My mom asked my children to fill in the blank: “Summer isn’t summer without ____.” Blackberry picking, watermelon, a backyard BBQ, corn on the cob, and ice cream all come to mind. Mostly food-related things, but for me, another one has to be swimming!
Growing up in Texas, I have vivid memories of pool time: public pools playing Top 40 hits, "categories" in the deep end, countless backyard pool hangouts, and jumping off the high-dive platform at the WAC (the Woodlands Athletic Center). It is the number one thing I miss about living in Texas.
Since Seattle’s pool offerings are in short supply, this has historically resulted in getting to swim only when we’re in Connecticut at our neighbor Mr. Frank’s pool. Honestly, this is where NLW first learned to doggie paddle, jump in uninhibited, etc. Going eight straight afternoons in a row will do that. However, I often referred to our daughter as being “a cat” during this time period—never getting her head wet and clinging to the side of the pool.
This summer, we decided the twins ought to learn how to swim and made it a priority to get to the pool as much as possible. We’d previously dabbled in group swim lessons at the YMCA (without success), and from there, decided we just needed to try for more exposure by attending family swim hours. That prompted our switch to The West Seattle Health Club, and we started going every once in a while.
“Teach your kids to swim” became a task I begrudgingly faced—important, essential(!), but challenging to keep up with. For the past few months, we took advantage of our open schedule and prioritized private 1:1 lessons. We quickly found ourselves at the pool multiple times a week, thinking that back-to-back opportunities would help accelerate progress.
Well, say “goodbye” to floaties, because our efforts paid off!
Seeing all my children, but especially EDW, blow bubbles, dunk her head, jump in, use “streamline” arms, and grow in her comfort, confidence, and excitement for pool time has been so, so special. While we still have some work to do—none of my children are comfortable trying to pass a swim test—we made significant progress! This summer felt momentous, like another step forward into having “big kids.”
In addition to the many family swim sessions we attended this summer, we also had a few special pool experiences:
1. The Port Angeles Aquatic Center—We love this place so much and joke that it alone could draw us to the peninsula. Warm water (no wetsuit needed!), a whirlpool, and unexpected FREE SACK LUNCHES for the kids. Incredible.
2. Our Airbnb pool in Mosier, OR — Hard to beat a post-dinner swim, especially when we had the whole pool to ourselves.
3. Colman Pool — A unique (and hard-to-get-to—the kids biked their way in!) saltwater pool in Lincoln Park. Our friends rent the pool out annually and invite friends, and this year the kids were able to come!
4. Gregory Seahurst Swimming Pool — "Straight from the 80s," this is classic pool time at its finest. We got invited to go with friends and absolutely loved our experience! The twins were happy in the 3-ft. area and NLW jumped off the diving board (for his first time!) non-stop. I was pleasantly surprised I could recreate the joyful Texas pastime of my youth all the way in the PNW.
5. Lowery C. "Pop" Mounger Pool — If there's an outdoor pool within 30 minutes of me, I'm going to go! We visited on a cooler day, but thankfully their smaller pool is kid-friendly and heated. I'd love to go back in the future and try the slide with the kids.
6. Rainier Beach Community Pool — Our neighbors have raved about this indoor pool and I finally made the effort to take my children. It's a close recreation of the beloved Port Angeles pool mentioned above, with a lazy river, whirlpool, and warmer water. I look forward to returning!
Fast-forward to our final days of summer, and going to the pool will continue to be one of our key family activities. Even if it does require Mr. Fleece to wear a wetsuit to the indoor pool at the gym. :) Despite the cooler water temp, being inside has its perks—no sunscreen required, and we can do it year-round. It’s guaranteed screen-free for everyone and task-free time for me (hooray!). It’s an innately freeing and playful time.
