My dad has a pool. This was a very cool thing to have growing up when I was there on weekends. It didn't matter that it was January and 45 degrees outside. If we wanted to go swimming, we would. That's what the fireplace is for, right? To warm our crazy little bones after we couldn't take it anymore. The pool also acted as a popularity booster to my step-sister. Oh, but we could see right through those kids. They still came over and told us stories of how the previous owners would just let them come over and use the pool whenever their little hearts desired. The fence would be unlocked and they could come and go as they pleased. Well, those times are over buddy! We spent hours, day and night in that hole in the ground. We tried to figure out a way to sleep on one of the rafts in the middle of the pool without being caught. We were never successful.
Fastforward ten years. All three kids are grown and out of the house (a step-brother is in that equation). That poor, sad pool has been neglected. It was still maintenanced but no one would swim in it's sky blue wonder. We were all too busy or had moved too far away. Six years later I had a one year old and decided it was time to reconnect with the patriarch by using the pool. It makes sense in my head! We bought Trey a little wetsuit with those big floatation bricks sewn in. When he had that suit on, he looked like a buff little body builder since it made his arms stick out to the side a bit. Bill had the day off so we decided to bring the boy to the water and show him what grandpa's was all about. He loved it. This child took to the water like he was meant to be there. Bill and I had to tag team it since we were tired of the pool way before our little man was. For two hours we took turns floating him around, splashing, bouncing and every other "ing" you can do with a toddler in the pool. Finally, it was time to get out. Silly parents. What are you thinking. Begin screaming. My son can outscream any girl to this day. He carried on so loud and so long my dad came out of the house wondering what we had done to this poor child. He screamed as we took off his suit. He screamed as we said our goodbyes. He screamed all the way to the car and half of the way home until he finally fell asleep. We decided that there was no way we could take him to the pool without each other for support and he hadn't been back until last week for fear of the "episode". Now, my son was not water deprived. We live ten minutes from the beach and before we moved into this house, we were maybe a mile from the water. The kid was at the shore: a lot. The sand is a good distractor from the water so the screaming wasn't an issue. But, back to the pool we go.
This Memorial Day was unlike any other in that it wasn't raining! It was a beautiful day and I decided that instead of staying home and feeling sorry for myself since my husband wasn't home to grill burgers and hang out with me that I would call up dear ole dad and invite myself over to swim. My step-sister has since moved back in with her little one so there's an excuse to see the baybee. Trey had his handy dandy life vest to keep him afloat and Little Leah had her cushy floating ring to keep her busy...and alive, while I got Trey into the pool. The kid sat on the steps. For a half hour. Until I pulled him off and made him hang on to me while I went around the pool. What happened to my water baby? He'll run out into the waves like there's no imminent threat of drowning and being pulled out to the depths of the sea by a rip current, but don't you dare make him move off those steps of the pool, especially while he has a life vest on! He held on to me for dear life. I put him back on the steps and showed him how I could be uber cool and dive into the pool. "I wanna do it mommy!" What?! How can you jump in the water if you won't even get in? So, I took him to the deep end and he stood on the side while I treaded water trying to convince him I would catch him. The only way he would jump in is if I held his hands. Do you know how difficult it is to tread water and hold hands with your three year old while he's standing on the side of the pool? It's not easy. After a few tries of that, a little convincing and me saying that there was no way I could hold his hands anymore without drowning (I didn't tell him the drowning part) he finally lept into the water without hanging onto me first. He never went under and it took a lot of convincing for him to kick while I pulled him along but at least he didn't scream this time!
Where was Leah this whole time? Suffering from second baby syndrome in the shallow end, hanging out in her little floaty with my sister and Leah's cousin. There's a whole lotta summer left so I'm gonna make my son a fish if it kills me. How's he gonna learn to surf if he can't swim?
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2 comments:
YAY for water babies! Travis is a super swimmer, and this summer will be Tyler's inaugural trip to the land o lessons (with me, of course).
That is wonderful that you have access to a pool - I'm paying $70 for a round of swim class, so you are saving a TON of moolah there!
Oh man, I love the water and I would be very upset if my kids wouldn't like the water. Mackenzie loves swimming. I can't keep her out and I hope Ethan will be the same. You are so lucky your dad has a pool. I wish my parents would get one.
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