Well, we certainly have not been utilizing it as much as we might because Emma broke her arm back on the first of June. That has certainly put a little damper on our water-loving child.
She got her cast off on July 8 and has been in water any chance she gets. So we decided to go this afternoon to help relax some tempers in the house and calm some nerves (mainly mine and Brian's:) We were swimming for a while and an announcement came on stating any child ages 5-12 who is interested in testing for a wristband please meet the lifeguard at the east pool. I asked Emma if she would like to go over and watch to see exactly what she would have to do in order to receive the ever so desired yellow wristband. She said yes so off we went.
We stood off to the side and watched a few kids try. She looked up at me and said, "Mommy, I know I can do that." I encouraged her by saying, "Let's fill out the form and go show the lifeguard you can do it." She jumped at the chance and then got a little scared the more she watched. I told her that if she didn't pass she can take it any time she wanted, so in the water she went.
That little girl swam her heart out to the lifeguard stand with very little problem. I was so proud of her. Then the lifeguard told her to float on her back for a few seconds. Again she was just fine. The guard told her to get out of the pool and follow her back to the end. Emma still didn't know if she passed. The lifeguard went to the clipboard and tore off a yellow wristband and put it on Emma's arm. She said, "You mean I got it?" The lifeguard said, "You sure did. Great job!" You would have thought Emma was just handed a million dollars. She was so excited.
Later on, once it had sunk in a little, exactly what this meant, she swam over to me in the pool and said, "It's ok Mom. If you want to go in the other pool, I will be just fine."
My little girl is becoming increasingly independent. There is a huge part of me that is so excited for her and proud of the strong independent girl she is becoming. And of course there is the little part of me that is sighing and thinking how quickly she is growing up. Sigh..........
2 comments:
How exciting for Emma! she is becoming such a big girl. Just wait til you put her on the kindergarten bus - then it really starts to sink in that she is growing up ... it's so bittersweet.
Way to go Emma! She was so proud to tell me all about getting her wrist band last night. And wow!....She even said you could leave her and go to the other pool? She really is becoming Miss independent!
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