I’m not sure why I was so surprised.
After three months of swimming lessons this spring and spending nearly every day in the pool during the month of June, we have a swimmer.
One day last week Eli asked if he could try jumping off the diving board without his life jacket. We agreed, he did it, and just like that we have a swimmer.
You’re always proud of your children for mastering something, but there is nothing like seeing the joy and pride in their little faces when they’ve conquered something that for so long in their little heads seemed impossible.
Being able to wait in that coveted diving board line with nary a floatie has aged the boy by at least a year. Last night he watched Elena’s last swim meet of the season with detached coolness (well, all the coolness one can muster while sucking on a candy pacifier).
“I’m going to be on the swim team next year, mom. I’m going to win all the races.”
He’ll be 5 in just a few weeks. Even his birthday gift wishlist has aged: rollerblades, a basketball hoop, $100, a case of gatorade.
It’s so fun, watching him grow into this little boy. It’s also fun to be able to sit and watch from the side of the pool, versus getting jumped on by 45 pounds of wet, flailing boy in a floatie.
