One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

I find myself once again apologizing for my recent lack in blogging. It is not because I have nothing to talk about because I always do, and most people that know me already know this; however, I have gotten sucked into The Twilight Saga books written by Stephanie Meyer and cannot seem to put them down. As a matter of fact, I'm having withdraw right now because I am on the fourth and final book of the series and it's driving me crazy to know what happens but I really wanted to share this so here goes...

This would be about my kids and Cowans Gap. We usually go to Cowans Gap on a regular basis throughout the summer so the kids, my mom and I can swim. We love it. I grew up doing it every single week, sometimes more than once a week, and I love doing this with my kids. Since Ty has come home, we've been extremely busy doing other things so we are just now trying to catch up on all the swimming we have missed throughout the summer so far.

First, let me start by saying, that I have carried and delivered four beautiful babies that are now growing into a toddler, a kindergartner, one in the "tween" stage, and a teenager, and I've nurtured them as best as I know how to so far. I cannot take credit for all of that as I have had an excellent teacher along the way (Thanks, Mom).

And they've turned into fish.

For someone who almost drowned when she was five and still very vividly remembers the details... the hopeless feeling of knowing there was nothing I could do, the sharp stabbing pains of inhaling water into my lungs because I couldn't hold my breath any longer and just needed, so desperately needed some air, and the silhouette of my mom against the sun as I looked to the top of the water, followed by the splash and her arms wrapping around me and pulling me to safety... the fact that I am taking my children into the water at all can nearly set me into a panic attack. That part I have learned to face boldly simply because I do not want my children to ever experience that. I want them to know how to swim and have fun the way children and their parents should be able to do on a hot summer day, especially if they try to be a dare devil like I was trying to be on that horrible day that now seems so long ago (Sorry, Mom).

Drey, Sage, and Zoe have all followed what I consider the normal growing pattern when it comes to swimming. They are afraid at first and then decide they like it for awhile, only to be followed with sheer terror as if Jaws himself swam in the depths of the lake, again followed with a love of swimming, teaching themselves along with some help from my mom and I. That didn't happen overnight. That took years and by the time they were between 8-9 years old, they were getting the hang of it, wanting to try more and more things, and over the years started going in deeper and deeper, swimming under water, swimming above.

Of course when I talk about 'over the years' right now, I'm specifically talking about Drey and Sage. Those two keep each other busy by challenging each other as to who can swim the farthest or who can do a handstand in the deepest water or who can find the coolest rock in the sand beneath their feet. Zoe, up until this year was absolutely tortured when going in the water. She would scream like a maniac if she went in above her thighs, even when wearing her floaties. She was terrified, and rather annoying I might add, because either Mom or Ty or I would always have to patiently sit in the water with her, letting her have fun, all the while accumulating mass loads of sand in the butt crack. Not fun.

This year was a completely different story. Not only has Zoe overcome her fear of getting water on her waistline or above, she has also discovered the fun of being where you cannot touch and letting the floaties hold you up while you relax. Today she threw us for a loop and actually kicked her legs and tried her best at the doggy paddle (with floaties) and swam out to the rope that is marked 5 ft. That part is even over my head, as I stand at a measly 5 foot 1 inch, and it's a little eerie not being able to see my own feet, knowing that some nasty ugly fish could come by at any moment and brush up against my leg or suck on my big toe which would then be followed with a chain of events that would embarrass and scar my entire family for the rest of their lives.

Zoe didn't gain this confidence on her own however. She did it with a little help from me. I would ever so quietly rush in to make my move, dragging her out to the deep and letting her go before she had a chance to object, then suddenly realizing that the floaties actually do work and she won't die as long as Mommy or Grandma is around. I do have to add that she is extremely fun to torment because she is so dramatic. And yes, we are horrible parents because we love to grab the camera for these special occasions in particular. I'm sure the entire state park heard this episode. This is just one example of what she looks like when she wants all of Fulton County to know what is going on at any particular moment she is being traumatized.

I'm sneaking in to make my move...

Zoe suddenly realizing that she's being drug backwards into the deep, dark, murky waters of the lake itself...
I call this the "I'm-not-going-to-sink-while-wearing-my-floaties-101" move...
Right after that picture was taken Zoe proved just how talented she really was. She has the uncanny ability to laugh and cry at the exact same time, which is actually quite funny. At least it was to us. Sage also has that talent but I'm sure he wouldn't want me to mention it so we'll move on.

Zoe finally relaxes and actually gets it. She's floating and she likes it.

Just a cute snapshot of the kids, myself and my mom. Ty was there on that day and was taking pictures, which was nice because it's usually me that is stuck behind the camera. Take a look at Rylee "hanging out" all by herself.
She's the one I really have to talk about. She has literally blown all of our minds. I have never seen anything like it. She is truly a natural when it comes to the water. Her nickname is Boo but when it comes to the summertime, she usually gets called Fish a lot more. She's been in that water since I've been pregnant with her, as have all my children, but she has not followed that normal pattern of growing up swimming that I was talking about earlier.

She has no fear. She has never had an ounce of fear. She just doesn't care. When she sees water, she lights up and automatically starts, "Mommy, I nuna doe fwimming." For those of you who don't speak two year old gibberish, that can be translated to "Mommy, I want to go swimming."

That didn't start this year. She was like that last year when she was only one. I have a layout I did for her scrapbook to prove it and the title is "Fish" and I made sure to journal the story behind it.

You know how when you first enter the water it seems to be freezing and you slowly go in to let your body adjust? She doesn't do that. She walks as fast as she can with her floaties in tow straight into the water not caring what the temperature is. She doesn't stop. She continues to walk until it is up to her neck and then she will jump and thrust herself forward with all her might to go deeper where she can no longer touch the bottom, giggling the entire time. She automatically picks up her feet and either lays back to float on her back or she'll lay forward and throw her feet out behind her and kick to move around or she will twist and kick at the same time doing circle upon circle upon circle.

She never had to be told to hold her breath. She never had to be told to keep her mouth closed or to spit out the water if it gets in her mouth. She never had to be told how to hold her head to keep it above water. She just does it. She always has. And we stand in astonishment and watch her. It's amazing.

The irony of it all? She is allergic to sunscreen. She can't handle a drop of it on her skin or she breaks out into the most irritating rash that drives her crazy for days on end. We've tried every single kind of sunscreen known to man, the high SPFs, the low SPFs, the kind for babies, the kind for adults, the PABA free kind, the allergenic for sensitive skin kind. You name it, we've tried it and we've gotten the same results every time. I refuse to ever put her through that torture again so we keep our eye on her and cover her if needed, giving her a little sun at a time. Amazingly enough, she doesn't really burn either, just tans little by little while she hangs out in the water, basking in the sun, taking it all in.