1.) Write about a time you or someone you know saved the day!
I have never been like my sisters at the pool. I love them dearly, but good God, get them near any body of water and they become these helicopter parents that I can’t have a decent conversation with. They’re constantly looking, gasping, flinching, and diving for their children. Two of my three sisters have actually submerged themselves fully clothed into pools to save nearly drowning children.
And ps the drowning children don’t even have to belong to them. All children are safe at a swimming pool where my sisters are present.
I, on the other hand, have been nothing more than a frustrated party goer. Cheeseburger in one hand, a Mikes Hard Lemonade in the other…my kids put a toe in for five minutes and then scurry off to play at the playground. I come to the pool with a plethora of great stories to tell sisters who cannot bring themselves to listen.
So I do the shoulder shrug and cram more cheeseburger into my face, “did anyone bring grapes?? Grapes sound SOGOOD!”
And then everything changed.
I enrolled my kids in swim lessons, had a hell of a time with that…they hated them…and then the oddest thing happened…they started actually swimming. I had to actually start watching them. Kainoa now throws his body in every possible direction just to slam himself into water with a wide open grin on his face the entire time.
Which was cute.
Until he threw up one day and the shallow end of the pool had to be cleared and filled with bleach.
Which was fine except for that we then had to move our chairs to the deep end of the pool and while my girls are great at holding on to the wall and kicking their legs around they still can’t really swim more than three strokes.
So when I actually found a friend to chat with and my sister said, “are your girls going to be okay in this deep water?” and I responded with “Oh yeah, they’re way to timid and scared to let go of that wall!” I really meant it.
And then when my sister grabbed my arm 45 seconds later and said, “Oh my God Kathy do you think Maile’s okay!?!” I took one look at my drowning daughter and said “OhmyGodNO! She’s not okay!!” and I threw my purse from my body and officially joined the club of moms who submerge themselves fully clothes into pools of water after drowning children.
I”m so glad my sister had the sense about her to take a picture just seconds after this horrible incident occurred.
I didn’t even know I had the ability to make that face. A nice combination of horror and humor I’m thinking.
As it turns out, Maile’s younger cousin (who’s actually a very good swimmer) invited Maile to help find a shark. Maile told her she couldn’t swim so her cousin offered to hold her hand. Which is super sweet, but there’s no way that little thing was going to hold my second grader above the water. It made perfect sense to the two of them though and off they went.
And that my friends, is how children drown.
And also why I no longer eat burgers at the swimming pool.
Also also why I am a hero.
Now it’s your turn!
Choose a prompt, post it on your blog, and come back to add your name to the link list below. Be sure to sign up with the actual post URL and not just your basic blog URL (click on the title of your post for that URL). For good comment karma try to comment on the three blogs above your name!!
The Prompts:
1.) Write about a time you or someone you know saved the day!
2.) Who is the last person you spoke with on the phone for more than 30 minutes? Write about one thing you talked about.
3.) Write about a time you probably should have called for a ride home.
4.) Write a poem inspired by the word “Loss”.
5.) If you were to go back to the moment you decided to start a blog, what ten blogging tips would you share with yourself?
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
This is both touching, humorous, and full of compassion! You are an extraordinary mama. When you wrote, “I didn’t even know I had the ability to make that face. A nice combination of horror and humor I’m thinking,” I had to laugh, because so often I’ve wondered what emotions are registering on my face in moments I don’t entirely understand or appreciate or desire. I love the photo :) You actually pull it off really well, looking calm and sophisticated in the water, but your daughter’s face shows relief. I think I’ll try to stay away from the deep end for a few more years!
My husband had to do a similar thing when he said it was okay for our grandson Eli (who cannot swim a stroke) to move away from the wall when we went to a graduation/swim party.
Did your shoes make that funny sloshing sound, too?
To me the look on your face says “F*ck yeah I just saved my drowning daughter! ‘Cause I’m awesome!” Seriously though, I’m glad she’s ok. I can’t imagine how scary it must have been.
Holy Jeeze! Good thing your sister was watching!
And I was thinking “Wow that’s a FULL bathing suit” what is that? A wetsuit?
Good Job Mama! That’s definitely a story for the books! It cancels out all those “other” stories you talked about before!
I just saw a dad do the same thing at a party last weekend. Too bad he had his wallet and his phone in his pocket :x
Wow, you really ARE a hero – and as a blogger I deeply respect your sister for snapping a picture of you IN THE MOMENT, IN THE POOL, IN YOUR CLOTHES. Pure blogging gold.
I have yet to rescue a drowning child. My kids all seem to have been born with gills; its a New Zealand thing; they’d spend all summer in the water of they could.
But I was actually once rescued by a fearless woman who spotted me drowning and dived in clothes and all.
So as a nearly-drowned child, to a hero, On behalf of all children-in-deep-water everywhere, I thank you.
PS Hope you like my 10 Blogging tips; a perfect Post topic for me as I celebrate my three-year blogiversary. Wahoo.
HOly cow I am glad you were there hun.. that look is the one of ‘Holy crap my kid just cut 10 years off my life and clothes weigh a ton when they are wet,no wonder the dryer groans when it first takes off..”
Oh that would have been a scary moment. Glad everything turned out okay. There is a reason I still make my kids wear life vests- then I don’t have to hover so much :)
Good on you.I have yet to join the jump in the pool fully clothed mum club.
I haven’t had to jump in fully clothed, but I am so paranoid when my kids are in the water. Ive been accused of making them fearful. Woops!
wow!!! what a story and way to go mom!
I laughed and grimaced and squirmed in my seat as I read – everything you express in your facial expression that your sister AMAZINGLY captured (and how you have your shades so serenely balanced on your head I don’t know!). Go you! x
First off, I’m glad everyone was okay. Second, yesterday, when I took my two and plus two of their friends to the pool and we were the ONLY ones there and the lifeguard was texting, I thought, “I know I should keep an eye on them and not text too, but you are being PAID to watch them. It is your JOB! Put the dang phone away so I can relax and check mine!”
Okay, I feel better noe.
My sis fell in a pool in Tenerife when she was only around 14months old. She popped to the top and giggled apparantly! She’s a life-guard now. ;D Great post, and good on you. Kids, what are they like? So glad I found this place. Shah. X
http://wordsinsync.blogspot.com/2011/08/guest-post-by-gabrielle-bisset-author.html
So glad there was a happy ending. I inherited my mother’s fear of the water (can’t swim), so pools have never been a part of my life. Your sister deserves a little bit of the “hero credit” too, for realizing your daughter was in trouble! It was a team effort!
Wow, Kat, great/sobering story. We held my daughter’s 6th (or 7th? time flies) birthday party at my sister in law’s pool. Feeling all responsible, I hired a lifeguard to deal with the safety issues and so I could eat cheeseburgers and look for grapes (ha ha). Much later in the day, I came out of the house to find my husband and sister in law retrieving my toddler son who clearly had been submerged longer than he should have been — I had these little flower sponge things in the goody bags and he was trying to get one that was floating and had come out of his floater ring thing RIGHT IN FRONT OF TWO ADULTS WHO WERE ABOUT A FOOT AWAY. All of this happened after I had released the lifeguard since the party was over. It truly only takes a second. (And your sister taking that picture — what a sisterly gift!).
What an amazing story. It’s a good thing that your daughter was okay and that you and your sister stepped in just in time. My daughter is only 18 months and we go swimming often. I usually strap her in this life float, toddler thingy that’s perfectly safe, but that, of course, doesn’t stop me from imagining the worst that could happen and panicking the entire time. We still manage to have fun though.
I have a big fear of my kids drowning and now they all swim probably better than I do. This is a great reminder that we need to be aware of what is going on all the time. It is hard being the mom. Good job…hero!
Oh wow, this must have been so terrifying! In retrospect, you gotta love that childhood logic, “if I hold your hand you’ll be fine.” You ARE a hero every single day for being a mom. On this day you were a SUPER mom! ;)
I used to be a lifeguard and it’s vitally important kids learn to swim as soon as possible. My husband & I had to rescue two kids who were drowning at my sister’s pool. Their grandfather & none of the other 10 actual parents (I was newly pregnant in addition to being fully clothed) were paying a damn bit of attention to the kids at the party.
Sadly, this wasn’t the first kid I’ve had to rescue.
I have taken the full clothed dip more than once. My little Monkey thought she could swim from birth and would routinely go jump in any available body of water. She’s had swim lessons now for the last 3 summers, so it’s much better, but it is still pretty scary! Good save!
Woo-hoo! You go girl! Way to save the day. My question is this – why are you wearing a black, long sleeved shirt? It must be hot if the kids are swimming outside. What were you thinking?! ;)
a friend of ours install an inground pool in his backyard. Personally, we thought “moron” since he had a then 5 year old and a neighborhood FULL of kids. Can we say liability? No fence around it either BTW.
But still, free pool to use, so that is cool…except when you are at a b-day party, full of young kids…who can’t swim…but delight in being way too close to the edge in his much too small for an in ground pool back yard. I think 3 parents did the hero, fully clothed jump that day. Myself, I just threw my body onto the edge of the pool and swooped my then 2yo out of the water after she took a dunk.
Sigh. I can’t wait for those kids to learn to swim!!
So this is EXACTLY why I had to learn to swim this summer AND was intent on learning before my 3 yr old did. My boys (especially the 16 month) have no fear of water and the little one will walk straight into a pool as if he could walk on water. I want to be like you when I grow up – able to leap into the pool, lake, ocean, whatever I need to if my kids are in danger.
I’ve always loved swimming and it pains me how unwilling me son seems to be to learn how. He’s content to stand in the water, or to just float about in his life vest while other people pull him from place to place. He’s taken swim lessons (12 sessions at 30 min) to no particular avail. He’s just disinterested. I wish I could get him to at least to try so I could gladly jump in fully clothed to rescue him. I doubt any of my friends would have the foresight to take the awesome full clothed in the water photo.
I use to be a lifeguard and worry I wouldn’t be able to tell when a kid was drowning or just pretending. Until I had to rescue the first kid. The difference is so obvious and scary!
I love that your sister thought to take a picture after that…you poor woman. Glad everyone was OK.
I LOVE that you have picture of it … that is something I would do. Snapshots of people following a hair-raising event. :)
Glad you got to her in time! I am scared to death one of mine will drown, so I don’t even take them swimming by myself – maybe when they are a little older and understand they don’t know how to swim yet….
Oh wow! That’s terrifying! I’ll be honest, I was skimming your post and I got down to the bottom and saw you in the pool in a long-sleeved shirt and said to myself, “Self, you’re missing a great post go back to the beginning and read this thing for real!”
Glad I did – and glad everyone is ok!
I love her face. And I think (if it were directed at you) you should lock your bedroom door at night. My twins swim like sharks. For real. They are seasoned competitors. BUT…My 2 yr old horrifies me because he thinks he can swim like “the bubbas.” I have hurled myself in the pool several times this summer because of his deadly stunts. Each time we moms need a jum start afterwards!
Hope you are beating back in rythm.
That my friend is why I LOVE you so much. You can be serious and funny all at once. And you make me feel better about being a mom. I’m not the only one who tries juggling multiple things, with a drink/wine in my hand. Forget the hamburger! :)
Oh by the way I am glad all was okay and in fact your little girl made it our safe!
I would have needed a shot of something strong after that! That picture is priceless.
I am sure I will soon join the club now that my son can put his face in the water like nobodies business!
That is a VERY attractive Wonder Womanesque photo and I’m so impressed that you managed to save your daughter from drowning and maintain your sunglasses perched on your head.
My daughter once looked like she was going down (she was 4 at the time) and me, my husband and my brother all jumped in at once. It was like the Super Friends :)
I love that you managed to keep your sunglasses on your head. And that your daughter is alive. The minute we arrive at a pool party, my husband pulls his cell phone and wallet out of his pockets and takes off his watch so he is “ready”. He had to go in twice last summer, but so far this year he has stayed dry.
You had my heart pounding! You know how to weave a story. You also look really good fully clothed in a swimming pool Way to go Mama Bear!
I love this. I laughed out loud, gasped in dismay, and sighed in relief throughout it (and of COURSE the laughing was NOT at the picture of you & your daughter… not at all… *ahem*) Great post! you are DEFINITELY a hero!!
Wow! You are definitely a hero, my hero for sure as I cant swim to save my own life, but I’m positive I would jump in anyway to save my daughters. Bravo Mama, you definitely saved the day.
So glad Maile’s okay. Note to self, enroll my daughters in swimming lessons, STAT!
Oh, yeah. You are definitely a hero!! Just another benefit of having kids 4 years apart—-I can just push an older kid in the pool to help the youngers! Ha! J/K (sorta….)
I chose the poem about loss.
Lisa
OH WOW! That is an amazing story of saving the day! Pretty sure I’d do the same thing if needed. Jump in fully clothed and save a kid, mine or other wise. BRAVO!!
Way to save the day! Oh, and your child life :) Extra bonus!
oh my word.. how scary! question though, why are you wearing long sleeves at the pool?!
You really need to put a Face book share button on the stories! I am enjoying them and rotf and can’t share on my page! Wanna share!! Donna
Oh my goodness, Kat! I’m so glad that Maile is okay! I love the irony of the situation. It makes something scary a little bit funny (although still horrific!). I love the pictures too :)
Gosh I love your swim suite! Where do I get one like that? LOL
Seriously though, that is freaky scary!
Good job, Mama-Hero!
Gosh I love your swim suite! Where do I get one like that?
Seriously though, that is freaky scary!
Good job, Mama-Hero!
Isn’t that the scariest thing? I once turned around to find my daughter face down in the pool. Thank goodness she had enough sense to hold her breath until I got to her!
I love the sister who ran for the phone instead of the kid. She’s a total keeper. :)
This is how I learned the rice thing for saving a wet phone.
Pools can be scary. I am defiantly like your sisters and overly vigilant. Kids also do not think things through (won’t be the first time huh?) but it also makes them braver sometimes. Pretty soon your kids will be swimming carefree and you can be back to your burgers and Mike’s Hard Lemonade! I’m happy that this story has a happy ending and how lucky you are that your fantastic sister was so very thoughtful enough to capture the moment! -Laverne
I have been through the same thing, but no one had a camera. this will be a good story to tell one day, I promise. And I totally love her face!!!
wow look at you being maternal and Lifeguard”y” .now that was impressive. I’m just so glad she was ok….kids, god they are going to give us all a heart attack with the stuff they attempt. ;)
This is sooooooo true! This is how “it” happens!
This post was really funny..right down to the pic of you in the pool with your hoodie and all. Loved it.
I had to jump in to save my cousin’s little boy one time. It was so fast and terrifying. Thankfully I was still in my suit, but I would not have hesitated to go in fully clothed.
Oh my, Kat. This is a good story. ‘Cept now my fear is not of my children drowning because they are super-great-swimmers. My fear today is that they will be eaten by a shark because we swim in the Pacific Ocean and just watched Shark Week. Discovery Channel Sucks.