Don't make Me Turn This Pool Around!

When Ella was a baby we signed up from swim classes at our neighborhood pool mostly because I was bored. You can just lump those lessons in with the other crap I tried to teach Ella that ended up a wash like baby sign language, elimination communication and patience. Turns out it's hard to teach a baby something without living it all the time and even though I'm pretty consistent about something when I decide to do it - turns out I just didn't care so much. I think it may have been all that sleep I was getting clouding my judgement.

Anyway my point is this - I never paid for more swim classes after that one semester. I decided that Ella would learn just like I did one summer at the beach or pool or wherever. Probably even in a few hours one afternoon with her Dad. On Sunday that's exactly what happened - Dan showed her how to swim. It's a very desperate doggy paddle but it's a start and she's able to keep her head above the water. Now we have these long complicated bargaining sessions about being in the deep end without an adult or floaties. You see, I'm happy to sit poolside while she splashes about as many times in the day as she wishes to go out there, but I can't get any decent reading done when she's trying to drown herself and yelling that she CAN swim and I'm yelling for her to put the damn flaoties on.

This all happens in front of at least two other families who's tanned two year olds are doing the back stroke around both of us. But I'll tell you what - bring those same kids to Illinois in January and Ella can out-sled them any day. Because putting on a snow suit and then scarves and hats and gloves and boots and then being able to sit on a piece of plastic and riding it downhill without going into the street or a tree is something we in our family are skilled at. Ella will someday soon be able to give up the goggles and actually put her face in the water, but until then I'm making her wear the floaties. I get the feeling it won't be long.

Up next - gratuitous bikini shot and yes, I really do think I am more tan than I was in IL.