Woooh, Woooh, Woooh!!! Woooh, Woooh, Woooh!!! Woooh, Woooh, Woooh!!!
That’s what the kids said I kept saying over and over and over.
Then… they hit me with this…
“You sound like a gorilla in labor.”
We had the funniest time.
A few weeks ago I came across a guy who suggested that dipping ones entire body in a bath of ice-water was a healing and invigorating experience.
After doing enough research to ensure I wouldn’t be sent into an immediate heart-attack, I invited my kids to join me in trying this new adventure.
They (almost all) were in.
Well, today, the day came. And I woke up nervous and excited. And frankly… scared.
I HATE cold water. And you will rarely EVER hear me say the word “hate” about much of anything.
But I had committed to all the kids (and myself) that we would all do it together.
There was a lot of laughter and silliness as we dumped 12 bags of ice in to our over-sized sauna tub. Chloe (my only little girl) stuck her hand in the water for a brief second and yanked it out quickly.
All the other kids (and I) looked at her as she loudly proclaimed, “Woah!”
You could see the fear flow through all the kids… and I felt it too.
Until… My oldest son took a deep breath and jumped up on the side of the tub.
As he lowered himself down into the icy water he took a few deep breaths and smiled. I could see all the kids (and me) relax a little. Then he popped out of the water shivering.
I demanded to be next because the suspense was too much for me. And I didn’t even realize I was making any noise as I took the plunge.
But THEY (the kids) starting mocking me right away. I was so focused on regulating my breathing that I didn’t even know I had made any noise at all… until I looked up at the kids rolling in laughter and repeating…
Woooh, Woooh, Woooh!!! Woooh, Woooh, Woooh!!! Woooh, Woooh, Woooh!!! “You sound lik a gay fire alarm.”
I was not laughing, however. I had committed to stay in for 30 seconds and kept asking… “How long has it been? How long now?”
The kids could barely talk through the laughter as they counted down to zero.
As soon as they (in unison said, ZERO!) I popped out like a roman-candle. Exploding out of the water.
Then… all the kids took turns – submerging their bodies into the icy cold. The loving, uplifting, peer-pressure was palpable.
Then, everyone repeated the cycle. With me leading the pack (and no, this time I didn’t sound like a Rick James back-up singer.)
As we all shivered with big giant grins on our faces and giggles in our hearts, I stepped back and allowed myself to look at what was happening from the outside.
What I was seeing was our family creating a unique (and ultimately, silly) memory.
And all it took was a big tub, a few bags of ice… and the greatest kids ever. Kids that are unafraid. Kids that will support and lift each other. And kids that have “a lot of guts.”
I recommend it for every family. I mean, if they have guts.
And now, they’re discussing doing it every Sunday night. Whoa! Wait a second.
You know, because the family that “freezes their rear-ends off together… stays together.”
Woooh, Woooh, Woooh!!! Woooh, Woooh, Woooh!!! Woooh, Woooh, Woooh!!!
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