Our little fish

You may or may not remember this, but last year Tate was not a fan of swimming (click here if you need a reminder.)  In fact, a trip to the pool was not an enjoyable experience.  We spent most of the time coaxing Tate into the pool, and the rest of the time trying to get him to let his guard down and have fun.  And never would he have done this. . .

It all changed after one, I repeat ONE, swimming lesson where we discovered that the biggest impediment to his swimming was the fact that he didn't like to get water in his eyes.  A simple introduction to goggles and we can't get this kid out of the pool or off the diving board.  In fact, the only coaxing that happens now is maybe "Hey Tate, why don't you take a break from jumping off the diving board and swim in the kiddie pool so dad can take a break."

Coy's Backyard Birthday Bash!

Coy is two, well technically he is not two until Monday, but who's keeping track?!?

Regardless, we had a birthday party for him in advance because Gramma Tanya and Grampa Val (or 'that guy' as Coy refers to him) were in town.  It was a great time. We had cake, food and all the regular party stuff.  The kids had an awesome time.  And really, who wouldn't when the main event is something like this . . . .

Yeah, I know.  It is completely frivilous and extravagant.  We never had anything like it when we were kids.  And this is the sort of purchase that we very seldom make.  And even more seldom is Brandon the one behind it.  But, he got one look at the waterslide bounce house, and he said "I will have one of those, and I will BE THE COOLEST DAD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD".  There really was no stopping him.  

After I reluctantly agreed to buy it, I felt complete and total guilt.  I ran through the list of other things we could have spent our money on.  I found a little bit of solace in the fact that this monstrostity was the 'compromise' waterslide.  The one Brandon really wanted to get was WAAAAAY  more obnoxious. 

Of course, after seeing the look of total glee after the first slide, I felt a little more comfortable with the purchase. 

After, 6 hours of non-stop sliding, I was convinced this was the best purchase we have made in a long time.

The birthday party was a total sucess.  Eight or nine kids playing nicely together for HOURS and HOURS.  And the best part, they all slept soundly that night.  And Coy had a very happy birthday. 

(Check out the slide show on the side for more birthday photos!)

Just keep swimming . . .

It seems that every spare moment we have had in the last couple of weeks has been spent in the pool. And, it is not all for fun, it is to LEARN fun. Need an explanation? It all started on Memorial Day weekend. Tate's best friend, Layton, was having a birthday pool party. We made a special trip to Walmart to pick out a swim vest so Tate could "swim" by himself. You see, last summer we failed to make this purchase and by the time we decided to buy the vest, it was too late and there wasn't one to be found. And I was NOT going to make that mistake again. Tate loved swimming last summer. He would jump off the side of the pool, hold his breath and go under. So, it never dawned on us that being out of a pool for 6-8 months would breed an unbelievable fear of swimming.

In these pictures, he looks like he is having a blast, and he was, as long as he was standing on the step, water only to his knees. But a simple suggestion to float around in the pool, he erupts into screaming and crying. So, we have made it our mission to teach Tate to love swimming. Because, really, what kid doesn't like swimming?

The good news is he is now "liking" the whole swim thing. I will not go so far as to say he loves it. But, it no longer takes hours to talk him into water that rises above his knees. He will float and swim by himself, and the look of sheer dread that was once on his face has transformed into "panicked fun". AND, if his friends are doing it, you can even talk him into sliding down the slide into the pool (complete with his head and face going under water). But, jumping from the sides? NOPE, not yet. Baby steps.