Water

Summer means a lot of things but one of the big ones is WATER!  Sara loves standing water.  She's not so great with falling water.  If she sees her swimsuit, she will drop everything and strip.  She has several cute cover-ups but she refuses to wear them.  I think she fears they will delay her entry into the water.

She has a little tiny pool in the backyard that she's been in once---in her underwear.  (Thus the lack of pictures on here of her in the pool.)  

I filled up a turtle sand box at my parents with the hose water.  It was REALLY cold the first day.

It got warmer later in the week.  She played in it until there wasn't any water left.  

Ethan's pool is significantly larger than ours but still not very deep.  They had a blast in there together once she got used to it.  (I had to stand in the freezing water for a while until she settled in.)  

Last week, she experienced a real pool for the first time.  

She had absolutely no fear of the water.  

She did not want to be held.  She wanted to just swim like the big girls.  

She walked right off the last step and under the water--eyes and mouth open.  She didn't seem to have any concept of water over her head.  The deepest thing she's ever been in was the bathtub.  I guess she couldn't just fathom that she could drown.  

I did eventually get her to put the life jacket on.  I did not, however, successfully instill any fear of the deep water into her.  I think she needs some swimming lessons soon!

She still is not a fan of falling water, though.  She's trying to explain to Clara why the fountain just isn't a good idea.  

She decided that on the bench with mom was the safest place to be.  

Tonight, she put on her life jacket just in case one of her many friends called and invited her over to swim.  A girl can never be too prepared.  (At least she had turned the shorts around before the picture was taken.)  

I'm sure she'll have more water experiences this summer---including the freezing cold Maine ocean and the slightly warmer Baja ocean.  At this rate, she may be a swimmer soon!