Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!!!

Jon came home early enough today to get to swim with us for a while.  It has been several days since he has seen the kids in the pool, so they were all very eager to show him their swimming progress.  I don't think I've ever heard so many shouts of, "Daddy!" in my life as they all vied for his attention to see what they could now do.  Here's what they were showing him:

Basia:  I'm not sure, but she did have things to tell him so she was right in there with them, trying to get his attention.

Soren:  He can now swim on his own.  No floaties or life vest is needed by this guy.  I had no clue he was even close, but he has the determination and already swims very well on his own.

Cassia:  She is all over the pool on her own, but that's not new.  Her new trick of the week is knowing how to swim to the bottom of the pool.  She is quite proud.

Zade:  He, too, is life jacket and floatie free, although he is sticking close to the steps so far.  I know he is ready because he has now had two opportunities to prove it.  Earlier in the week, Soren jumped on top of him, knocking off one floatie.  He swam quickly to the steps to save himself.  Yesterday he was playing on the patio and forgot that his floaties were off for the day.  He leaped into the pool, realized his error, and quickly swam to the steps.  Very quickly.  Very, very quickly.  He is not great at swimming to me from the steps and doesn't want to jump in and swim a couple inches to me, so the tricks I used to get Cassia and Soren comfortable don't work with him.  What worked is peer pressure.  He hates that Soren, his pool buddy, is passing him by (and getting mommy time to practice).  He decided that he would jump in, right by the steps, over and over and over.  He then went under water with Cassia and Soren over and over and over.  He got braver.  He went deeper.  He got farther from the steps.  It was all in his own way, but I'm guessing he'll be all over the pool on his own before too long.

Tobias:  He is my timid one in the pool.  His new bravery to show Daddy was that he can sort of put his face in the water, not his whole head mind you, but his face is now able to get wet.  It's a small step, but it is a step indeed!  He was proud of his accomplishment, too!

Edison:  He's holding firm.  He leaps into the pool, floats on his back, sticks his face in the water, and acts like a fish...with his life jacket.  I'm guessing he could be weaned pretty easily, but I'm not ready to go there, yet.  Once Zade and Soren are much more comfortable, I'll be more comfortable.  I don't know if I'll get there this summer or not.

Sir Smiles:  This guy is now a jumping machine.  He can't physically get his feet off the ground when he jumps, so his jumps from the side of the pool are more like steps into the water, but he does it over and over again, going fully under every time.  He's a cute one and also proud of being one of the big guys.  Most of the kids spend a huge chunk of their time perfecting funny and daring jumps, so Sir Smiles is happy to be part of the club.  He will try his own trick jumps, too, but they scare me since he can't jump up or forward, so the risk of smacking his face on the edge of the pool is pretty high with this one.

The Baby:  He likes to drink pool water and considers it his special skill.

I left Brishen off the list because he wasn't swimming today or among the chorus of "Daddy!  Daddy! Daddy!"  I don't know that he has new pool skills other than warding off little brothers who love to see him in the pool so they can battle him with pool noodles.   A "pool noodle battle" perhaps.