little swimmer

At the beach over the 4th, I wrote about Cal swimming further and further each day in the pool.  At our pool at home, in order to go off of the diving board or down the slide, you have to pass the swim test-- swimming, unassisted, across the deep end of the pool.  They do not allow parents to ride down with kids and they do not allow flotation devices in the deep end (however, I am the most anti-flotation device parent ever...but that's a whole different story! ha!)

We came home from the beach on Sunday and went to the pool Monday afternoon with the hopes of passing the swim test.  We started in the deep end and I jumped in so Cal could swim to me as we went across the pool.  He was ALL about getting it done! He jumped in without hesitating and the current from the water slide pushed him up against the rope that divides the deep end from the regular pool.  The rope (which is really rough) got up around his neck and he panicked.  I grabbed him and we tried again, but he was so worried about the rope that he panicked immediately.  We tried moving over to the swim lane and just swimming the equivalent of the deep end, but he immediately went to the rope/lane lines.  I told him that if he didn't pass the test, he would have to stay in the baby pool.... to which he responded: "I really like the baby pool!"

I texted Eddie that the first attempt was a total fail and he came over to the pool after work.  We decided to try again-- this time, we started Cal off on the other side-- the diving board side-- with me on the "finish" side and Eddie in the water.  Cal jumped right in and swam all the way across without issue!!! He was grinning ear to ear the entire time he was swimming towards me.

As soon as he reached the wall, he said "I can do the slide now!!" hahaha

He got out of the water (as we were all screaming and cheering) and he ran right to the steps of the slide.  Eddie wanted to go over the rules of the slide with Cal.  I finally just said, "Cal! Wait you turn! Sit on your bottom! GO!" Eddie went with him up to the top and helped him get seated-- and he FLEW down the slide! He was starting feet first and then shooting out the bottom of the slide head first.  It was terrifying and hilarious!

He loved it and was having a ball... the lifeguards came over to remind him to go feet first... and he was trying hard to go feet first-- but there was a bump that turned him all around!

Well, he did the slide about 10 times and on the 10th time, we heard a loud thud while he was going down-- he came up crying after that.  He said he bumped his head when he got flipped around

So, we took a break from the slide (and he hasn't done it since!) and headed to the diving board.  Eddie, again, was very cautious with him and got in the water, ready to catch him if he needed help.  Cal walked right to the end of the board and jumped in like it was no big deal.  He swam to the ladder smiling the whole way. 

He loves going off of the board and wants to do it every day! We are so proud of our little guy for trying so hard and for being so brave!

Sorry for the long post... had to document this.... felt like a big milestone!!!

Now we have to keep Andy out of the deep end.... he stands there saying, "I wanna slide. I wanna slide. I wanna slide." I imagine we will be working on Andy swimming across soon!