Swimming

My D, for all his physical coordination, has been slow to take to the water. He spent two summers watching the kids at the park run through the sprinklers and three summers clinging to me in the pool with both arms and legs wrapped as tightly as possible. But this is the summer of water. At the beginning of the summer, he ran through the sprinkler at the park and started to look like he wanted to swim at the pool. He was making some cautious attempts at slightly more independent pool behavior...until he saw Chelsea swim. Mind you, he had seen several other, more skilled friends and aquaintances swim for the last couple of months, but Chelsea changes everything. Chelsea is a tiny, gorgeous, tan little thing, only a month older than D, with blue eyes and long hair with curls. She is smart as a whip and full of moxy, and D adores everything about her. So when, at a pool party this week, he saw Chelsea swim off with her little vest on, there was only one thing to do. He, also wearing his swim vest, simply let go of Mama and paddled off toward the middle of the pool, turned around, and paddled right back. No problem. He is so proud of himself, and I am so proud of him...and so relieved that I will spend this summer with only one little creature's arms and legs wrapped around me in the pool. Thank goodness for Chelsea.