Swimming

One of our favorite past-times is "practicing" surfing on our boogie boards. Sometimes the boys get to take them to the pool (when there's someone there to help me with getting us there and back, lugging two boogie boards and two boys).

A vast portion of our time here is spent swimming when Charlie is at work. Charles loves to wear his floaties and goggles. He practices swimming underwater, doing cannon balls, and floating on his back. He's getting really good at getting where he wants to go, and he is no longer nervous when his feet don't touch the bottom.

Thomas has lately become convinced that he doesn't need floaties. So while I have one eye constantly looking over my shoulder to make sure Charles is still safe and congratulate him on new feats, I am mostly trying to prevent my youngest from drowning. He is not the child who plays it safe and traipses around in the shallow "baby" pool. Oh no! Not my boy! He thinks he doesn't need to wear his floaties because he can OBVIOUSLY swim. He jumps off various ledges and "swims" to me. Mostly underwater. Trying to use his little arms and legs as we have discussed numerous times. Often he does an underwater turn to try to get back to the ledge. Don't worry, it doesn't last longer than a few seconds, when I pull him out. He holds onto me for less than 10 seconds looking a little panic-ridden, and decides he wants to do it again. I am amazed he doesn't give up and go sit on a chair to recover. He does hold his breath well, and is recently really getting somewhere, albeit underwater. I just have to teach him to keep himself ABOVE the water.