Fish in the water

This has been a breakthrough week for Brendan at the pool. Well, maybe for me, too!

Last summer, we spent countless hours trying to convince Brendan to go under water. He's all about control, so the idea of letting go in the water is very hard for him to imagine. He had a few successes last year, but they mostly involved putting his face -- not his head -- in the water.

This summer, he's on a mission. Yesterday he refused to acknowledge any of the other little boys in the pool until he went under water. When he did go under, he went all the way. It was a wonderful moment to see him succeed, but more exciting to see the pride and satisfaction in his face.

Today he pushed himself again. He placed a diving stick near his feet, put his goggles in place, and went under water to find the stick. It was quite a step -- holding his breath longer and opening his eyes underwater.

And what about my breakthrough? I have taken all three children to the pool, by myself, three days in a row. I didn't know if I'd be able to handle it, but so far everyone has cooperated. Mostly, Kelsey has. She tends to nap all afternoon after spending the morning awake, so I can count on her (for now) to sleep happily while we swim.

I cannot forget Ryan in this experience, either. He is a natural fish. He spent today entertaining himself by jumping off the bottom step into the pool over and over. All the while, he splashed and laughed. He's an absolute joy in the water.