There's Still Time for One More First

Don't let the cooler temperatures, the fact that our central A/C has been off for the past week, or the end of the second week of school fool you: it's still summer here in the midwest.

Yesterday afternoon, when school and chores were done, we got back into the pool. After the initial sting of the cool water (courtesy of those cooler nights!), it felt great, and I laughed as I saw Princess climb down the ladder and take off swimming across the pool, without any flotation aid at all. Wow. What a summer it's been for her.

We'd been swimming for about fifteen minutes when she swam over to me, her brow pursed in thought.

"Mommy, someday, when I am bigger, I'll be able to jump into the pool just like the big kids do."

"You can do that right now, you know. If you jump in, your feet will touch the bottom and then you'll come back up. Just like when you push down to the bottom and come back up while you're swimming."

"Really?" Princess paused. "I can really jump in right now? Like the big kids?"

She considered this for a few minutes. I offered to catch her, hold her hand, whatever she needed. Fear began to tighten its grip, and she started to cry. She wanted to jump in so badly, but she was terrified.

Finally, we jumped together, holding hands. As she came back up to the surface, she started to cry but quickly switched to a laugh. That wasn't so scary after all.

Ten minutes later, after gradually trying jumps with less and less assistance from me, I was told to go back in the pool and watch.

There she was... my freckled five year old, jumping and swimming and cannon-balling, and listing all the things she could do "just like the big kids."

Summer, stick around a little longer, please... I'm having an awful lot of fun watching my daughter growing and learning. Surely, there's time for at least one more first?