Saturday Swimming

Saturday was our last swimming class at the YMCA. I’m not sure if Alec got anything out of it, but it was fun to spend time with him on a planned scheduled basis, and I think he’s getting better at going under water. At one point during the class I was having him sit on the edge of a slide overhanging the water, so he could jump or fall into the water and have some fun while learning to hold his breath. We’ve done this several times – but I’d never really let him fall into the water completely. Rather, I always held on to him and moderated his fall, just letting his face go a little under water. But this time, I let him fall without really holding on to him. I thought he would make a splash and then have some buoyancy keeping him in arm’s reach so I could just reach out and lift his head above water. Instead, I was shocked that he fell into the water and then sank like a stone.He was out of arms reach and I had to go under myself to get him, and at the same time figure out a way to grab onto him and pull him up to the surface. He’d never been under water for more than half a second, but this time he was out of reach and as I was reaching down and grabbing him I could count one second, two seconds, three seconds, four….up and head out of the water. I thought it would be bad. I sort of expected him to have breathed in some water, and he would start coughing violently, crying, or perhaps throw up. But he was ok. I think he was a little shocked and scared. But he grabbed on to me after wiping the water away from his face and eyes, and coughing a little, and he said, “I ok papa.”
As we walked to the car afterwards. He narrated the other cars leaving the parking lot. “Dat one goes  down the hill bye bye.”