Not forgetting to love the water during the winter months!

This week was the first chance I've had to take Caroline swimming.  It's been about 8 weeks since we last went to the indoor pool. I was so worried that she had forgotten and would not want to get in the water with me.  She knew just where we were and to enter the water where it's like a beach.  

Oh no! she did not want to go under the water nor swim to me like she was willingly doing the last time we were there.  But I did not give up!

I had to swim to her under the water lots of times, get the toy from the bottom and watch her walk all over the shallow end.  Finally I just carried her to the deeper water and let her push my head under the water.  Well, she did that over and over and over.  Finally she started to have fun herself and soon she was jumping in the water just like before.

We were in the pool for about an hour and she cried when it was time to go get out.  She wanted to jump in to the part that I couldn't reach.  I think that she was remembering jumping off the diving board at her other grandma's house.    Watch the video of her jumping and swimming to the side at 2 years old.

I can't wait until Summer when we can go swimming more often and she can develop her swimming skills.  
Right now I just want her to be able to start at the same place we left off last summer.  I can't take her swimming more often because the indoor pool is pretty far away.  

But I know that is is worth all the effort we are taking this winter so that she doesn't forget and will be ready for more when it warms up outside.