The Summer of Swimming

This spring I declared that this summer, summer of 2009 would be the circus family’s summer of swimming.  The past several summers I’ve either had an infant or been ready to pop and really haven’t devoted the time necessary to teach my crew how to swim.   I’ve given some half hearted attempts, but the bottom line is my kids can’t swim.

And when you live near the bay as we do, it really is a necessity. 

So in I signed the oldest two up for swimming lessons back in April at the local Y.  I was thrilled with the progress they were  making, so I signed them up for the next level.  I also learned that I can pay a small fee and swim in the same pool with my youngest while her older siblings were getting lessons.  This really was the perfect situation for us.  My oldest two were getting instruction and my youngest was getting one on one time in the water with mommy.  (A treat  neither of her older siblings received with this regularity and at this young age).

For two days a week for the past 6 weeks or so the four of us have gone to the locker room, changed into our suits, paraded down past the swim team lap pool, and into the pool where we had our lessons.  After which we paraded back down through the lap pool and all those high school “Micheal Phelps wanna be’s” and into the locker room to get changed and head home for dinner. 

Every week, twice a week for about 6 weeks.

Last Friday was to be the culmination of all of our effort.  I took the kids to the beach in our neighborhood.  We had a grand time splashing in the water, floating on noodles, playing ring around the rosie… I was loving it.  “We’ll do this every week for the whole summer I promised, at least twice a week.”  We dug sand castles, buried treasure, found the treasure…all the while I am marveling in the perfection of the situation.  Beautiful sunny day, kids comfortable in the water, this is the stuff dreams are made of.  The kids are gonna look back on these years of playing in the river with such fondness.

I called my husband and told him to meet us at the beach after work.  The kids and I played some more while we waited for him to join us. 

Now I have to tell you that like most girls, I am not all that crazy about walking around in a swim suit.  Let’s face it, my body isn’t what it was when I was first married and wearing my bikini on our honeymoon.   But, I didn’t want to let a little self consciousness ruin the wonderful time I could have with my kids.  So I told myself, “Just embrace it.  Don’t tie a towel around your waist, just have fun and be you.”

Well, Daddy came and joined us at the beach, much to our delight.  We showed off our new found water confidence and swimming skills.  Then Scott yelled over to me with a voice of concern.

“Crystal, come here now!”

I instantly panicked, but saw all three kids safe and sound.  Wondering what could be his cause for alarm I ran over to him.

“Crystal, your bathing suit is completely see through in the back,” he told me.  I instantly ducked down in the water and he ran to get me a towel.

“But, I’ve been wearing this to swim lessons the past two months…”

Ah, the horror!

I kept putting off buying a new suit.  I already told you I didn’t swim much over the past few years.   And I had this old one in my drawer from high school.  Truth be told, I’ve hated this green suit since I bought it for 9.99 at Walmart back in the mid nineties.  But, who really likes swim suit shopping and  since it was was stretchy, it fit and got the job done…

or so I thought

I went out this weekend and got a new suit (Scott told me I could leave right then on the spot if I wanted and he would take care of the kids. Yea it was THAT bad).   If this is going to be the summer of swimming, then I gotta have a suit that gets the job done, for real.