Little fishes

Dan and I have been taking the girls to swim at the YMCA pool quite frequently this summer. It's nothing short of amazing to see the progress Beth has been making in swimming lessons. On Sunday afternoon I stared in amazement as she climbed onto the starting blocks, took a deep breath, and leaped 3 feet into the air. She landed deep in the water and swam 3 or 4 strokes while submerged before popping up and dog paddling her way to the edge of the pool. She climbed out and did it again. And again. And again.

Erin and I stayed in the shallow end and splashed, and each time I caught a glimpse of Beth out of the corner of my eye, I remembered the first swimming lesson she took, about 3 years ago. It was the middle of the winter, so at 2 years old she couldn't remember ever having been in a pool before. She was terrified. Dan had been looking forward to this weekend bonding experience, but she screamed and kicked so hard that he couldn't even get her into the pool. They were actually asked to leave about 10 minutes into the lesson, and Dan came home with a hysterical Beth. He was so upset and discouraged. He persevered, however, and gradually she learned to accept these lessons...and eventually even began to look forward to her outings at the pool.

Wouldn't a crystal ball be nice sometimes? Dan and I would have been much less frustrated by those early swimming days 3 years ago if only we had known that she would eventually conquer her fears! Life with 3 little girls certainly can be challenging at times, but the wonderful surprises that they provide us with can make the hard work all worth it.

We're proud of you, Beth! Keep swimming!