Swimming Fever

My parents gave Eva money for Christmas and we used it to purchase swimming lessons.  She’s had lessons before but they were parent/child classes where Michael was in the water with her.  She’s now old enough to be in the water on her own.  Michael was worried about this idea.  He agonized over it all morning that she wouldn’t be safe by herself.  He fretted that Eva would go under water and no one would notice.  He fretted that she would fall and smash her head on the deck and bleed out.  He fretted that Jaws would ascend from the bottom of the pool and tear her legs off.  I fretted that they don’t allow food in the pool area.  It’s barbaric to expect a person to go 30 minutes without a snack.

I tried to calm Michael’s craziness by reminding him that there would be both an instructor and a lifeguard at the pool.  He wasn’t comforted.  I then reminded him that we would be sitting on the deck watching the entire lesson and he could jump in if she started to drown.  He still wasn’t appeased.  I told him he was obssessing over the wrong problem and he should really be worrying about the no-food rule. He did not embrace my suggestion. Oh, poor Michael is a worrier.  I love him for it.

Eva ended up having a fantastic time at swim lessons.  At first she completely ignored the instructor and the other kids, acting as though this was her free time to splash around in the pool.  Eva kept looking indignantly at the instructor whenever she asked her to do something.  I was a little embarrassed that our daughter was being the disruptive student.  However, Michael quickly talked to her and told her to listen and she was great after that.  She loved it.  Michael’s blood pressure returned to normal after he realized she was capable of being in the water without him, and we were then able to enjoy watching her in the pool.  I’m looking forward to a tremendous season.

 

Eva didn’t want to leave and cried when Michael took her out of the pool at the end of the lesson.  He wrapped her in a towel and we headed toward the locker room.  Eva wailed, “My heart is broken!”  It was an adorable and dramatic exit.

Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa!  What a superb gift.