Swimming with Jack

Went to the YMCA pool with Jack today. This is an actual Olympic pool in a facility the size of an aircraft hangar -- very impressive. He goes there each week with his daycare on Tuesdays for a half-hour swim class. I'd never been.

It was a first for me: going somewhere and doing something where Jack knew exactly what to do and how to do it, and I was just stumbling along.

He and I took swimming lessons at the YMCA's old pool (the Olympic one is brand-new) when he was about 2 years old. Then, he pretty much clung to me most of the time, was more than ready to get out at the end of the lesson (if not sooner), and really didn't seem to look forward to going. We went again a few months ago, after he'd just started classes at daycare; he was better, but still pretty much stayed with his arms hugged around my neck.

Today was a different story. He WANTED to go, looked forward to it, didn't try to back out of it. We got to the pool, walked to the side, shed our shirts and shoes, no hesitation on his part.

I indicated the large basket of various flotation devices near the pool. So Jack, I said, which one do you use? Jack walked right over. "Oh!" he said. "This one. You put it on like this," he explained helpfully.

I strapped it around his waist and we walked to the edge. It was 5 feet deep. I said, now, how do you get in? Do you jump? And he said, "No, I just slide. Get in, Daddy." So I got in and stood there, and he sat down on his butt and slid off the side of the pool into the water. He laughed (it was cold), and I took his hands. And then he started kicking, the belt holding him up, and I walked backwards, then swam backwards, while he was kind of on his stomach, kicking.

Then he wanted the fish. The fish? I said. I got out while he was at the edge and picked up different things. Is this it? Is this? "No, Daddy," he said patiently. Got out, grabbed the kick board. "This."

Later, he used these floaty things that looked like barbells, one under each arm. With those under his arms and the belt on his waist, he basically bobbed in the water like a cork. I tried to get him to lie down in swimming position, but he preferred to remain upright. And kick. The result was him sort of running through the water, upright, like he was riding a bike or something. Treading water almost. He crossed the entire pool like this. And again, it was a big pool (the short way, but still, a long way). He laughed a lot. Totally comfortable in the water. So, yay Jack's daycare.

Two additional notes:

- He had a little cut on his foot from a couple of days ago that he's been favoring. So he was walking along next to me at the pool with one foot kind of off the ground, sort of hobbling or something. We drew stares. I tried to act like it was no big deal. "Why is that man making his son walk by himself?"

- Afterward we went to the bathroom to take showers. Jack said, "I have to pee!" So, we went into the bathroom. No urinals his level. We went into a stall; there was somebody in the one next to us. As Jack's standing there, he said, "There's somebody over there!" I know, Jack. "Why is he just SITTING THERE?" Jack, please, I'm sure he's just going to the bathroom too. Please focus on-- "But why is he just SITTING THERE?" We got out of there in a hurry. Clearly, the conversation about not talking TO strangers is not the only important one to have with a three-year-old.

Anyway, pretty good time at the pool.