The guy at the gym is still disgusting and sweaty. There is this whiney woman at the pool. She is always complaining about how cold the water is.  Just move your butt faster, you #%$%#.

  I had a group of special kids in the pool during the time this woman was there.  I said, "ya know, this group has been here for over an hour and they're not complaining." Most of the kids in this special needs class are moderately functional.  They're confined to wheelchairs, but when they get in the pool they are in a whole new world.  They move they're legs and float and you can tell that they are having a great time. The water allows them to be much more mobile. Their eyes just light up and they have the biggest smiles on their faces.  I love watching them being so happy.  They  don't complain about the water temperature.

There is this little boy in this group who is basically non-functioning.  This child is about 7.  This little boy can only lie on his back on a float in the pool.  He cannot talk.  His movements are almost non existent.  He does make some noises. He can move his eyes and you can tell by the look in his eyes that he can understand what you're saying.  His mother and his teachers say that he loves the water. I truly believe that he enjoys his time in the pool.  He has a sweet smile. This boy is the victim of a near drowning.  

The way this happened is just tragic.  He was 15 months old.  His sister, about 14 at the time, was giving him a bath.  He was splashing around a lot in the bath and he got his sister's clothes all wet.   She went to change her clothes and came back to continue bathing her little brother.  When she got back to the tub, the boy was not breathing. It's not clear how long he was under the water, but the tub was only a couple inches deep.  How sad!  I can only imagine how his sister feels. 

Do not leave kids alone when they are in the bath or near any body of  water!  

Life is just too short.   

OK! That's what I think, so there!

screamer

My day started out all right. Casey and Hunter left for the bus this morning at about 6:00. I went to the gym right after they left.  It's good to go in the morning because there aren't that many people there and nobody wears cutesy work out clothes.  But....there's this guy who sweats more than a pig.  It's gross. He's really not a bad looking guy. He just drips sweat everywhere.  His whole body gets drenched with sweat and he grunts when he lifts weights. Ew.  I've never seen anyone sweat like he does.  He gets off the machines and the sweat is all in his crotch;  you can't help but notice it.  It's so so sick!

 OK, well that's not my whole day yet.  The morning at the pool was quiet.  I worked with a group of women with MS. They come in once a week and we work with them in the pool. They are so funny!  The youngest is B. She's 34.  She is beautiful.  She has such a great outlook on everything. She first noticed signs of the MS when she was 14. By the time she was 21 she was confined to a wheelchair.  J is also in a wheelchair but she is somewhat mobile and she can get herself around pretty well.  A was just diagnosed a short time ago.  She has no outward signs of MS.  She gets around on her own.  I think that it's great that they're all in this group. I just can't help but wonder how A must feel when she sees the others and how they cope. 

My next lesson was a little boy, M.  I've been teaching him for just over a year now. He's come a long way. I started feeling "not so good" after that.  My head started spinning and I started getting a headache, which brings me to my next and last lesson of the day.

  This little girl, Baker Mae, calls herself Mae Mae.  Her vocabulary is limited.

She is a pretty little girl. She has CP and numerous other issues.  Well, today she screamed the entire time!  Ahhh.  She screamed the entire time, thinking of course, that I would get sick of  of the screaming and get her out of the pool. Well...News flash! Didn't work.  I wasn't going to let her get the best of me.  Am I stupid or what?  Her mother doesn't want me to give in to the crying and screaming. There are times when i said  "OK Mae, i'm going to count to 2 and we're going under. 1  2"   blub blub blub. She didn't even gag! She actually closed her mouth when she went under.  Question...Am I getting paid enough to deal with this.  NO! Probably not.  Why am I doing this? SUCKER! Yup!  They tell me that I am really great with the special kids and that I am very patient.  Really?

  Needless to say, my headache was GYNORMOUS by this time. 

 And yes.... I am a sucker. But, ya know what?  Spending time with these special people, the kids in particular, watching their eyes light up and seeing them swimming and having fun in the water is what it's all about. Getting hugs and hearing those little voices say "hugs Meg, swim" brings tears to my eyes.

I just get all choked up.

veterans day parade

Casey and I went to Charleston to watch Hunter in The Veterans Day parade. He was marching with the AFJROTC. They looked pretty sharp. I'm proud of him. 

And.... what do we do in Charleston? Eat pralines, of course. Yum. I will probably regret the pralines. Oh well. 

See, I told you that I had friends! They're relative(s) Ha ha, but they're friends.

My day was good. I started a new session today. I have 6 supposedly Adv.Beginners. Excuse me very much, but these kids are already supposed to know how to swim. Ya right! My other classes were private lessons. I like my kiddos. I have them swimming in the deep end. I'm so mean. They pay more attention in the deep water. Besides,I tread water the whole time and it gives me a great deep water workout. I have methods in my madness. Yup yup. 

Casey is breathing over my shoulder with her Nilla vanilla wafer breath (no, not Nilla vanilla waitress). What a Doof! I must go...

Casey made me do this

Casey made me do this. I have no idea what I am doing.

I'm going to lunch with Tamara. We've been going out to lunch every Friday. We look forward to this every week. We can catch up on what's going on and gossip about people. We asked Jeff to join us, but he's a party pooper.