Friday, August 6, 2010
Quite a Summer
After I recovered from my unexpected surgery I had a busy schedule of speaking events during April, May and June. I didn't get back to my blog. Then I took off July and August to be with grandchildren and take a vacation in Gatlingburg, TN. So now its August. School is back in swing and I have time to get caught up on my blogging.
Hope your summer was restful. Mine was not! But it was enjoyable just the same. I spent time at the swimming pool watching my 4 grandchildren swim, dive, jump off the high dive and whiz down the slide. Two are 13 and 15 and can take care of themselves in the water. The two younger ones are 3 and 6. Have to watch these two carefully. Never know when one will decide to jump off the side of the pool. The 6-year-old discarded her "backpack" half way through the summer and took to swimming underwater with her goggles. Got up her courage on the low board and had such fun jumping off the board and twisting in the air. She learned forward and back flips in the water and almost turned into a dolphin from staying underwater so long. The 3-year-old learned to trust himself in the water this summer. He jumped off the side with no help. He went down the slide. He gained confidence to go all over the pool wearing his "backpack." He's looking forward to swimming lessons next spring to get ready for the next summer season. The 2 teens were great with their younger siblings. They spent time playing pool games with them
and watching their many tricks.
All in all summer was exciting as I viewed it through the eyes of my grandchildren. The nights of cooking out, playing volleyball and badminton, catching lightning bugs to go in a Mason jar, eating popsicles and ice cream cones, riding bicycles...I could go on and on.
But my point is this, if you have grandchildren, spend time with them. The memories are precious, and they grow up all too fast. Be close, be a friend and confidant, share stories and ideas, be there for your grands. And... if they don't know how to swim, teach them or arrange lessons for them. Swimming is one of the most basic things they need to learn--respect the water, learn to be comfortable in the pool or lake, don't take risks, enjoy knowing how to swim.
Summer is fading to memories to tuck away and bring out at some later time. I'm glad to get back to a schedule again, and I look forward to fall, but I won't soon forget the special tmes the summer of 2009 brought.
Hope your summer was restful. Mine was not! But it was enjoyable just the same. I spent time at the swimming pool watching my 4 grandchildren swim, dive, jump off the high dive and whiz down the slide. Two are 13 and 15 and can take care of themselves in the water. The two younger ones are 3 and 6. Have to watch these two carefully. Never know when one will decide to jump off the side of the pool. The 6-year-old discarded her "backpack" half way through the summer and took to swimming underwater with her goggles. Got up her courage on the low board and had such fun jumping off the board and twisting in the air. She learned forward and back flips in the water and almost turned into a dolphin from staying underwater so long. The 3-year-old learned to trust himself in the water this summer. He jumped off the side with no help. He went down the slide. He gained confidence to go all over the pool wearing his "backpack." He's looking forward to swimming lessons next spring to get ready for the next summer season. The 2 teens were great with their younger siblings. They spent time playing pool games with them
and watching their many tricks.
All in all summer was exciting as I viewed it through the eyes of my grandchildren. The nights of cooking out, playing volleyball and badminton, catching lightning bugs to go in a Mason jar, eating popsicles and ice cream cones, riding bicycles...I could go on and on.
But my point is this, if you have grandchildren, spend time with them. The memories are precious, and they grow up all too fast. Be close, be a friend and confidant, share stories and ideas, be there for your grands. And... if they don't know how to swim, teach them or arrange lessons for them. Swimming is one of the most basic things they need to learn--respect the water, learn to be comfortable in the pool or lake, don't take risks, enjoy knowing how to swim.
Summer is fading to memories to tuck away and bring out at some later time. I'm glad to get back to a schedule again, and I look forward to fall, but I won't soon forget the special tmes the summer of 2009 brought.
Labels: Summer 2009
