Little Fishies

I think we've been swimming more this summer than all the other summers combined. We've been swimming less than 10 times this summer, so that's not saying much. Anyway, I just had to share the progression of my little fishies, because I'm still amazed.

Georgia has gone from being afraid of the water and clinging for dear life to whoever was holding her, to jumping in the pool with water wings AND an inner tube. There was no chance of her head going underwater. Then she shed the tube and started swimming the entire length of the pool with just her wings, over and over and over. We found a local community center that has a small 3 foot pool for the non swimmers. She started by jumping in the 2 foot end, again, so her head wouldn't go underwater. Just this past Friday she started jumping in the 3 foot end and putting her face in the water, just barely. Also on Friday, since Daddy was with us, we went in the big pool. She finally started doggy paddling with help. When we got back in the little pool, she started going completely underwater, without jumping in.

Dakota has gone from water wings and jumping to me as long as I didn't let her go under, to jumping in the 3 foot end of the community pool but still wanted me to catch her so her head didn't go under. Then a couple weeks ago I taught her how to push off the bottom after she jumped so she started going under. Friday, oh my goodness, this child is fearless, on Friday while she and Georgia were sitting on the edge of the big pool watching Daddy jump off the diving board, she looked up at me and started to lower herself in to the pool. Um no ma'am. Daddy did his jump and we took them to the shallower end of the big pool. Dakota came down the steps and took off doggy paddling with a huge smile on her face. Every time I tried to put my hand under her hips to help her get her legs up for kicking, she would push it away. She would only swim for 5 feet or so before she would grab my neck and rest. I could not believe it! We got back in the little pool and she started swimming underwater. Just like her mommy. I'm not a swimmer, not at all. I've always found it easier to swim underwater than to try to coordinate breathing with my strokes.

So apparently, on Friday Georgia decided she's no longer afraid of the water and Dakota decided she can swim.

Funny that they still scream when the slightest bit of water gets on their faces or in their ears when I rinse their hair in the bathtub...