Conquering the Pool {Everyday Victories!}

Thank you to P&G and Kroger stores for celebrating “Team Mom’s Everyday Victories”! Please visit the P&G's event page to play games, win money off your next Kroger trip and more fun!

I am not "Just a Mom". I am a coach, a teacher, a friend, the most qualified person during the day to tie shoes, a chauffeur, a nurse, an alarm clock, a chef, a seamstress, and a wife. I. LOVE. MY. JOB. Sometimes I sit back and think, "Can this really be happening? Here I am walking through the zoo with my 4 children, on a beautiful sunny day, enjoying the chatter between them....this is my JOB?". Then I quickly feel bad for my husband who is cooped up at work, but is happy that we are able to do that. What a blessing that it worked out this way for our family. In our situation, this is the best possible thing for us.

You don't have to be a stay-at-home-mom to celebrate everyday victories. We all have those and love seeing our children progress!

Last summer we ventured into the big milestone of SWIMMING LESSONS! Fun right? I was 7 months pregnant, and signed both of the boys up. The week swim lessons started, it dropped from being in the 80s to the 60s. And swim lessons were cancelled the second day due to a huge thunderstorm. The boys were terrified. There was screaming involved the first several lessons. Girl screaming, kicking and holding on for dear life to the wall of the pool. FAIL. And here I was trying to entertain a 2 year old on the sidelines as well. What the heck was I thinking in signing them up? What a waste of 2 weeks and driving 20 minutes to get there and sitting out in the sun...for what?

I was beginning to get discouraged and so were the boys. We decided to start staying after swim lessons and hang out during open swim. Not easy with 3 kids and a huge belly that wasn't fitting into a swimsuit anymore, but I thought it might help them if they could go at their own pace vs. trying to keep up with the class. We went to the pool all the time last summer. And we all know what a hassle it is with all of the gear, etc. So it was a sacrifice on my part (partly because I don't like swimming either! ;)

Then it happened. Dallin dunked his head under and held it as long as he could. It was fun! He LOVED it! He enjoyed challenging himself. Then he dunked it and let his feet up and floated a bit. He was hooked. Aaron joined in and by the next time we went to open swim, they were bobbing all around under the water. Not jumping in from the wall yet, but just enjoying being under the water. The next week, they went on the tube slides! The water was deeper in that area. They didn't care if they swallowed water and gagged. They were learning to SWIM!

They did it! We did it! By the end of the summer they couldn't wait to go and try their new skills out. We went to Niagara Falls over spring break and I think that was one of the biggest highlights. Swimming at the hotel. They aren't proficient yet, but they conquered the hardest part. Just going under the water!

Yay, for everyday victories! The confidence this experience built in them was amazing. I was so happy for them!

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Hurry in to Kroger and Kroger Banner Stores for P&G’s big sale event, June 10–23!

At Kroger and its banner stores, more than 30 of your favorite P&G brands are at HOT sale prices through June 23, including Tide, Charmin, Cascade, Pampers, Crest and Olay. Look for tags with special prices throughout the household needs and health and beauty aisles, and be on the lookout for even bigger offers – like getting serious dollars off when you buy a bundle of products.

Before hitting the store, visit P&G’s event page on Kroger.com: http://bit.ly/KG6dw5

You can play games like basketball, track and gymnastics to win money off your next Kroger trip, download digital coupons, print a shopping list, and learn more about P&G products!

And as part of this event, consider trying one of these fab products from P&G:
Vicks Nature Fusion, Charmin Basic, Downy Unstopables, and Swiffer Duster Extenders!

I was selected for participation in this campaign as a member of Clever Girls Collective.