Finally, We Have a Swimmer!

Landon took swimming lessons a long time ago (at 3 years old) but he was just not ready at that point...he was deathly afraid of water and stayed glued to me (fun mommy & me swim lessons with me 8 months pregnant with Carter! #sarcasmfont). Over the years, he has started to become more and more comfortable in water and has come so far this summer. We, and a lot of other folks, have been working with him all summer:  we went to the Y pool a lot of weekends, he went to the pool every day at Y camp, he worked with my Aunt Elaine at her pool, he worked with my niece, Elizabeth (a lifeguard) one week this summer, he swam all week (and jumped in water) with his buddy and his family at the lake for a week. He's been becoming better and better all summer swimming, going under water, and treading.

At the Y pool, kids have to wear a life jacket if they don't have a swim band. A yellow band allows them to be in the "shallow" end of the pool (4-6 ft) without a life jacket and a black swim band allows them to go into the deep end (6-8 ft). They have to take a swim test with a lifeguard in order to get a band. The yellow band swim test involves swimming half the length of the pool with face in some of the time and then getting out and jumping back in to tread water for 30 seconds.

Yesterday at the pool, after practicing for about 2 hours, Landon said, "Mommy, I'm ready to take the swim test." Okay, son. We'll go over and take it at the next break (they do the tests at the 10-minute swim break every hour). He asked me every 5 minutes how much longer. He had to go for a nervous pee 5 minutes before hand. He wanted to walk over to where you stand to start your swim test before it started so we went over. Finally...the whistle blew for swim break (and test) and he was ready!!! I stood on the side, watching my baby swim down the empty pool on one of the busiest weekends of the year with everyone on the sides watching. He made it to the rope. Exhale. (Didn't realize I was holding my breath.) He got out, jumped in, and calmly treaded water while the life guard chatted with him about superheroes. Time. Exhale. She said, "Time. You did it! And you have an excellent tread, by the way." I'm standing there like, WHAT?!?

He told me later that night that he was so proud of himself for passing the swim test. Obviously, we are so proud. But hearing that he is proud of himself cannot be measured.