The "mom" swimming experience.

So, my family and I ventured out to the pool on a rainy Saturday and I had a revelation. Swimming, a pastime that has always made me uncomfortable, has evolved into something new and somewhat scary.

Swimming used to mean going to the pool and submerging myself neck deep in the water and avoiding walking around on the pool deck at all costs! And don't even think about sitting anywhere. In the wise words of a friend recently, sitting expands the parts on which you are sitting! If you need to walk somewhere, you adjust every inch of your swim suit until you feel everything you have to offer is carefully tucked away and walk ever so slowly from point A to point B to avoid the inevitable "jiggle" that comes with walking around wet and half naked. 

Now, swimming has become a whole different dance. Now my time is spent sitting, hunched over, in 2 inches of water while 3 small children splash, climb on, and pull at every part of me and my precarious attire. A body that was once hidden securely under the water for the duration of this adventure is now seen crouching, squatting and, horror of horrors, RUNNING! The fear of jiggling has been replaced by the fear of losing sight of one of 3 tiny bodies I am responsible for taking to this death trap!

It's interesting, though, that as my swimming experience has changed, so has my attitude towards it. I used to go to the pool and feel pressure and uncertainty the entire time. Now, I hardly notice the puckers of cellulite on my thighs as I move around the pool. Or the way my hair looks when its soaked in harsh chlorinated water. All I notice is the fun my daughter has as she wiggles and squirms like the fish that she is. Or the nervous laughter of my son as he walks into deeper and deeper water clutching to my hand. Or how my baby splashes non-stop the entire hour and a half we are there. Having my kids at the pool may mean that my three-kids-in-three-years body is on display for all to see, but it also means that I don't have time or presence of mind to care! I love it!