glug, glug, glug

Water.

I can't stand the stuff. Except to drink. I drink lots of it every day (and chew the ice).

I can't stand to have water splash on me.
I can't stand showering (although I suffer through that once a day). :)
I can't stand jumping into a pool and getting the water up my nose and being attacked on all parts of my skin by the water.
I can't stand the nightmares it has caused me my whole life.

Funny thing is, is that I "make" my children swim a lot.
Last summer and the summer before, I took them to the pool EVERY DAY except Sunday.
The lifeguards even joked about us.
Here, I take the children swimming at the hospital's therapy pool several times a week.

I don't want my children to have my fear of water.
I want them to be able to drive across a bridge without fear.
I want them to have control if they ever fell in a pool or other body of water and be able to swim out.

Something I never really realized is how therapeutic water can be.
Taking the baby swimming last summer helped with crawling skills.
This summer it should help with walking skills.

The pool at the hospital is always set to 95 degrees.
It's like a nice, warm bath.
The baby loves it.
The children love it.
The children can be real kids in it.
They also learn about real life besides the bubble we lived in at home.
They see children with physical deformities, health struggles, and other issues.
They see children like themselves, who are siblings of patients.
They see adults (parents and volunteers alike) care for any child who needs assistance in the water.
They play with children who are different.

One thing I noticed today at the pool is how therapeutic the water is.
Children who can't bend their legs on land kick and splash all over the pool.
Children who walk with a favoring to one leg or another can swim.
A very heavy child can feel weightless.
A child with learning disabilities can be a water star!

I really don't like how water feels, but I like how it makes others feel.