swimming

I am about to go swimming with my girls.  We go every Sunday afternoon in a fitness quest for me and a skill improvement quest for them.

I swim laps.

They muck around in the shallow end pretending to do laps and practising handstands and fighting over the one pair of flippers and doing secret underwater messages and asking when are we getting out and hanging off the lane ropes and asking to go to the toilet (I mostly take them...sometimes it is too late... that's why there is chlorine) and I beg them to practise their swimming cause they will want the skills when they are older and they whinge a bit and under extreme duress do two laps then hang off my back while I am trying to finish my set of freestyle laps.

Then we have a spa.  Then some grooming in the change room.

Then when we get home we are all worn out and ready for bed.  Theoretically.

What are we gaining from swimming?  I am getting massive deltoid (shoulder) muscles.  The girls are honing their negotiation skills.

Ok....off we go.  Spot the slightly harassed woman with two shrieking girls in a gym near you... and swim on the other side of the pool.