My mom came for a visit this last Wednesday and Thursday to help with the girls so I could make it to the hospital more often.  The girls look forward to visits from Mamaw, especially recently because she takes them to the pool.  My mom loves to swim and so do the girls and neither Chris or myself have been able to take them this summer.  (I would love to go but I am still not allowed just yet!).  Anyway, my mom called me at the hospital on Wednesday telling me that they had just gotten back from the pool and that they were going to go again after dinner - the girls had something they wanted to show Chris and I. 

So, after dinner, the girls got their suits back on and we headed to the pool.  I was astonished to find Avery swimming without her water wings, and Mia swimming with the water wings.  Wow!  It was amazing (and a little scary) to watch.  Avery even goes under water and swims for a bit.  I have no idea how my mom did it with both of them to watch, but somehow she did.  Last year, Avery swam only with the water wings and Mia was mostly scared of the water. 




It reminded me of my own childhood.  Both my grandpa and my mom are avid swimmers and my brother and I have never know life without the water.  We spent every moment we could at the pool, and my mom was happy to take us.  We would stay all day, swimming the entire time.  We planned any summer adventures around water parks, pools or beaches.  My grandpa taught me how to swim one summer when we were visiting in Florida in much the same way my mom taught Avery.  We simply took off the water wings and let me try, with lots of encouragement.  It's a family tradition I suppose.