Swimming Lessons and Puppies

Soooo...swimming lessons started this week! We have had 2 and they've not been all that great. Avery is not a big fan of putting her head under water or being in the water without clutching to someone. This makes it difficult for one to learn how to swim! We practiced this morning in the bathtub and she was doing a great job putting her head under the water. Then lessons today were a flop. They started out great and she was showing her teacher what we had practiced...then, tears, tears, and more tears. The tears were from Avery, AnnaLee, and....me. Mine came later, but at one point they were both crying and I was sure glad I had my sunglasses on because my eyes were welling up with tears! I held it together until we got in the truck. I just want Avery to be able to swim and not be so scared. I want her to try and trust that we won't let anything happen to her. After posting on facebook I learned that we are not the only ones going through this and we are definitely not the first. I knew this, but it really helps to hear it from others too. Being a momma is tough! I keep wondering if I'm parenting the right way. Am I too much of a pushover? Am I too tough? Do I play enough with the girls? Should I sign Avery up for more activities? etc, etc. The question is, what is the right way to parent? I guess the only right answer to that is with love. I was talking to a friend of mine tonight (one who I miss dearly!!) about parenting. There are so many books out there that say do it this way or do it that way. How confusing it all is! We determined that the answer is to listen, get good ideas, try out what you like, scrap the rest, and trust your gut as a mother. The biggest discovery my girlfriend and I had today was that since we are so worried about parenting the right way it just means we truly love our children and THAT my friends is the most important part! So have decided that I am just going to do the best I can, pray that God shows me the best way to parent my 2 girls, and not worry. I'll let you know how I'm doing on that later!

The next biggest thing going on with us is the approach of the puppies! Dixie, our newest pup, showed up on our porch about a month and a half ago. Well, she actually walked in the front door. After a little water and food, the dog knew she'd found a good place and NEVER LEFT! After discovering she had heartworms and deciding we would treat her for them, we then discovered she was pregnant. We can feel the pups moving around and we now think the pups are very close to getting here. She did not eat tonight and is acting a little strange. I'm ready to get the little guys here so that we can make sure they are healthy, make sure Dixie is healthy, and settle back into a semi-normal life! Having a random (yet very lovable) dog take over your dining room and force you into reading about delivering puppies changes your everyday life a little. I guess she didn't force us...we made the decision (even though our family thought we were crazy!) and we're going with it. The truth is though, I wouldn't do it any differently. She's been a blessing in our lives and I think God intends for us to make some memories and do a little learning from this situation. And that we will do!

God is good and we are so blessed...swimming lessons, pups, and all!