live in an area where we do not have a public swimming pool and our children have to learn to swim in the lake, that they do not like to get their faces wet!

By taking our children to hotels when we can that have swimming pools and waterslides, this is how they have conquered this fear. It is odd to think of children who have learned to enjoy water, get their faces wet, swim, whatever, in hotel pools, versus town swimming pools. But that is exactly what our kids have had to do.

It is amazing how fast they can learn. On our last trip, which was to California, Austin basically learned to 'swim' in three days in a hotel pool. It is like their time is limited, so they understand they better learn quickly.

This is Dane waiting for Austin to come down the slide, so that he can jump in and catch him. See the arm? That is Cassidy having just exited the slide. THAT child CAN swim. I just thought it was a curious picture with the arm up, as he enters the water.

Here is Dane still waiting patiently for Cooper, who is taking *forever* to come down the slide. He has decided he wants to try sliding and having Dane dive in and help him, also.

While Dane patiently waits for Cooper to slide down, Cooper walks down the stairs and tells Dane that he is *now* ready and would Dane please help him? Dane is ready to go. Let's Go!

Cooper slides down the slide and Dane dives in...

.... and brings Cooper safely to the side of the pool. Cooper is ready to try it again. He loved it.

Briton is curious what Cooper is doing. Cooper is practicing getting his whole face in the water. When he arrived at the pool yesterday, he had not had his face in a pool since last year. He did a lot of work tonight. He managed to not only get his face in the water, but he got comfortable jumping into the water and getting his whole face and body under the water.

Briton's Turn for a Little Swim Around