Summer Swimming & Schedules!

Okay, peeps.

Let’s talking about…swimming!

And summer!

And schedules!

And siblings!

(And anything else that begins with an “s,” I guess, tehe.)

I suppose the best, big-picture way to begin this here post of parental ramblings is with this nugget of truth: summer schedules amongst siblings—including swimming!—are HARD TO MANAGE.

And by “hard,” I mean I had to literally print off physical copies of our June and July calendars last week and write each kiddos’ activities in color-coded pen just to track with everything coming down the pipeline.

I mean…the struggle to keep these babies occupied and active and stimulated, mentally and physically, throughout the summer (whilst also retaining a shred of my sanity) is…tough. Like: a challenge of the highest order tough.

That said: writing all of our activities down definitely helped me see how things balanced out amongst all my kiddos and their varied interests, and it left the door open for an activity this little lady lurvs: SWIMMING! Or, more specifically…swimming lessons. 

To be fair, all my kiddos love swimming and are growing up as water babies in a way that I never did, thanks to a backyard pool.

But Chicklet loves being in the water in the kind of amplified way that keeps her staring longingly out the backyard during the winter months and asking for a countdown to swim season around, oh, January.

Knowing her love of water and swimming, I tried so very hard to get her indoor swimming lessons this past school year and tried so many outlets, including through the aquatic center within our school district.

But none panned out as brilliant options, as they were all pretty much zero to sixty. Meaning: you could pay a hefty amount for one weekly swim lesson at a local swim school or you could join a swim team that was minimum several days a week plus weekend meets, and there wasn’t much in between!

So. We had to put the thought on the back burner a bit until the summer months when I knew a greater plethora of options would be available to us.

Of course, water safety and awareness has always been top of mind for me, as I had my babies in swim “lessons” as early as their infant years—partly because it was something for us to do, and partly for the safety of it all.

But now that they’re older and more physically capable, returning to official lessons will be such a great thing to allow them to build a bit more technique—and see if this is something that interests Chicklet enough to turn it in to an official school year extra-curricular.

Enter: Lifetime Fitness.

Yup, peeps. We caved and added ourselves to the hubby’s existing membership for the summer months. 

It’s pricey for a whole family (we were members back in the day when we lived in McKinney), but we did some research and discovered kiddos who join get one month of swim lessons free. And, honestly, the flexibility of days and times and options for multiple days a week if you want to load up a bit was just what our family needed. Plus, during the summer, we can take advantage of the giant slides and family swim fun outdoors, as time allows. 

Nothing will ever replace our backyard splashing fun, but this feels like such a natural extension of our existing swimming life, that I’m kind of surprised it took us this long to dive in (pun intended).

Last week, I took the kiddos for a swim assessment so they could be placed in their classes, and last night, they went for their inaugural round. Woohoo!



What a difference a few years make, as I look back on the pics of them on their first day of swim lessons each year when they were tiny little fish. I die!





My crazies did such a great job last night with their lessons and are really working hard! They’re all working on all the official strokes and the distances they practice are pretty impressive.

They were WIPED at bedtime—in part, due to the extra, free-swim time we tacked onto the evening, after their lessons.

As a parent of three kiddos, it’s often hard for me to make sure I’m showing equal care and love to my kiddos in turn, as they have many cross-over interests, but some areas where they diverge from one another. And this particular swimming adventure is one that I’ve done with Chicklet’s particular interests in mind.

I’ve made sure to shine a little light on my girl and makes sure she knows I’ve taken us down this path for her and her enjoyment—even though all three kiddos will benefit. And it’s been lovely to watch her marinate in the idea that this is something we’re exploring due to her particular interest and request.

A little solo attention goes a long way in helping my babies feel seen and loved, and it was a boon to my Mama heart to see my girl light up like a megawatt bulb when it was time to put on her swimsuit and grab her goggles and gear. :)



I have a feeling we’ll be in the water A LOT this summer, and I’m here for it!

Whether I want to be here for all the rest of our jam-packed schedule of activities, it’s all launching sooooon, so I better gear up, ha. 

More in the coming days about our complete summer plans and activities.

Until then…HAPPY ALMOST FRIDAY, peeps!

Over and out. 

P.S. In other kinda-sorta water-related news: thanks to the kiddos half school day, we managed another happy, successful doodle! And even Chicklet joined in. Woohoo!

I give you the mythical Red Panda Mermicorn (also with wings, in Chicklet and Little Man’s cases, ha):