Super Mom Strength

Today, I headed to swimming lessons to meet Adi. We went into the locker room to get changed and headed out to the deck.

Like always, Adi ran towards the floaty noodles by the side of the pool and threw one in.

From about five feet away, I told her no and asked her to get it--based on previous experience. From about four feet away, I had observed that she was reaching, but didn't expect her to...

... fall face-first into the deep end! 

Within less than a second I was at the edge of the water and with my left hand grabbed her foot and brought her all the way out of the water to above my waist.

She started screaming hysterically--naturally--and I sat down with her at the edge of the pool.

She was scared, coughing, crying, and for good reason!

There was A life guard who had been within a few feet of her with her swimming class and I was kind of embarrassed, but it served as a valuable teaching for Adi.

I asked her if she had blown her bubbles like in class and she said no. So, we talked about pool and water safety, obedience, and how practicing in class would help us if something like that ever happened again.

After she calmed down I asked her if she wanted to go to swimming lessons still and she said yes.

She was amazing! 

She showed the teacher her "ice cream scoop" arms, splashed her via kicking, and blew bubbles! She even (unintentionally) went under the water a few times.

It wasn't until after the lesson was over that I realized how miraculous it was that within less than a second I could pick her up out of the water with one arm. I'm not quite sure how much Adi weighs (between 25 and 30 lb.), but without even batting an eyelash I pulled her entire weight out of the pool and 3 feet into the air. I'm pretty sure that doing that with a 30 lb. dumbbell would have been a lot more difficult, if not impossible for me.

It's kind of scary. My adrenaline totally kicked it and this "Super Mom" strength came out of nowhere!

I guess there's something innate within us that is there to kick it into high gear when it really counts.

Here's to Super Mom Strength!

Featured!

A friend from back east has developed and runs a blog about parenting. I've seen it a few times, and have been duly impressed. Jasmine finds great parenting tips and tricks as well as health awareness and notices about child safety. She is fabulous.

Anyway, yesterday she asked if she could highlight our post about Adi's Santa pictures on her blog as part of their weekly highlights. It was fun to be featured, and I would encourage moms out there to check out her blog, it's quite informative and educational.

Thoughts on Parenting

Last night, Ryan and I were waiting in line at the register while for my older brother's birthday at Old Navy. Adi was wandering around the stuffed animals at the register within sight. I was surprised when suddenly Ryan rushes over to Adi and says sternly "hey" "no". Adi had just left my sight and I hadn't seen a little boy kick her and push her, but Ryan had.

Heaven help me.

A month or so ago I entered a conversation about parenting. It basically turned into an argument about parents needing to (figuratively) leash their children through adulthood. That children, regardless of age, are unable to make their own decisions (in other words you must make them for them) and that children are not to be trusted. It also came up that all children will need therapy to undo what their parents did to them and that basically I was an awful parent.

I could not have disagreed more.

Would I have let my child run wild in a store, hurting other children? No. And it's a pretty good thing I didn't see it and had cooled down by the time the mother showed herself ten minutes later. But that's not exactly the point.

Growing up, my parents weren't very strict, but I was very obedient. I never drank, smoked, made out with boys, or stayed out late. I babysat every weekend, was asleep in my bed by 11pm on prom night, and traveled to France by myself all before the age of 18. Among friend's parents I received the nickname "Parental Guidance" because "if McKenzie's going, then you can go".

Looking back it was such a compliment. I had earned my (and other) parents' trust and had never done anything to lose it. Why would I?

I understand this isn't necessarily the norm.

But I also know that I will express my expectations to my children. I will teach them right from wrong. I will give them appropriate freedoms. I will love them and pray for them daily. I know that I will encourage them to become independent and make their own decisions. And I know that if I do my best, Heavenly Father will gladly help with the rest.

If that is the case, why would I hold my children back from exploring the world through their own decisions? Why would I hold them back from having a loving friendship rather than a rocky dictatorship. You tell me.