Diversion

T had her first swimming lesson today. We call it swimming school to make up for the fact that I didn't put her in preschool. She is a bit desperate for a teacher.

The anxiety is (mostly) all mine and I did all my best coping: called ahead to make sure she was registered and in the right class (apparently I was scarred by *not* being registered once? why, oh why all this crazy), arrived early to scope the scene, found the cool "we're not too eager" spot to hang out and watch until it was our turn, said hello to the other small people and their big people and narrated almost the entire experience to both T & N the entire time. Talking out loud makes me feel better.

T was good right up until the teacher announced that they were going to go take a shower. This clearly threw her for a loop for not in one single TV episode about school, discussion about school or book about school, has there ever been a shower. Frankly, it kind of weirded me out too, but whatever, we're cool, we roll. Carrying my almost 2-year on one hip, I walked my big girl to the pool-side shower where she dutifully submitted to the warm water spray but safe to say 'reluctance' was the key body-language message. I was already trying to figure out how I would roll up my pants and hold N while all-the-while coaching T on joining in. As Miss Iona walked them down the stairs into the water, she turned back one last time and held out her hand to T. I slipped her hand over and walked to the viewing area in about 3 steps and in she went! Lesson One down.

It's so good to wait 'til parents are ready for these big transitions.

After half an hour of face in water, kicking and jumping and floating and splashing and laughing (!) and not ever looking over at me, out she came. As we changed back into street clothes, I tried the debrief: "So, I saw you floating. How was it?" "I don't want to talk to you about that." Nice.  I would be more upset if I didn't remember quite clearly saying about the same thing to my own mother about just about everything. Even now, I say it to Scott if he asks about my day at the wrong moment.

On our way out to the car, we headed downstairs and she looked up at me and said, "I did so good." "Yeah, you did." "Yep, I was straight-up fine! Straight-up fine."

She's so awesome.