Swimaversary Part One

On April 8th, 2014 Josiah has been swimming for a year. We decided to celebrate his swimaversary with some other pages. I mentioned that it has changed his and our life/lives forever. I wanted to go in more detail with what I mean by that. I have talked about swimming and loving it in several posts. I have not gotten down and talked strictly about the benefits and how it has helped. I will share what I viewed and even share some links for things that are not so visible that I have learned through information I have learned over time. I will also share each of these in a separate blog no matter how long or short so the whole thing will not become overwhelming to read all in one blog post. :)

*ok I started this shortly after his swim aversary, but with no swimming, end of semester craziness, and a few other things that have pushed it to the sidelines I am just now getting to writing more on it*

Self Control 

I will start with the first one we noticed. Better self control. This was seen through a couple of changes. The first thing that he started began when he was 11 months old. He started climbing to high heights for his age and it was not only a daily, but multiple times a day kind of thing. He did not even start walking until he was 16 months because of course why walk when you can climb everything. His climbing started to lessen and become not as common of a occurrence in the house. The second think that became less of an issue I have already posted about in the blog post Sometimes I Forget, which goes into great detail about how his tantrums and meltdowns had lessened with swimming/had been almost no existent. The only case when they would show up is when he had an outside source that would trigger it. He used to have meltdowns/self harm due to lack of activity. This is one of the reasons we have so many toys for him to choose from. He always has to be busy doing something. If he gets board he gets into self harm. Biting himself leaving marks, pinching, throwing himself on floor, head butting the floor or walls. He will bite chairs, games, toys or other objects when he is board or angry. All of this calmed down with swimming and picks back up every time we stop swimming. We have been off for three weeks now and he has hit another kid at therapy, threw a toy towards someone there and has picked up increased anger outburst at home as well. Kroc center has started their new hours so I am extremely thankful for that. Sadly we can not start this week because of me. Without going into too much detail I will just say I do not feel well and AF is not so nice this month.

Any parent I am sure can tell you self control in a little one is hard and any ASD parent can tell you it is a huge thing. Self control over outbursts(the ones that can be controlled) is just really HUGE. I was so relieved that I was not as worried about another self harm episode being around the corner. With less self harm and him more aware of his surroundings as he was not going into constant meltdowns he began to learn/grow/mature. He was picking things up at an astounding rate and still is which brings us to another benefit that I will talk about next...

Cognitive Development

Part three is on sleep (link also available at bottom of part two if you want to go in order they were written).

How To Deal with Aggressive Behaviors in Children...

Ask Yourself: 

1. What happened prior to the event/behavior?
2. What noticeable physical signs did the child give?
3. What are the “Telltale signs?”
4. How do you respond to each child individually?

The States of Mind: 

1. The anxious state
2. The agitated state
3. The aggressive state
4. The assaultive state
5. The open state

The Anxious State: 

What Do You Look For?

• Be aware of each child’s individual cues.
• Telltale signs: Tears, blushing, clenching teeth, withdraw, whining, screaming etc.
• Feeling alone, confused, feeling conflicted.
• Children may say things such as “no one loves me, no one wants me, I’m no good, I don’t like it here” etc. • Our response can either take the child back to the competent state or they will move to the agitated state. 

How Do You Respond?

• Use door openers, gentle comments or questions.
• Ask open-ended questions.
• Validate and paraphrase the child’s thoughts and feelings.
• Reframe the child’s statements, making them more positive.
• Responding to the need within the child’s message.
• Pay attention to your tone of voice and your body language.

The Agitated State: 

What Do You Look For?

• If a parent/teacher does not respond to a child’s signs of anxiety a child’s behavior can move to agitation.
• There are 2 levels of agitated behavior: teaching response and limiting response.
• We need to understand the difference between the two before we respond.
• At the first level children are beginning to lose control, their strong emotions confuse their thinking and they don’t know how to handle their feelings. You can still respond at this level by teaching. At the second level the child is feeling antagonistic and no longer responds to what you are saying or doing.

2 Levels of Response

The Teaching Response: 

o Letting a child know their behavior is unacceptable and teaching what is acceptable.
o Be positive.
o The parents/teachers response should tell the child what TO DO, not what NOT to do.
o Use I-messages (I feel when you, not you make me )
o Avoid the Why questions.

The Limiting Response:

o Control is the issue here.
o At this stage a child can either move back to the competent state or go into an aggressive state.
o Education is no longer an issue, the issue is power.
o Your job is to create a win-win situation.
o Our goal at this level is to get children to stop, think and regain control.
o Two basic limiting responses: the interrupt or the options statement.
o The interrupt you interrupt what the child is doing/distract them in another way. An example a child is standing on the table and you get out a puzzle and talk aloud about how awesome the puzzle is and that you need someone to help you do the puzzle.
o The options statement is a ___ or ____ statement with the first part having what you want the child to do and the second half containing a consequence for not doing the first part. An example put away your toys or I will pick them up for you and they will be going away for the rest of the day.

The Aggressive State: 

What Do You Look For?

• The child is out of control.
• He or she doesn’t hear or understand anything you say.
• The behaviors are random.
• The actions aren't really directed at anyone.
• The aggression can be both verbal and physical.
• Reasoning no longer works.
• The child is driven by emotions.
• Have a goal in mind for this child at all times when he/she reaches this point.

How Do You Respond?

• You must use your non-verbal skills to communicate with the child and deescalate the behavior.
• The child is acutely aware of your physical presence and your body is your most useful tool. (don’t use your size to threaten!)
• Don’t let your emotions draw you into a power struggle. Stay calm!
• Distance yourself physically, don’t face the child directly and you might have to avoid eye contact.
• By doing these things, using your clear mind, your averted eyes just might surprise the child, interrupt his/her cycle and deescalate the behavior.

The Assaultive State: 

What Do You Look For?

• The child’s actions are no longer random.
• Even if you are not the cause of the behavior, you may become the target.
• This situation will require all of your verbal and non-verbal skills.
• Have an emergency plan that involves the others in the room.
• Be prepared to remove the other children or the child with the assaultive behaviors.
• Place yourself instead of other children in the room in her line of target.

 How Do You Respond?

• Have an emergency plan with other co-workers and if necessary with the other children in your classroom. • Practice this plan.
• Be prepared to move the other children because sometimes moving the child with the assaultive behaviors just adds fuel to the fire. 

The Open State:

• This is after a child is coming off an aggressive or assaultive state.
• This is a time for debriefing and for learning.
• The child will need some private time with you.
• Remember that the child is the focus and the child needs to do the talking.
• The child isn’t the only one who is vulnerable! Check your own emotions at this time too!

Simple techniques to help curb aggressive behaviors

Hands and feet on the wall.

o To do this, create a “safe spot” for the child with aggressive behaviors.
o Trace their hands and their feet and then laminate.
o Put their hands on the wall at their height and their feet on the floor.
o Any time they get aggressive tell them they can go stomp on their feet or press on their hands.
o If a child punches with a closed fist you may need to pad the wall.

Heavy lifting/weighted blankets

o Some children need to pick something up, move something, or have something heavy on their laps in order to concentrate.
o When using a weighted bucket give the child a specific task to complete. Not only does this give them a gross motor outlet but it allows the brain to concentrate on something else.
o Weighted blankets are good for children as well if they need help sitting still or keeping their hands to themselves.
o Deep tissue pressure works in some children.

Sensory boxes 

• Some children with aggressive tendencies benefit from time alone with a sensory box.
• In this box you will want items that:
o The child doesn’t have access to on a regular basis in the classroom
o Things that are just for that child o Things that are of different textures, sizes, shapes
o Items such as felt, a koosh ball, a tennis ball, cotton, fidget toys etc.
o Make the item personal for the child
• Some tools can be found here

Behavior modification techniques

• Visual cues and charts o Giving a child with aggressive tendencies visual cues or a visual chart to follow helps them to break the day down into small segments.

Transition puzzle

o To make a transition puzzle all you need is a piece of cardboard, like the bottom of a pizza box.
o Trace out the puzzle pieces and label each one a different transition that occurs on a daily basis that you want that child to master.
o As the child successfully completes the transition they get to add that piece of their puzzle.

*The book: Challenging Behavior in Young Children by Barbara Kaiser and Judy Rasminsky 2nd ed. was used as a guide*

Keys to becoming a parent/teacher who can handle the aggressive child (Dr. Becky Bailey, conscious Discipline)

• When a parent/teacher loses control NO ONE WINS.
• Parents/teachers should:
o Focus on what they want the child to accomplish
o Celebrate the child’s successes and choices
o See situations from the child’s perspective
o Creatively teach the child how to communicate
o Hold the child accountable for those teachings
• With two willing participants, power struggles escalate. Power struggles always require two willing participants!
• Help the child feel powerful!
• What you focus on you get more of!
• Whomever you have placed in charge of your feelings, you have placed in control of you!!! (this is HUGE as a parent/teacher)
• You are never upset for the reason you think you are.

20 Reasons Why I Love Him

I know valentines day is done and over with, but I wanted to post something on our anniversary of when we officially started dating 7 years ago today, so here goes...

There are many more reasons for why I love my husband, but this is what I came up with for this post. This post has been really hard to come up with things, not because I do not love my husband, but the whole putting it into words that make sense and can be categorized. Love in its self is a hard thing to describe. I have an even hard time already describing emotions and feelings, so this is completely out of my little bubble and I know my husband can truly appreciate the gesture.

1. God Sent Me Him

I feel that God brought us together to be friends at first and then to be married like we are now. We both feel this way. We were meant to be together. We belong together. Through ups and downs in life we have been there for each other with God as our foundation and it will continue to be this way. I spent a year away from dating or even thinking about who I should date to find out what God wanted for my life. That is when he fell into my life as my best friend, which brings us to number two.

2. My Best Friend

He was my best friend before we started dating and still is my best friend. I would talk and talk to him from time I got done with homework (met when I was 16/Sophomore in high school) to the time I went to bed. We don't so much get he luxury to do that now days with Josiah(Little Man/LM) running around, me going to school, and him working, but I still love talking to him about our hopes and dreams. Talking about the here and now as well and hope that we can stay this way until one of his leaves this earth and that will only be a temporary separation, as I know we will be together again on the other side.

3. He Is My Other Half

As cheesy as this sounds he is literally my other half. The Jelly to my peanut butter(or some other alternative to those with peanut allergies) or how ever else you want to put this statement. He is my other half because I am the thinker and he is the emotions and even though this may be frustrating at times, it is what makes us work great together. When Josiah has had to have tough things done like a tongue tie and lip tie clipped I was he one to be there because Jason said he would be too emotional to do it/would want to hit the Dr. for hurting him. I am a very shy reserved person and he is partially shy as well, but when it comes to speaking up to certain DRs about stuff that I would rather ignore to avoid confrontation he is all there supporting our rights and decisions.

4. We Are In This Together

I love that we ware in this autism adventure together with Josiah. He is a part of his therapies and Dr appointments. I do not have to try to juggle it all myself. I have someone to stand by my side while we go through life. It is much easier to navigate through all the specialists and paper work when you have someone to help. He goes to all the appointments with us, I mainly fill out paper work for everything, but sometimes he fills in some stuff as well. He is en every part of what we do. He loves to come home and see Josiah's swimming pictures and other pictures from our day that he missed while he was at work. The FB page has both of us as admins and he loves to see all of the comments, likes and messages just as much as I enjoy to see the support. He may mostly be a silent observer with the page, but he is there. 

5.-7. Views On Gender Roles, He Love Me For Me, He Understands

I do not know how to separate these three without repeating myself over and over, but feel all of them deserves a mention. I love that he does not feel that gender roles should define us. I would feel extremely trapped if I was the stereotypical women. I do not wear make-up and I hardly wear dresses/skirts. He loves it when I do, but would never push the idea of me having to do it more often then I choose to do it. He knows that the way I get my energy is in very small groups or even by myself so he gives me my space when I need it. He does not feel that just because he works outside of the home means he gets a free pass on household jobs. We both do what we feel is best for our family as with what we do around the house. When he does stuff it is not just because I asked him to, but because it needs to be done and more times then not does not even need to be mentioned. I will do his chores at times and he will do mine depending on what is going on in any given time. He understands when I am in a do not touch me mood or a kiss is too much. Sometimes just a kiss feels like I am being smothered and he is very understanding of when that time is and I absolutely love that about him.

8. He Is A Wonderful Father

It is very easy to add into the no gender roles with making him a wonderful father^^. He lets Josiah be himself even if that means wanting to dress up like a fairy for fairy garden day. He did not tell him he could not do it because fairies are for girls. Just like he has never told Josiah that play kitchen's or dolls are just for girls. Josiah has dolls, play kitchen, trucks, cars, trains, and all kinds of things in between. It is what he likes and enjoys not what he should be. He is there for Josiah. Yes, there can be times when he gets a little more frustrated then I will about something, but it is evident that he trying and that Josiah LOVES him so much. When daddy is home on the weekend it is hard to separate those two as Josiah wants to soak up every min with him.

9. Service

I love the fact that when I decided to serve at church for school that he joined me and that he is by my side there every Sunday helping me teach the class. He is my other half in the classroom as well. we work so well together. I do the story and he does the song. I do the water he does the snack. We do not even have to plan or talk to each other about what needs to be done, we just know how we need to do it. We sometimes even switch between what kids we are playing with if we know that the other person's personality would add to the situation. This kind of thing makes me love him even more seeing him in a situation where we can share about God to a room full of children and just connecting weather it be through words or not. I could have just served on my own for class, but he is there by my side which is wonderful to have my other half there.

10. Foot Rubs At Night

Foot rubs or back rubs at night. I love that if I am laying in bed and my feet itch and he knows they do, he just says "give them here" and puts lotion on them/gives me a foot rub. He offers to rub my back and or neck if he realizes I need it. I do not have to say anything and rarely request to have either done, but really do enjoy it when he offers. To go along with this putting pressure on my legs and feet when I need it. I can not explain at all the feeling I have at times in my legs, but all I know is pressure/ weight helps make it go away. Thinking it is a stimulation issue and I used to think it was possible anxiety, but the anxiety only comes if the horrible feeling does not go away.

11. Support

I love him for his support that he gives to me. Through the times when I had night after night of the whole anxiety thing where I kind of went into myself not to be found, but he brought me out of it and I am happy to say I have not had problems like that in a long time. Of course only after having Josiah have I learned about meltdowns and all the different ways they can present. He has supported me with breastfeeding and all kinds of parenting choices that we have made together, but that I end up with the choice more then him. Like with breastfeeding we both think it is a great choice, but I am the one doing it and he is my wonderful supportive husband. He is also very supportive of the other people around him. I am more then willing to share my supportive husband when the need arises. We have some friends that used to be just my friends that are now both of our friends and they love to go to him for help specially when they need a more emotionally supportive role. Like I feel bad when something happens, I just am unsure as to what to say to a person. Not because I do not care, I just have the hardest time coming up with the words other then wow that sucks, sorry to hear that.

12. Kind Heart

The whole support thing brings me the the fact that he has a kind heart. He is a very caring person. He hates to see people hurting. This goes along with his heart for service, too. He sometimes will get frustrated because he can not help a person he wants to help, so it all comes out completely wrong then how it was supposed to come out.

13. Kiss Goodbye

I love that him and Josiah always gives me a kiss and sometimes a hug goodbye before they take off somewhere even if it is just the the store down a block from our house.

14. Good Worker

He is a good hard working at his job and sometimes takes the leadership position on his shift when needed. He has gone in on vacation days when he was needed. He always strives to be honest and work his hardest even if others are not. He is also a good worker at home (when it is not nap time).

15. Check-ins

I love that when he is at work he will call or text to let me know how he is doing or ask to see how me and Josiah are doing. He also will know then if we were having a bad day or night and I know if he had a bad day at work. We also will know if each other had a great day or things that Josiah accomplished, so he does not miss out on things while he is working second shift. If he was not napping during my classes I would be checking in on breaks as well, but Josiah is in therapy and he is napping, so all is quite during the time that I am away. I have sent him pictures of food and drink that ended up all over the floor due to a Josiah freak out or things we colored or painted before he destroys them. This is one of the many reasons I take so many pictures and videos, so hubby can play catch up on what happened while he was at work.

16. Sleeping in

I love that on Tuesdays and Fridays if there is no need for me to go to Josiah's ABA therapy I am able to stay home and sleep in. In return he sleeps an extra hour Mondays and Wednesdays and he naps the two hours that Josiah is in therapy 5 days a week. We both try to help each other get the most rest we can so we are able to handle meltdowns and tantrums a lot better from Josiah or have more energy to do fun activities with Josiah.

17. Washing My Hair

This has got to be my kryptonite. I know for some the sensory might be too much and for others it might not be such a big deal, but I love it. I suggest that every man tries at least once, to wash his significant others hair. Anyone should wash their significant other's hair/head at least once. I know my hubby loves it when I wash his hair/head (sometimes he shaves it almost all off like picture below). Specially if the women has long hair. You would not believe the time and energy that is taken into hair even if it is just brushed out like I do. Imagine the time that is put into curling or straitening for some women. The feeling of just being able to relax while one tasks that you may sometimes dread is being done for you is partially why it is amazing. The other part is when you add pressure and massage the sensory sensations are all out wonderful. I can see why most kids love to have their heads washed (I say most because for some with autism it is a sensory nightmare).

18. Taking care of me when I am sick

This took place yesterday. I gave him a call to pick me up from class early and got Josiah ready as soon as possible to get me. He even brought a bucket encase I got sick on the way home. He got me seven up and ginger ale. Got me water, blankets and a heating pad. He took off work to watch Josiah while I spent the afternoon in the bathroom, head over a bucket or sleeping. 

19. Respectful

He has always been very respectful. Before we were married he respected wishes not to do certain things and not to move to fast. He respects wishes to not do things now that we are married as well. I am his love, not a piece of property to be owned and used however he wishes. That is one of the reasons I love him so much. He was extremely patient and respectful of issues I had after Josiah was born. Through that patients and respecting that sex was painful and just not going to happen we grew even closer to each other. 

20. Just Because

I love him because I love him. When all else is going wrong and nothing seems right, I still love him. Even when I am mad at him, I still love him. This makes it so we can not be mad at each other for very long. I look forward to spending he rest of my life with him and loving him just because. 

P.S. to my hubby are you happy I told you no peeking and you have to wait until Tuesday to see it!

Long Days, Well Worth It

*The main subject of the post is......who would of guessed it Josiah, swimming, and autism. I do apologize for any thing that might not make any sense or grammar mistakes(not my thing), but we can just use the excuse that I am tired, yup, tired. *

TIRED

Okay, just a little on the being tired. Josiah sleeps anywhere from 5-9 hours, the latter being less common,  (supposed to get 12-14 hours and I know I could use about 10) a night with getting up 3 or more times a night. then nap time is always up in the air if it is going to happen or not, has been happening lately on a bus ride to swimming (which I promise I will get to-the bus and swimming...). We are waiting to hear from a sleep specialist to get an apt with them. If we do not get a call by next Monday, two weeks from when we got the referral through the pediatrician, then we will be calling the ped back to get things moving hopefully. *fingers crossed, praying, and hoping*

Bus, Swimming, Amazing

Last Thursday, Josiah started swimming with Michael, his swim instructor, again.

The Bus

Since it is at a latter time I take the bus both their and back. Last time it was earlier and hubby would drop me off on his way to work and I would just take the bus back, Josiah loves the bus so either way he is happy and I do not mind (we were taking the bus back and forth to the Kroc center for a while, too and that is a longer trip and latter at night). I was told through someone telling Josiah that I must really love him a lot to take the long bus ride just for a 10 min lesson. I have never even given it a thought of being that out of the ordinary. I just want Josiah to be happy, if it is possible to make him happy. We leave at about 3:55. Today it was more like 3:25 because Josiah was getting impatient and could not wait to go swimming. He kept saying Michael, please! and going to the door and saying "bus, bus". I told him he needed to wait, which turned into crying/tantrum/meltdown. After getting him to calm down a little I decided since last time we left at 3:55 we were late(the first time we were early), that we would just leave at 3:25 and that maybe he would just take a nap on the bus and I could actually study (test tomorrow). One fact about me, you might not know. I HATE being late for anything. Specially if it is something scheduled. I will get a pit in my stomach, horrible feeling, just for being late. Does not matter if the other person(s)/place has no problem with it, it still does not go over to well with me (was late TH, first day too because my sister brought us). Back to the bus. We have gotten there from about 4:40-5:23 when leaving at 3:55. Our swim time is 5:20. Today just like most days Josiah passed out on the bus ride there and was able to nap for a bit before it was time to swim.

Swimming/Amazing

Getting out by himself

If you do not know by now Josiah's favorite person in the world besides certain family members is Michael. There is no doubt in that one. He is the only person besides family that he requests when they are not with him. Most of the time he LOVES swimming. Today was not his best day, we will blame the tired/teething mess he was all night long for that one too. Josiah is really good at swimming, too. If you are familiar with my blog or FB page I am sure you already know this. In that way HE is amazing. His bond that he has with Michael is amazing as well. Even after a day like today when he cried the whole time and even a little after, what does he do when he gets calmed down and Michael is not busy with another little swimmer? Well, he gives him a high five, hug, and a kiss. That is just SO awesome. It took forever for us to get him to hug and kiss back and Michael has been the first non family member to share in Josiah's expression of love.

One happy swimmer

Oh, but that is not all. Swimming with Michael again just brings out so much more in Josiah. He loves to swim with him so much more then Mommy (who is normally harder on him then Daddy, when it comes to swimming) and/or Daddy. We just can not replace his buddy. I think Josiah has adopted him. Beyond his amazing swimming and bond what else could be so amazing about swimming? To start social interaction with other's besides M. All the other kids around. I have noticed at the Kroc center even if kids get interested in his swimming and follow us around he will laugh at certain things and kind of interact with them (normally results in splashing of some sort). The first time I seen this was with Lolo which was so awesome. The Kroc center it is way less the a 50/50 chance of this kind of interaction happening because most kids are busy doing their own thing and Josiah is swimming or hot tubing doing his own thing, but when he is at the pool with M everyone is there waiting their turn. Josiah has copied some parents with clapping and cheering for their children. One day he was copying moves M was teaching an older child to do while swimming. He follows some kids around. The other kids prompt him to interact with them which is great. Specially the older of the two boys who goes right after Josiah. He loves to say hi to Josiah and talk to him. These kinds of interactions happen before and after swimming, but there is still more. Just after his lessons he enjoys laying down calmly with his two towels under him and the other wrapped all around him other then his head. First, the calmly doing something is amazing in its self, but there is more too it then that.

Watching

He watches M teach the other kids. His eyes follow him around the pool. He is people watching and in a way interacting by doing so. For this reason he gets to lay there as long as he wants to. I am not going to rush him to get ready and stop interactions that could happen. How these little things are so AMAZINGLY significant is hard to explain. They are just new social interactions that most kids probably do on a daily bases and they just are not in the complete norm for Josiah. I am sure they have been working on this in ABA, but it is just so great to watch it is person. The little things that most people probably do not see as special or even notice. I notice and I celebrate the little victories and the big ones, too!

OH, OH and I get to take pictures. Which has been interesting to get right with the lighting.

watching Papa

Showing off for papa

Guest Blogging

Finally got done with my A term "killer course" and ended with an A in the class. Fulfilled my promise to guest blog on another blog.  I have in mind a blog post I want to do and have had it in my head since before I began the class 3weeks ago. Hopefully, even with a new class starting this Th, I will have time to put the post from my head into words on the computer. Until then go check out the guest post I did: here.

Sometimes I Forget

I hear about the self harm meltdowns of the children on the spectrum and I sometimes forget that was our daily life, too! I say was, because thankfully we found his outlet that helps him cope with the messy world around him. His swimming is his outlet. It gets him through his day.

I sometimes forget this because we go so long with out major meltdowns and self harm. We really forgot what life was like without swimming, so yesterday, we made the decision not to swim! We had plans to go after his party, but decided we were too tired and maybe he was warn out from the festivities. We didn't mention it to him. He was fine yesterday, but then this morning was meltdowns after meltdowns. Headbutting the floor at full force (shocked he does not have an egg on his head). So, even though I sometimes forget I am thankful everyday for finding his soothing outlet. I will try not to forget his 20 plus meltdowns a day for the autism parents who have not found an outlet. I will pray that they too find the outlet they need to reduce tantrums and increase sleep. I am so thankful to have found that ISR video on facebook (a baby in blue PJs gets out of the house and falls into a pool while his/her parents thing they are safe in the house). If it was not for that video and having income tax money available at the time we would have never taken ISR lessons. I would almost bet our first trip to the pool without lessons would have been a huge disappointment due to one big melt down and we might have not started swimming with him. I am thankful to his swim instructor who LOVED his job.

Josiah does not connect with people that much, but he did connect with him more then I could have ever imagined. Josiah LOVES that man! I mean he even dreams about him and ducks...I really do not think this would be possible if it was not for how much he loves his job. He is not just there to make money. He loves to see kids learn to swim. It saves lives and as I agree it is absolutely AMAZING how with just a little help it is instinct for a baby/child to learn to float or swim. So, although I sometimes forget our old way of life I am always thankful. I am thankful that we too can have a peace of mind that I am not completely worn and exhausted by the end of the day and of course hubby is super happy for that. It makes us both so happy, to see Josiah so happy.

Just maybe through our blog/page or just swimming at the kroc center we can help others in some sort of way find their little bit of happiness and peace of mind. I know we have become the talk of the pool by the life guards as the "Amazing floating baby!", so just maybe more people will  become familiar with ISR lessons too!