Jun 3, 2010

"LET ME GO!"

So Micah has been swimming on and off for a year, and has recently become really good, with the persistence of Mitch, and it's been bummin' me out how Jack just watches Micah each time. So, today, I took Jackson out with the purpose to teach him how to swim. My mom bought him goggles (because Micah wears goggles when he swims), and we didn't bring anything but those and a towel. It took a lot of tears and yelling and squeezing my neck and hands, begging me NOT TO LET GO. {With the help of Bree}, we helped him face the fear of 'the big pool' by throwing him in and him having to hold his breathe, to bribing him with ice cream.

I couldn't believe that I taught him how to swim. ME!!! It took 2.5 hours to teach and it was seriously the best 2.5 hours of my year thus far. It was so thrilling watching him laugh hysterically from learning how to. 1. put his bum in the air, 2. move his arms like wheels, and 3. kick kick kick! We started literally from scratch. He was screaming for the "little pool" when he started, and now all he wants is the "big pool"

He's obviously not Michael Phelps, and needs to go everyday for a while to feel really confident in himself, but he does so well. He can:

1. Take about 3 breaths before asking for help. 
2. Move his arms in the freestyle motion
3. NOT breathe in the water (he started out doing that until he realized it hurt his little tummy and had to burp)
4. Dive down to my toes (halfway down to the bottom)

I need my own child to teach now. I actually want to teach every little kid. Now he says "LET ME GO" and kicks off my stomach.

(The photo above was taken clearly when he was still as scared as a cat, and had to sit in Jadey's floaty.)

This is us after...when we brought his mom down to see.

2 comments:

Heather and Taylor said...

You are going to be a great mom!

kimmi said...

haha...you want a kid so bad...i love it ELise!