The water park

This summer was a big one for our family. We spend most of it at Sandy Pines and most days we are at the water park. I am very nervous around the water with the kiddos. In past years I would not let them in the water without me, or I would wait until Tim got home before we could go swimming. It was just too much for me to have 3 young kids in the water with just me. At the water park the kids have to be 48 inches in order to go down the slide by themselves, and also to go in the pool without swimmies. So, the girls couldn't go down the water slide by themselves, so unless Dad was there~no one went down the water slide! Well, this summer we had 3 happy little kiddos. They are all great swimmers and they could go in the pool by themselves (Avery still had to wear her swimmies) AND down the water slide by themselves. I selfishly believe that God gave Avery her amazing swimming talent to help ease my worries! To my amazement I have a bit of peace and now allow all 3 kids to swim without me in the pool. I of course keep a very watchfull eye on them~ but they think they have total freedom!!
One day while we were at the water park Jaideyn decided that she would take the "slide test" which means that she had to go down the slide and swim to the ladder all by herself. If she did it she got a red bracelet that she wears and is able to do the water slide all by herself. To our excitement she did it! She was sooooo excited and it gave her a huge confidence booster. She proudly put on that bracelet and went down the slide time after time all by herself. Well, Avery was not going to sit by and watch~she took action. She announced that she too wanted to take the "slide test!" I was excited and suprisingly not nervous. I knew that she could do it (and there is a lifegaurd right in the water with her!!) So Avery marched up the steps and like the big girl she is~she headed down the water slide with a big smile on her face. When she hit the water she swam to the ladder like it was no big deal!! Oh happy day!!!! We now have 3 kids who can go down the water slide by themselves!! I am certain that Avery is the youngest person at the park to proudly display her red slide bracelet. Each time she marches up the stairs to the slide she gets looks and often times she gets stopped because they think she is too little~but our independant little Aves shows them her bracelet and away she goes!!

It is hilarious to see her swimming to the ladder after the slide. She is always perma grin and just her little face sticks out of the water as she paddles away. She looks like a little dog in the water! Often times people stand at the pool to watch her swim and comment on her~ probably because they don't think that she will make it!

The face of a truly HAPPY child!!

She made it!

Enjoying the splash pad

Just Avery being Avery!

A happy Jaidey! A few days after getting her "slide bracelet" she decided that she wanted to try to take the swim test. Because she is only 44 inches she had to wear swimmies in the pool and she was tired of that. She is a good swimmer and she is now realizing it. Jaidey was always very unsure in the water and didn't want to go under. This summer it clicked and her confidence kicked in. She now swims like a fish. So when she announced she wanted to take the swim test we immediately jumped in the water and got started. We have been encouraging her to try for awhile now~ but it had to be in her time. She was ready! So we let the lifegaurd know and Jaidey swam the whole length of the pool (the long way!) and she received her swim test blue bracelet. It was the ultimate accomplishment. Trading in the red bracelet for the all access blue bracelet. She has arrived!! I am so pproud of her! Now my little lady swims in the pool like it's her job!

And of course Avery would not sit by and watch~she had to take action! She announced that she too wanted to take the swim test. I went with it and she jumped in the water. Away she swam and started towards the other end. As I was encouraging her a thought came to me~ I really don't want Avery to pass the swim test. It would meant that Avery could go in the pool at all times without her swimmies. While Avery is a fantastic swimmer~she can't touch in this pool. So, although she can swim she just doesn't have the endurance. So if she got tired she would be stuck and I could not handle that!! It felt as if we were taking a step backwards. We have worked so hard to get the kiddos to this point of being in the pool without me and if she got that bracelet I know that I would not let her in the pool without me. Nobody wins here really. Avery needs her freedom and independance and she has that with her swimmies on. I let her go in and out as she pleases. SO, all of this is running through my head as Avery is nearing the end of her swim. What do I do? Lord please help me ~I can't just make her stop. That would just be mean. I don't want her to think I'm not confident in her. What to do? So, God sent me a little gift~ About 2 feet from the wall Avery started to get tired and she said "Mom, get me" and I immediately grabbed her. Thank you Lord for answering my prayers! There was no doubt that Avery could have made it to the wall and it would have been a really awesome accomplishment for her~ but she's only 3 and this Momma needs a little piece of mind at the water park. So we put the swimmies on her and she didn't mind a bit. It was the right thing to do and we enjoyed the rest of our summer at the water park. Everyone was happy!