When I think about summer, I think about swimming. When I was growing up my grandparents had a cottage on a lake and I loved swimming there during the summer. Sometimes it was so cold I could see my breath. Sometimes it was so cold that my relatives watched me swim while they sat by the lake in their winter coats. But I loved being in he water every chance I got. Swimming to the island in the middle of the lake to pick blueberries was the highlight of one summer. And swimming across that lake, with my parents canoeing next to me, was another huge accomplishment for me as a kid.

As a parent, I had a great time teaching our older two kids how to swim during the summer. I used to be a swimming instructor in high school, so it was extra special for me to teach them and see them swim on their own for the first time.

This summer our two oldest are quite comfortable in the water. And most of the time I’m watching from the side of the pool rather swimming with them in the water. And, honestly, I’ve enjoyed the change of pace. Nothing makes it feel more like summer than relaxing while your kids entertain themselves in the water whether it be a pool, lake or ocean.

Our youngest is eager to swim on her own, so I’m sure my break will be short lived.