This summer is so much more fun than last year because my baby is big enough now to swim and enjoy the water. And "enjoy" really isn't the right word, because he LOVES it so much.
(So do mom and dad, because nothing ensures 12+ hours of blissfully uninterrupted sleep than a little bit of sun and water play.)
I mean, just look at that smile:
As mentioned before, Banner is taking swim lessons this year at Mockingbird Swim and Total Fitness. At first I was skeptical because I wasn't sure how much little ones really retain at this age. But - oh my goodness - it has made all the difference in the world.
Toddlers can drown in 6 inches of water - mostly because they fall forward, panic and do not realize that all they have to do is push their heads above the water to breathe normally. So one of the first things they teach the kiddos in the class (after how to hold on to the side of the pool and climb out) is how to deal with getting their heads/faces wet (blowing bubbles, quick little dunks underwater, etc.). This is followed by learning to pick up rings and toys submerged in shallow water.
A month ago, Banner would fall forward in the water, panic and choke. Now he THROWS himself forward on his belly in the baby pool like a seal doing a belly flop. Obviously, it isn't fail safe, and we still watch him like a hawk in/near water, but words cannot describe how much his confidence (and mine) has grown thanks to these classes and the skills he has developed.
That said, I am so happy we don't have a pool at home. I don't think I'd ever be able to relax if we did. Banner is absolutely fearless, and acts irritated that we don't trust him in the deep end by himself (shocker). I swear, he is always trying to come up with new and creative ways of killing himself.
Sigh. Boys...
Plus, the inflatable wading pool is perfect. We only get it out and fill it up when we are going to use it, and empty the water out when we are done. Of course, Banner sees it and wants us to fill it up for him then and now, but we generally only oblige on the weekends when there are two of us to play lifeguard.
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| He LOVES to practice kicking. Watch out, Michael Phelps! |
The downside to an inflatable pool, however, is that Banner is teething again (will it ever stop?!). Hence, the pink layer is no more. On the plus side, though, it is much easier for him to get in and out of.
(Shakes head)
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| Poor pool. |
He also ADORES the sprinklers. We put our system on "test" on Saturday, and ran through all the stations to make sure all the sprinkler heads were working properly now that it has officially stopped raining in the DFW area for the summer. Our yard is large (I think we have 13 or 14 zones), and it took nearly half an hour to go through each one looking for any problems.
Banner was in HEAVEN. He loved running through the sprinklers like a maniac and getting sopping wet. He also enjoyed the seemingly random way water would pop up in one part of the yard for a minute or two, then disappear and resume somewhere new. Oh, to be little again and have everything be so magical and exciting!
We are having a bit of a cold snap here in Dallas. And by that I mean the highs are in the low 90s as opposed to the oppressive triple degree heat we were experiencing this time last week. So being outside isn't nearly as horrible as it could be this time of the year. This is super exciting news for the Fourth of July on Thursday. The high is only supposed to be 92. Watching the parade might actually be tolerable this year! It is simply amazing the difference 10 degrees can make when you live in Texas.
And with that, I'm off. Stay cool, my babies!
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