No, Don't Help Me!

We went to Splash Universe (an indoor water park / hotel near Ohio) for the weekend with our friends Rick & Mindy and their daughters Haley (almost 3) and Hanna (6 mo). We all had a great time. It's a crazy place as you can imagine. We were very proud of Drew, he went down every water slide - even the biggest ones with daddy - and loved every minute of it. Much different from the little boy we took to Florida who was scared of the water slides for the first few days. Every time we'd put on suits Drew would wear his lift jacket down to the park but then take it off when we got there. There really was no need to have it on, as Mike or I would be at the bottom of the slide to catch him while the other was up helping him get to the top.



When we were tired of all the noise and chaos of the water park Saturday afternoon we headed back to the hotel pool and took the kids swimming. Drew had his life jacket on and we started by having him jump to us. Then I got a little farther away so he would go under for a second before popping up. Then - I let go! It took him a few seconds to realize no one was holding him AND he wasn't sinking!!!! WOW! Hey, Drew, look, no one is hanging on to you! Hey mom, I'm doing it all by myself! And so created the swimming monster. He swam all over the pool. Now by swimming I mean he did an upright doggie paddle, first the legs then some arms. But for this proud mom and dad - he was a swimming pro! I'd try to grab him and he' yell at me - NO, Don't Help Me! He managed his way to the ladder and got himself out too.



The down side to this great accomplishment - we went to the water park again Sunday morning before it was time to check out. And after we went through the lazy river, we went into a small pool which was connected. Guess who thought he could swim without a life jacket on? Yep, my little swimming pro! Which I kinda figured would happen. We reminded him he didn't have his life jacket on so he couldn't do it by himself. So, now I need to "let" him go under while I'm around so he knows he really isn't quite there yet, and has a healthy fear of water without his life jacket. Well at least until we get some swimming lessons.