maya's first swim class

Legend has it, I'm on some instructional video, or was on the news, or something along those lines, swimming before I could walk.  In seventh grade, I used to get physically ill in my math class because the class after was gym and the instructor, Coach Graham, was relentlessly cruel in my athletic inabilities.  But in the swim unit, he praised me; I was the third strongest swimmer.  In high school, I was on swim team, though I fully admit, I was never really any good, though I did sometimes anchor the JV relays. 

We missed Maya's first swim class due to surgical healing.  And in our first, we whirled into The Wheels on the Bus with the rest of the class, going up-and-down as smoothly as we could.  I hadn't been in a pool since...  2003?  2004?  My PCOS-shape humbles me.  But one gets over such embarrassments when it comes to one's offspring.

 

 L to R:  Stefanie and Carson, me and Maya, Melanie (and Malena)

Stefanie and I met Melanie at the cake decorating class this past December, and the three of us are now hopping around the pool with our just-over-one-year-olds.  I love the way we fit into that gossiping-mama clutch, the way our heads all bow towards our babes, our mouths open, speaking of new words (Carson saying, "Ball, ball" to us) and such.

 

I couldn't really keep up with her once we got into the wading area of the rec pool.  The mothers leaned in and said, "She really has no fear, does she?"  No, I said, casting my eyes up, she doesn't.  She ploughed straight through, even as the water inched up and up and I caught her as her bottom bobbed up.  

Below is Melanie cruising down the slide with her babe; I did the same, only I flipped onto my back partway down so we landed with a smack and plunge, but Maya took it in stride.