The Green Band

In addition to all the fun adventures I took the boys on this summer I also had them in swim lessons. The Y really has an awesome learn to swim program that teaches kids to be safe and confident in and around the water.

I’m ashamed to admit that at six years old Cameron still couldn’t swim. With our summers being spent waiting for Bill to be able to have some fun with us we just never took the time to get Cameron in lessons. Why learn to swim if we’re never going swimming was my thought.

This year the boys spent six weeks learning to swim. For Logan it was more getting used to being in the water than actually learning to swim. Cameron on the other hand went from sinking like a stone in the pool to swimming like a little fish in a matter of four weeks.

So proud to be able to swim without Mommy or Daddy!

The Y has a wrist band system for kids in the pool so the lifeguards know that abilities of the kids swimming. A red band is for the kids who can’t swim at all and those kids need to have a parent with them in the water. Then the yellow band is for the kids who can swim but can’t swim a whole lap and can’t tread water for long. Those kids also need a parent near by. The green wrist band is for the good swimmers and they’re allowed in the pool without a parent.

The kids are tested to see where they fall and are issued a band accordingly.

In four weeks Cameron went from a red band to a green one, he didn’t even bother with the yellow band. I don’t think he’s ever been so proud of himself and rightfully so.

I don’t know if I’ve ever been so proud. I was working the night he got his green band and when he came running to the window holding up his little arm to show me I had to choke back the tears.

This has been the best summer ever in so many ways.

Did your kids have an extra special accomplishment this summer? Please share with the rest of us.

One of the perks of the job is that I can bring the kids with me and put them in babysitting while I work. Today Logan spent my shift making new friends and playing with all the cool toys.

Today we also had a fire drill, my first since starting there last August. Once we got over the, “what the hell is going on?” moment, we spung into action making sure that everyone was exiting the building.

LOGAN!!!

He isn’t always with me on Monday so the fact that he was there today didn’t sink in right away. Once it did though I only had one way I was going to go…towards the babysitting room.

Ushering people towards the door as I made my way, the alarms were starting to get to me. I can’t even begin to tell you how loud they were, I swear the fillings in my teeth were rattling around. Now I’m thinking Logan has got to be terrified by the loud noise and flashing lights and the last thing any mother wants is for her baby to be scared when she can’t be there to comfort him.

I make it to the babysitting room. Of course it’s empty, but you can tell the kids left in a hurry, there were toys strewn everywhere.

I now have tears welling up in my eyes.

My baby was minding his business playing happily when alarms start sounding, lights start flashing then he’s being taken outside…without his mommy. Surely he’s scared. Surely he’s upset. Surely he’s crying.

I spot him across the parking lot and take off in a full sprint towards him. I scoop Logan off the ground and squeeze him as tight as I could, showering him with kisses.

He’s totally fine and was never scared or upset at all. There I am like a blubbering idiot and he’s like, “Mom, that was really noisy.” I asked him if he was scared and he said, “No mom, I not scared!”

I knew Logan was in more than capable hands. I knew he’d be safe and sound and I had nothing to worry about. Knowing all that, I still went all mama bear.

I’m totally embarrassed for myself. I sometimes forget just how chill Logan is. He’s my go with the flow, nothing phases him kid, I should have known that he’d be totally fine with a fire drill.

What do you think, gross overreaction or typical mom?

Now that my nerves are shot I think I’ll crack open a cold beer and enjoy what’s left of this sunny day.

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