Swimming at the UVAC

Now I’m not so into indoor pools, but when you live in New England, it’s pretty much the only way to get some swimming in for most of the year. It’s just that the smell of chlorine inside is so strong, and that can’t be good for the lungs. Plus, you can’t beat the sun for helping to keep germs in check, and I can’t tell you how many times we’ve swam at that Aquatic Center and the water is turbid and cloudy because there are so many people in the water. Kind of disgusting.

I do, however, think that the best way for kids to learn how to swim is in the pool. Lakes and ponds are great for cooling off and splashing around, but to really gain confidence and skill in the water, pools are the way to go. Plus, the kids really love that place.

This past weekend, A&R went off for girls day out, so N and I hit the pool, mainly because he got this new underwater missile projectile thing that he’d wanted for quite some time. In fact, the last time we were at the UVAC, some kid had left behind a smaller version of it, and N completely fell for it. It’s kind of fun, and something that he can do alone or with me. We went searching for one after swimming last time, but couldn’t find it. Interestingly enough, when we were in the Greek Isles, on the ferry boat to Sifnos, they actually had them in the gift shop, and N was beside himself. We told him no, however, because it was kind of expensive, and we figured we’d wait until we got home.

We found one at Kmart, and it wasn’t that much cheaper, but it was much bigger, about the length of a football, but narrower. He loved it, and we played with it the entire time at the pool. I’m glad we found one, because we’d promised him we’d get one once we were home, and I think it’s really important to keep your promises with your kids, or anyone, for that matter.

The pool, BTW, was crowded but fun. As usual, there was some sort of birthday going on, and we saw some people we knew, attending the dreaded party. After swimming, we went for supper at Panera, and then had smoothies for dessert. It was fun, and we took the long way home, enjoying the ride, kind of like life should be.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Benjamin Earwicker for the pic.