Little fish
All that time in the pool at Kelly's really helped Jalen gain confidence! Today, we went with John and Mary to a local pool and they wouldn't let any floating devices in the pool. Jalen was bummed out (we had stopped on the way to pick up some new arm floaties for him) but decided to get in anyway.
He jumped in and started paddling just like he did with the floaties! NO problem. Then he got the new face mask on and really took off. He was swimming underwater, touching the bottom, swimming fairly good lengths to me and basically acting like he'd been swimming for months. It was so cool.
If you give a kids some floaties and a pool, he's going to want some goggles to go with it..............:)
He cheered for himself the whole time; "I'm powerful" he said, and "I'm so proud of myself!" I agreed and said "It's really cool that you learned how to swim all on your own Jalen" So much for floaties being a bad idea!!
He's watching his favorite movie of all time now, "The Nightmare Before Christmas", very quietly. Afternoons are always very calm and quiet after he swims. Sierra and the boys are all downstairs playing various video games and discussing the finer points of W.O.W. It's terribly quiet, I may get some organizing done.
When you're in the middle of baby and toddler years, it's hard to imagine ever having time for yourself again. But it comes faster than you think. I'm enjoying my newfound freedom. My last baby learned to swim this week. Another milestone, another move away from his toddlerhood, another skill he learned by simply being given access to the world.
He jumped in and started paddling just like he did with the floaties! NO problem. Then he got the new face mask on and really took off. He was swimming underwater, touching the bottom, swimming fairly good lengths to me and basically acting like he'd been swimming for months. It was so cool.
If you give a kids some floaties and a pool, he's going to want some goggles to go with it..............:)
He cheered for himself the whole time; "I'm powerful" he said, and "I'm so proud of myself!" I agreed and said "It's really cool that you learned how to swim all on your own Jalen" So much for floaties being a bad idea!!
He's watching his favorite movie of all time now, "The Nightmare Before Christmas", very quietly. Afternoons are always very calm and quiet after he swims. Sierra and the boys are all downstairs playing various video games and discussing the finer points of W.O.W. It's terribly quiet, I may get some organizing done.
When you're in the middle of baby and toddler years, it's hard to imagine ever having time for yourself again. But it comes faster than you think. I'm enjoying my newfound freedom. My last baby learned to swim this week. Another milestone, another move away from his toddlerhood, another skill he learned by simply being given access to the world.
posted by Ren Allen | 4:18 PM
4 Comments:
I can't even count how many times people (often relatives) asked me when Evie was going to take swimming lessons. Occasionally I would ask her if she was interested and she said "no." She has always loved the water but for years would not put her head under. No problem for me, problem for other people (why do they even care!) She had arm floaties too and loved them. Last summer we were camping near Lake Michigan and swimming around in the water (she was 5). Suddenly Evie said "I think I will learn to swim now, I'll be right back." She ducked under the water and swam a good 20 feet before coming up for a breath. It all seemed so natural to her and I rejoiced. Now, as she swims, dives, snorkles and cavorts people ask "how long has she been taking swimming lessons?" I smile and say "She has only ever taken them from herself!"
Bravo Jalen!!!
~"how long has she been taking swimming lessons?" I smile and say "She has only ever taken them from herself!"~
That's really cool!!
And hang in there Lindsay. You'll never regret giving them loads of time and attention. Their moves towards independence will happen....and you'll be suprised one day to sit and drink a cuppa without one interruption. It happens more and more often now.:)
I have a fantasy of how cool it would be to have our lives cycle through like... Sunday I'm young and single. Monday, Keith and I are together and childless. Tuesdays I'm pregnant; I liked pregnant. Wednesdays the kids are all babies. Thursdays they're toddlers, all sweet and curious. Friday they're big kids, and I can relax with my cup of tea! (Ren's right.) Saturday they're teens. Saturday's a good day to be a teen. Sunday, we're together and childless again.
That way (I think, when I'm fantasizing my fantasy) I would appreciate all those stages and not get tired of them. And then every week I could smell my babies, and see my toddlers discovering the world...
Life is that way, but it's just one "week," and each day takes years.
When I had toddlers and moms of older kids said "You'll miss these days" it used to just make me grumpy. :-) That's all I'm sayin'.
~When I had toddlers and moms of older kids said "You'll miss these days" it used to just make me grumpy. :-)~
Oh YES! You just want some sympathy for the exhaustion and inability to ever spend a moment alone.:) Or better yet, someone to offer an afternoon of childcare. I DO miss the baby/toddler sweetness, but not enough to have more! The grandbabies (I assume I'll have one day) will have to be my next dose of cuddly babiness.
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