Saving Summer!

Thanks to a waterproof cast cover that a friend lent to us, we made two visits to the pool this week.  Last night, Marci passed the swim test and received a coveted green bracelet to signify that she can swim in the deep end and go down the slide all by herself.  She was quite proud of herself and immediately asked if she could eat off the special plate like her brother did when he passed his swim test.  Boy, that girl doesn't miss a thing!  The weather wasn't the greatest last night, which meant that we ended up having the pool all to ourselves.  This was especially nice because it gave us a chance to try out the slide and the deep end without distraction.  Of course, that was really more for my sake than Marci's, who has taken to swimming with a cast without so much as missing a beat.  While I waited at the bottom of the slide with my stomach in my throat, she was all grins and giggles coming down the slide.  I'll have to get a picture of her in action next time!  And Osten was a big help, especially with showing her the ropes of the slide.  ("Ropes?  What rope, Mommy?" he said.)  That's Osten in the background of the picture.  They both had been showing off their handstands to the lifeguards on duty.  

Milestone Mania

What a big boy . . . walking to class with one of the older kids as an escort! And about one week later, he decided it was more fun to walk to class all by himself. Way to go, Osten!

Another Summer Success Story

Look who got to eat on the special plate! (She was just a little excited and proud of herself!) We were at the pool on Thursday, and I challenged her to swim the width of the pool in exchange for a dinner on the special plate. Lo and behold, she did it!

The Diver

Good think I moved the Special Plate to a lower shelf earlier this summer because we had the unexpected occasion to put it to good use tonight. Osten learned how to dive today. And what's even more surprising is that he learned from his mom! He also swam to the bottom of the 11-foot deep end by himself.

Now so long as Marci makes it through two more days of her first big-girl camp this week without incident, she's got dibs on the plate for Thursday!

You Are Special Today

One of my favorite wedding gifts is this red "You are special today" plate that my friend, Kris, gave to us. Tom and I used to pull it out on a regular basis to celebrate special occasions, birthdays and personal achievements, but it got pushed to the back of the cupboard and had not been enjoyed in quite some time. Until yesterday.

I took Osten to our neighborhood swim team practice to see if it might be something he would be interested in doing this summer. We had a good pep talk on the way to the pool, and all appeared to be well. He was playing in the pool with his friends and having a good time. Until the swim coach called the kids over to start practice. He burst into tears and threw me for quite a loop.

Between sobs, he told me that he was scared. Is this the same kid who just passed the swim test the day before? The one who I had to drag out of the pool? The one who went down the big slide six times in a row? Like I said, he threw me for quite a loop.

I pulled him aside and did my best to reestablish his confidence and explain that Daddy and my job as his parents is to teach him to try new things even when he is scared. He was not convinced.

And then I remembered the special plate. Just as I finished telling him about the plate and promising him that he could eat a dinner of his choice (i.e., macaroni and cheese or a cheese quesadilla) on it when we got home, the coach came over and took his hand. In an instant, I saw a wave of trust wash over his face, and he quickly hugged my neck and kissed my cheek.

I hid behind some other moms and tried to remember to breath as I watched him. He sat on the edge of the pool for a few minutes, but the coach soon coaxed him into the water where he began to kick his little heart out on a kick board.

A few minutes later, he was with a group of kids in the deep end learning how to dive. Still later, he was back in the lap lane working on his freestyle stroke.

He was the smallest and youngest child in the water. As I sat and watched him, I was overcome with pride for our first-born child. It will likely turn out that he is a little young to start swim team. We are going to attempt another practice on Wednesday and then make that decision with the coach. Regardless of whether he joins swim team this summer or not, we think he has already been hugely successful just for overcoming his fear and giving it a shot.

When we got home, as Daddy bathed the kids, I pulled out the stool and dug out the special red plate from the top shelf of the cabinet. I dusted it off and piled it high with a made-to-order cheese quesadilla, strawberries and shredded cheese. It's hard to know for sure, but I think he was pretty proud of himself, too. And Marci asked us repeatedly throughout dinner when it will be her turn to eat off the special plate.

Thank you, Kris, for a fun family tradition that our children are now old enough to enjoy. In anticipation of many more and frequent occasions worthy of the special plate, I've moved it to a lower shelf!