Finding Nemo

Over the summer, E developed a love for the water. He'd never really been scared of it before, per se, but he wasn't all too eager to jump in it every chance he got. I think the whole "I might be cold when I get out" thing wasn't quite up his alley. And he doesn't like bulky clothing, so those little wetsuits with attached life jackets (or just a life jacket with regular trunks) weren't his thing either. Last summer, we lived 30 minutes away from a fantastic water park, with a really great kids' section. We went maybe once because he didn't like the fountains that sprayed water in his face. And our apartment complex had a (relatively) nice pool that we never actually used because he never wanted to go swimming. Even at hotels, he was happier sitting on the edge of the hot tub and dangling his feet in than splashing in the pool.

But this summer, he has been like a freaking little fish. I think the graduation to water wings played a big part. We went to the water park 3 times, to the city pool once, swam at various hotel pools while on vacation, and now that we're back in one place, we've been going to the complex pool at least once, and usually twice a day. With the help of the aforementioned devices, he can tread water, swim across the pool, jump in and put his face in the water. It's fantastic, this new love of the water.

And it's been great in bargaining. "If you whine one more time we won't go swimming today," works like a charm.