vacation pool time

We had hoped to go to our neighborhood pool throughout the month of June in preparation for vacation, but with all the unusual rain that month, we only made it to our pool one time before we left for FL. So Caleb began vacation like this...

...and then to this...

...and ended like this!

Playing guitar on the railing. He plays guitar on everything these days...at least everything he's not playing drums on.

By the end of vacation Maddie was swimming (with her vest on) across the entire pool. She really could swim without her vest, but that is still going to take a bit of convincing.

Speaking of swim vests, my parents bought these for us for vacation, and they were the best things! With the kids each wearing one, they could swim on their own. We had to watch them, but we didn't have to hold them. It helped us to be able to relax and enjoy the pool ourselves.

Swimming on FaFa.

Oh boy, teaching Maddie to hold her breath! She had the most dramatic preparation of holding her breath you've ever seen before she would jump into the pool. She had us laughing more than once.
And just a funny memory...Early in the week when Maddie had just started to swim "alone" (with her vest), but still wouldn't jump in if it meant going under water, I was in the pool with her. In the pool was also a little boy her age jumping and diving into the pool. And also in the pool, two little toddlers whose dads were teaching them to swim--no vests, jumping, splashing, swimming short lengths. Maddie, however, was oblivious to all this. Instead she tells me she's going to swim over there, and paddles off saying, "I am such a GOOD swimmer!"