Testing the waters

["Testing the Waters" 8x8, sold] I took my kids to the pool yesterday for the first time this summer. I can't believe how happy I feel when I'm in the water with my kids. It's like I give myself permission to let go of every worry or item on my list and just go to a happy place for awhile. For the past couple years, I've had to really push my girls to put their faces in the water and swim in the deep end without life jackets and jump off the edge. But this time they were so confident, and even went off the diving board! My four year old was the one I had to coax to jump in from the side. My three year old was just working on closing his lips so he doesn't swallow all the water, cause he loves to swim with a huge smile on his face 😂. I love to keep pushing each of them a little bit and am amazed at how much they grow and get better. I hope they always push through their fears in life and get better. Their favorite reward is riding on the "mama boat" where they each grab some part of me and hang on and I bounce them all over the deep end. Childhood is so wonderful and magical and it thrills me so much to witness it unfold everyday. Sometimes I think my paintings are a love letter to my children as I watch them grow. 💌