Preschool Swimming Lessons - What Matters Most

It's that time of year again where parents of preschoolers everywhere are writing "schedule swim lessons" into their daily planners and hoping to instill some water confidence and safety before summer hits with its endless heat wave beckoning us to run (walk, please!) to the pool to cool off.

I've got big pool plans this summer. I mean, we can handle one safety break to the next, eat some snacks, and head back for naps, right? Easy.

That being said, I know the importance of safety. I also want much more for our kids: a confidence being in the water, a love of being in the water. Swimming lessons is the most logical place to start for making all those wishes a reality. 

John recently started at SafeSplash Swim School with Ms. Thania. In the midst of hustling here and there with end-of-school activities, it's really nice to drive 10 minutes to their location inside LA Fitness. There are locations all across the country, so be sure to check the website for a convenient location for you. Besides being convenient, these lessons are wallet-friendly, an important factor when considering there are two other boys needing lessons and activities of their own. 

I wasn't nervous about John's enthusiasm (or lack thereof); all three boys have been water lovers. I was nervous, however, about how he would do in a setting that's not mommy-and-me. He's been my sidekick, and our only times apart have been with babysitters or family. I'm not going to lie. There were tears, but they lasted mere minutes and never returned. I credit this to his coach and appreciate how her guiding during these early years will cultivate water confidence. 

Ms. Thania helped him with a sense of firmness, nurturing, and encouragement. After that first class, John told everyone, "My teacher helped me." Since then he's been invested in swim class. Although going under still isn't his favorite, he does not have an overarching sense of dread about it and seems to know that Ms. Thania will challenge him gently and always catch him. Literally.  These are the years of "let them be little." I think swim class should do just that.

And because they are little, there are always fun games and toys that he enjoys. From getting to squirt his teacher with water after completing tasks to using the kick board to swim around and rescue floating toys to playing Simon Says, these tricks of the trade from SafeSplash are making lessons approachable and fun. That's what being in the pool is all about--fun!

While they are having a great time, however, water safety skills are being taught and reinforced throughout the lesson. I have watched John learn how to safely enter and exit the pool (including calling out to a specific grown-up when wanting to jump in), grip the wall and use his hands to "walk" around, and continue to work on breathing techniques. We are in our second month of lessons, and there's been variety of activity, yet consistency in practicing these skills, as well as beginning stroke/kick techniques. John's favorite is the kick board which he'll proudly tell you he does "all by himself" and looks forward to each class. Ms. Thania is fostering swimming as something that he's proud of and enjoys!

I also appreciate the mom learning factor. Ms. Thania has been free after class to answer any questions -- perhaps how far to push him when we practice on our own, or what's the best method for helping him get comfortable on his back. And in class I'm right there to see and hear teaching techniques to duplicate at home practice. 

Summer is around the corner, and we are ready! John is not swimming solo, and that's ok! He's learning, and SafeSplash has been a great first step in swimming confidence, trust, water safety awareness, and fun! 

Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own. SafeSplash Swim School is providing a month's swim lessons in exchange for blog posts. Be sure to check them out for swimming needs! 

Registration Complete

I waited nervously as kids shuffled in at the last minute that Monday morning. I had the first appointment, little eager beaver that I can be sometimes. And this whole registration business wasn't just new to me this year. The entire district changed its registration process, so the school had a few loose ends to tie up as well. Mostly, I just wanted to make sure I did my part. Surely the pile of documents I gathered contained everything we needed to start the next chapter of our first born son's book. I'll admit it; I'm not the type who has to come back. It wasn't going to happen. Not on my watch!

The bell rang, a kind face appeared on the television announcements, and then a group of sweet kids led the Pledge of Allegiance and Texas pledge. I surely stood out as I kept my hand over my heart for the latter. I'm pretty sure I was supposed to raise my right hand. Details.

Soon enough the principal's assistant was rolling through her checklist and flipping through my paperwork. I was given more to fill out. The nurse needed this information, the state that information, and the principal and teachers -- well, they needed this handy little questionnaire, a bit of a tell us about your child. 

So I got to thinking about strengths and weaknesses. And then there were his hobbies and "anything else you want us to know." These simple questions lit a tiny fire of panic in my heart. There weren't that many lines. Don't they know I need a larger word count? 

But if I don't spell it out, will they know? Will they see that he's funny and kind (maybe not so much to his brother) and smart and creative and all the good stuff? Surely I need to explain his needs (read :: weaknesses) instead of just listing these ways in which he's just still growing and maturing? If I tell the truth, will they think we aren't so much cut out for this parenting business?

Is running a hobby? The kid does like to run. 

And yet, I can't be "that mom." 

And I wasn't. I listed his big qualities in each section, called it a day. And it felt right. We finished up the paperwork and checked off this box and that one, said our goodbyes, and I walked back home to high five my future kindergartener! 

I'm pretty sure my peace on that walk was visible. Maybe I had a goofy grin on my face. I certainly felt one in my heart. All those strengths and weaknesses -- they are his. They aren't mine.  This is his journey after all. He's going to make his way. 

And, while we daily do our best as parents to guide him, he's in bigger hands. The same Father that created me and carries me is his Father. The same Father that knows the plans for my heart is his Father with the plans for his heart.  

And I can't wait to see where He leads him. 

Be sure to stop by Houston Moms Blog today to enter to win a fantastic kindergarten prep series. And there's a coupon code too! 

Where We Take Our Mardi Gras Seriously

Not every Mardi Gras parade happens on the streets of South Louisiana. As it turns out, the sidewalks of a preschool on a chilly Tuesday will do just fine.

And on years that we don't make it one state over, I'm grateful for Texas carnival fun where little parade-goers can learn the art of waving arms and catching beads.

And kids that learn the art of a well-decorated float.

I'm thankful to be from a land where "Baby's 1st Parade" should be part of the baby book. 

 I'm grateful for the ways in which little cowboys learn to save a special bead for their Momma.

The Moment : There is No Braverman Guarantee

We all watched it. And cried in some form or fashion. Perhaps it was a constant trickle throughout Parenthood's final episode. Maybe an ugly cry at the moment. You know the one. That moment might have been different for all of us.


I couldn't help but project my own life into the hit NBC show as the series finale flashed on the screen. It's a little fuzzy, but I see our adult children frequently hanging out at their childhood home, around the kitchen, helping Dad outside with some project or another, or stopping by for dinner chosen from our growing collection of perfected Tex-Mex plates. We'll watch the grandkids while our own children sneak away for a much-needed night out. We will be their first stop with news, good and bad and in between.

Maybe this house is the one, maybe another. But the walls don't matter. Our boys know they can be themselves and be loved for that within them. They will return with little ones of their own who know our love deeply. They will come by so often that they all have places at the table and argue over claimed spots on the couch.

And we watch them grow. And grow. And grow. We might have a great-grandchild or two. They will all be there when we renew our vows at the church where we married in Hometown, LA. And they will hold us and carry us when we make the hard choices much like we carried them. They will remember us fondly when it's our time, each of their cheeks wet with tears, yes, and each with hearts swollen with memories. Memories of us as a couple, us as a family, each of us as individuals.

There will be that time that dinner was popcorn and ice cream. Or maybe that no one left the table until a few bites of veggies made their way into little bellies.
And they will remember weekend haircuts with Daddy and after school Icee stops with Momma. They will feel the hugs we doled out after winning a close game against team rivals or nailing a band concert or trying their best on an algebra test but coming up a little short.

We will have had the words they needed to get through each day and through each season. They might recall some of them. Most importantly, "I love you. I'm proud of you." They were said so often that the words themselves are a part of their being, woven into their bones.

And yet, there's no guarantee that we are the first to go. There's no Braverman guarantee. All we are guaranteed is the moment in which we are currently find ourselves, and in 2015, I'm gifting myself with an awareness of "the moment." These are the words guiding my days.  I'm trying to be present in each one and alert to what it's offering. Some offer lessons, others joy. Still others give peace, rest, validation, courage, invitation.

The big moments show themselves proudly and aren't to be discounted. We know those. But my goal is to live the small moments between these grander times with a bit more intention, more gratitude, more pauses to see the beauty of it all.

I want to accept these moments into my heart, but also capture them. I want to experience them again through the lenses of photography or journaling. I selfishly want to hang onto them and let them linger for a bit before moving on to the next.

As 2015 inches its way closer to the halfway mark, moments are making their marks, and while I can't grab them all, I plan to soak in all that I can.

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Would anyone notice if I skip November 5?

There aren't any notes. Help! What I do know is that W and I had grits for breakfast after our stomach bug, and man, I do love some grits. So yes, today, I'm thankful for grits.

And the sillies. Oh the sillies!

"Squeeeeeeze!" he says!

November 4 -- Tough Times

My W and I had a stomach bug. There wasn't much thanks and even less jotting down of notes. But a certain husband saved the day. I'm grateful for his employment circumstances, his patience, and for seamlessly caring for our family when its starting QB was down.

Settling In -- November 3

At this rate I might just finish this by Christmas. Details...


Apparently I wrote down that I was thankful for a 5 am wake-up call. Looking back, no clue. I guess it was good?

As parents, J and I have been getting some extra third child snuggle time. He sure does love a nap being held. This is most likely the last time we get to do the baby thing. Dear God, let me remember daily to enjoy it.

A pair of Spiderman shoes inspired a friend's poignant post, and I took the cue to look around my own space and be grateful for what brings me peace. This month is hectic so far. We've faced a few challenged, and a five-month-old third baby is proving a bit more challenging than a newborn third baby. Thank you, Captain Teething.

But my heart tells me to choose gratitude, and I'm thankful for that tug.

November 2 -- Going So Fast

We did a bit of catching up on Parenthood, and sometimes it's the words of a television character that hand you the lenses with which you should be viewing life.

Today I'm thankful for Zeek Braverman. "It just goes by so fast."

Called To Give Thanks -- November 1

While I'm not sure who reads this neglected little blog anymore or exactly sure how much longer I will be posting, I do know I want to use it as a space during this season of the year and season in my life to keep me accountable in fostering a grateful spirit within. It's the change in perspective I've been craving. 

I'm just a few days late, but the "Notes" app has proven a trusty companion in recording my thoughts in a pinch. 

Saturday afternoon snuggles met park weather. I spent the day with the two littles while the biggest fellow went to the air show. We didn't have much adventure to the day. There were still tears to be cried, bottles to be washed, and bottoms to be cleaned, but inside, the whisper to change my attitude became louder. And I don't want to ignore it. 

I don't have to; I get to. And for that I am so grateful. 

Happy Halloween!

It's been quite the blog hiatus! Nothing like bringing it back with this gem! 

W on Wednesday

Scene : The boys' bedroom about 8:15. J was already asleep, and Momma laid with W for a bit. The following whispers ensued.

W : Maybe we can play Paw Patrol tomorrow. I will be Chase. John will be Rocky. You can be Sky. And Abram will be Rubble.

M :  Ok. Sounds good.

And then it gets deep. Turns out our family has one girl and Paw Patrol has one girl.

W : Why do you think our family just has one girl.

M : Because that's how God made us.

W: Why does Paw Patrol just have one girl?

M : Hmmmm. I'm not sure. Why do you think?

W: Because that's how God made them.

And they wouldn't have anyone to make their food. And fly.

Apologies, future daughter-in-law. I'm working on it. This guy makes a mean pizza, and I just taught him my guacamole recipe. We are getting there.

Our New Normal

Normal means up early feeding the littlest tyke and remaining up as one after another opens their sleepy little eyes to take on another day. 

Normal means that life gets a bit mechanical:  feed this mouth, diaper that bottom, feed another mouth, sit down to play a game, wait...diaper another bottom,  convince someone to return to game after interest lost, repeat until lunch and nap time. 

Normal means deep breaths, patience lost, hugs all around, and focus on what went well each day. 

Normal means what it always has: embrace, do, make, create, and go.

As we agree to a play date here or a birthday there, I figuratively "huddle up" and tell myself that no matter if we all end up crying at some point, we are showing up.  

And today, we showed up.

We met friends at an indoor playground, and I am sure I had a wide-eyed "help me" face the entire time while aging years as seconds rolled by. But we showed up. And the kids had a blast. (And just a small shout-out to the mother who allowed her toddler to grab and put his germy mouth on A's precious bottle of pumped milk while I grabbed John--watch your kid, dang it!) But back to that showed up bit...

Thank you "big" boys for playing together while we waited for our friends. Thank you for eating when it was time to eat. Thank you for waiting patiently for a sub-par hot dog that took 15 minutes to come out to the table. Thank you for not throwing a fit. About anything. At any point. We just might venture out again. :) 

Thank you for your confidence, W, while running around with friends old and new. Thank you, J,  for finding my eyes and smiling proudly at me after you scaled the toddler zone and found the bubble.  You both me me prouder than you will ever know. 

And you, sweet A, thank you for patience with your bottle. A Ninja Turtle bandaid was needed at some point. Thank you for sleeping peacefully through perhaps the most crowded and chaotic visit we have had there yet. Thank you for no explosive diaper and for handling a nursing session with ease as we stayed longer than planned, had only a toddler germ-infested partial bottle left, and sat at a crowded table while I held one arm out for your brother to down my strawberry-banana smoothie. You are pretty much the sweetest thing.

Normal means we won't have such an excursion every day. Not even every week. But normal means when we do, we are going to show up. 

We Believe(d) That We Will Win!

World Cup 2014 will be one I will always remember. It's much like the one four years ago when we watched games while very pregnant with W and drinking Icees with reckless abandon.  Perhaps this tournament, if Abram had been born later, we just might have named him Jurgen. Ok, not really. His name had been chosen for a while now.

My mom made the boys matching shirts; we watched the hype videos. We were ready.  By the time the games began, John had his own version of the "I Believe" chant and didn't hesitate to bust out his go-to dance bounce and sing it whenever he saw an American flag. 'Atta boy!

We had pizza picnics in front of the t.v. and mini M&Ms shakers to cheer our team on and eat when we needed a distraction. We took out toys that were in hiding so Momma could watch the afternoon games. 

We believed our lucky shirts were helping our boys to victory. We pretended Dempsey was Superman and Howard was the Hulk.

We planted a seed (for future soccer players perhaps). We believed.
And while the team had some success and some heartbreak, our hearts filled with pride watching our guys hang with the world's best one memorable summer.

Handful of Sweet and A Heart Full of Love

It's no secret that preschoolers feel things in a bit way. The good news is that this applies to their compassion as well. 

We've instituted TAKOS Tuesday over here, and after finding a Ninja Turtle tattoo in a particular brand, bought it again in hopes to get another character. W hopped around with excitement as I prepared dinner and grabbed his little piece of happiness. Indeed, it was Donatello. Hooray!

I took it out of the packaging, grabbed a towel, and we counted to thirty together as I pressed it on his forearm.

Turns out, I didn't take that plastic strip off the back. Donatello was plastered firmly on it instead of my sweet boy's arm. We didn't have back-up.

After I promised we would grab another one next time at the store and applied a Cars tattoo we had lying around, I apologized again and told him I felt really bad.

W looked at me straight in the eye and said, "Do you need a hug?"

Yes. Why yes I did.  I hope he always knows that such small tokens of kindness go so far.

(Photo courtesy of Momma's Gonna Snap Photography)

New Look (In More Ways Than One!)

J apparently played around with my little space here yesterday while I was out running errands and all three, yes all three, slept practically the entire time I was out.  He has such hard parenting duties sometimes! But hey, the guy used his time wisely and gave When In Doubt a bit of a facelift. I like it. I just better start taking some amazing pictures as they are front and center.

What better way to start than showcase our CMC (again, but hey he's cute) in his new threads from The Little Crane. Poor guy lives in hand-me-downs, and because of the way the birthdays fell,  a lot of the cutest outfits didn't seasonally work out for him. When I caught hold of some Friday sales through their Facebook page, I couldn't resist a new purchase for my sweet boy.  We headed out Saturday morning to feed the turtles and snap a few pics.

I'd say he wears it well! 

He's just one super cool kid. I told myself I would choose one or two pictures to post, but I love his personality. He's definitely one to just eat up!

We don't always have impromptu photo shoots, but when we do, we sport brightly colored imitation Crocs and a leftover Lightning McQueen knee tat.  Details.

I'm hosting a trunk show on Instagram today, featuring some back to school items from TLC. Come follow along and also be sure to check out The Little Crane on Facebook! 

Friday Five - My Week in Five Pictures

It's been a doozy around here.

1.

We ended last week and started this week with a much needed date night. My parents were in town, and J and I finally tried a restaurant we've had our eyes (and tastebuds) on for a while. The food was delicious and I treated myself to a bit of wine and a meal containing dairy. And do note, J did not bring the iPad; he's simply checking out their wine menu.  God must have known I needed the emotional fuel for the week to come.

2.

 We checked out Lots of Dots from the library and explored painting outside one afternoon. This moment lasted seconds before John was looking to get into the garage and W decided he was bored.

3.

Abram had a check-up on Monday, and W had his four year check-up on Wednesday. I go to the dr. today. Not a fan.  But how awesome is this one's waiting room selfie. I'd say he nailed it.

4.

(I can't believe I'm putting this pitiful photo of myself out there!). And then...we were back in the doctor's office on Thursday. Little guy started with a fever on Tuesday, and we confirmed an ear infection after two sleepless nights.

5.

Our newest member must be growing. Kiddo is eating up a storm and enjoying hanging out in the morning with his brothers.

Yea...6 photos. I know. J loves saying "hey" to Abram when he's hanging out. I can't imagine anything so cute giving me such gray hairs. "Don't press the baby's eye!" 

Here's to the weekend, my Friends! Come back Monday for a fun sale from The Little Crane! 

Introducing The CMC

A's pediatrician at the hospital walked in when my mom was visiting with the big boys and took one glance at John climbing chairs and staring excitedly at all of the monitor buttons just itching to be pushed. His words were "and this is the confident one." Hence his new nickname - CMC or Confident Middle Child. 

That's our John. Confident. Courageous. And oh so Curious.

He can't help but draw attention wherever we go with his blue eyes, healthy cheeks, and inviting smile.

Lover of remote controls, television panel buttons, and climbing, he won't hesitate to pull down what he wants off counters and out of drawers. He's earned his Instagram hashtag "daredeviljp."  (His middle name isn't Paul.)

He will wave hi and tell you bye, and I've never seen a kid with such a love to be tickled.

He laughs with his whole soul, and we love him so.

Friday Five : My Week in Five Images

And we're back! I'm not sure for how long or in what capacity. Lots of thoughts rolling in my head about where this little corner of the blog arena might be headed. I don't have bit plans for growing it; in fact, it might become a private family space, but in the meantime, I'm hoping to play a bit of catch-up while noting what our lives are like these days. 

1. 

We go through stain remover like crazy these days. The worst offender uses his sleeves instead of napkins.

2.

The road goes on forever, and the laundry never ends. My go to strategy is to wash loads upon loads at a time and fold at night while catching up on an unexciting season of The Bachelorette.

3.

Cabinet locks all day thanks to the Confident Middle Child!

4.

Toys are part of the decor. I don't mind these reminders of who our family has become.

5.

Lots of library books. We are reading through a different theme each week, and I love that I can reserve books online and make a quick trip to pick them up instead of scouring the shelves with three in tow.


Good days, bad days, we are knee deep in this family's ocean. A non-napping is currently wailing for my attention after waking from an early nap. God has surely rained down blessings, and I am thankful for the umbrella and boots He's provided in the form of an amazing husband and father to walk by my side through this and the friends who lift us up through prayer, meals, and snoball dates!

In An Instant

And just like that, he's a little boy! 

Trying "death-defying" stunts on anything he can climb:

Driving vehicles straight into the dirt:

And noticing everything that flies in the sky, from birds to airplanes to leaves falling from trees:

 You are going to be a great big brother, kiddo!