Hot Stuff

Today was blistering hot from the get-go, and the high reached 101 degrees.  The news stations have been hysterically warning us of this all week, so it wasn't a surprise when we and the rest of the city thought today would be a good day to spend at the pool.   We arrived right when it opened, got a table under nice shade of a tall pin oak tree that covers most of the east end of the pool.

We brought with us a friend of Noah's, an equally good swimmer, hoping the two would entertain themselves for most of the day.  We also brought our underwater camera, hoping to get a couple of decent shots of the boys in the water.  We hadn't used in a couple of years because we couldn't find the charger for it, but we were hoping to get a few pictures of Elliot swimming and diving underwater.

We've been attending the Fairway pool this year rather than the Prairie Village pool, partly due to Noah having more friends that attend here, but also because the rules are a little more lax.  Noah still has one more inch to grow before he can jump off the high-dive at PV, and you also can't use dive toys, balls or squirt guns at PV.  Elliot has nine more inches to grow according to that pools rules.

We spent a lot of time at the diving board, the slide and in the main pool area, diving for things underwater.  Elliot has come so far in just a few weeks.  He's never been afraid of the water, and coupled with an older brother who also knows no bounds, he feels entitled to do what he pleases even if that is far beyond his abilities.  Or maybe we just think it's beyond his abilities.

Elliot has been begging Mandy to go off the high-dive since he learned to go off the low-dive only five days ago. She told him he could go when he turned four, which wouldn't have been until next summer.  After a long day, E kept pestering me to go. Finally, I asked him if he really wanted to go, if he knew that it could be really scary and that it might hurt to jump from the high dive.  He said, "I don't care".

So, while Mandy was briefly off to the shallow end to gather toys, I let him go.  He climbed the ladder while I stood below; my main fear was that he'd fall off the ladder.  My second main fear was that he'd fall off the board itself before he got to the water, and my final fear was that he'd back up the line and I'd have to climb up there to retrieve him in front of the whole pool.

He climbed up, walked out to the end, and without hesitation, jumped.  I was ready to jump in if he came up crying, but instead he popped up and did a mad-dash doggy paddle to the ladder, climbed out with a huge grin on his face and said, "I want to go again!"

A few weeks ago, Mandy and I had a discussion about Elliot's swimming progress versus Noah's, who also learned to swim at three.  We were completely forgetting that three-year olds who swim are pretty rare to start with.  I was a pretty good swimmer at a young age, but it wasn't natural talent. I grew up, literally, next door to a pool so naturally I spent most of my waking hours there.  More than lessons, more than "natural" ability, the best way to get comfortable and strong in the water, is to spend lots of time in it.

Elliot loves diving for the bottom.

He first went down the slide two days ago.

Our biggest fish.

Cute couple

Thank goodness we're not at PV pool - E would still need to grow 9 more inches before doing this.

We are blessed to have the opportunity of good pools and lots of time to spend there, but even so, I really am impressed to see how far someone so young can come so quickly.  Here was Elliot two years ago.  In the past couple of weeks, especially due to the requirement that he swim to the ladder by himself, he's had much more practice and it's made a huge change in his strength.  

Noah, as always, is strong, and even better, encouraging of his little brother. it won't be long before they're on equal footing.  We had a blast watching them, and like all parents, watching them break barriers.

So to recap:

Tuesday - his first jump off the diving board
Friday - his first water slide
Sunday - his first leap off the high-dive.

Elliot is kind of a big deal at the pool these days

You know being the only 3 year old around jumping off the DIVING BOARD!  Elliot's been asking to go off and on this summer.  He's fearless and wants to do everything Noah does.  He can swim, but I wanted him to be a little stronger and have confidence he could make it all the way to the ladder.  Finally on Tuesday he was so insistent.  I had him watch Noah and really explain how you have to swim fast to the ladder.  He wanted to do it right away.  The first time I was ready to jump in and help him to the ladder and save his life.  Yeah.  He was fine.  He didn't need anyone to help him.

The SECOND time I got on video, when I realized he was fine and I didn't need to be ready to dive in myself :)  What followed is probably 15-20 more jumps in a row.  Then popsicles to celebrate! :)  We are so proud of Elliot.  He's a natural in the water and to see how happy and proud he is of himself is contagious for everyone around him.

3 years, 5 months old - what a kid!

Waiting in line with all the big kids for his turn on the diving board

Yum!

The boys synchronized their jumps on the low & high dives :)

We have a DIVER!

Sunday at the pool, Noah wanted to go jump off the diving board.  While standing in line he saw other kids diving.  He told me "I want to jump on my head, too".  He didn't do it, but I offered to have Paul come teach him, which he didn't want to do.  So I forgot about it.  Well today swimming at our friend's house while changing Elliot I heard him in the background telling me to watch him jump on his head.  I was just telling him he had to wait a minute.  Once I got Elliot all dressed and turned around to watch him, this is what I saw.  I am still dumbfounded.  No one taught him this.  Even crazier is he is doing flips!  So proud of Noah!