So, last night was bebe's first swimming lesson. Not the first time she's been in the water, but her first official lesson. Let me tell you, she's a little fish. She loves the water so her excitement from the minute we stepped into the poolhouse was palpable.
"uhWaa-der" she kept repeating, pointing into the pool and kicking her legs. "I ssiiiiiming?" she would ask a second later. Yeah, bebe, your going to swim in the water, we'd repeat over and over. I took her into the changing room and she kept asking her questions.
"uhWaa-der? Siiiiiming?" As soon as we get your suit on, bebe. And then when we got the suit on. "Zhacket?" Nope, no life jacket tonight, bebe, tonight we're swimming. And her little face fell. I think she thought the life jacket would be lonely. And then as soon as we were back in the pool house she was rocking in my arms, trying to jump straight into the water.
"Siiiiming! Siiiiming!" Once we were in the water the excitement level peaked. When she had to wait by the side of the pool before getting in (at 21 months it's more about the cues for getting in the water than the actual swimming), and I thought she'd have apoplectic fit. We learned how to blow bubbles, which went well until she tried to get another breath to blow more...without removing her face from the water. We practiced kicking hands and feet and she even got to chase a rubber duckie around the pool, kicking as she went (husband was holding her up, don't worry, she's not a swimming prodigy!). And all the time I just took in it. Then I realized something.
I feel like that, in varying degrees, everyday. And now, I'm not going to go all Mom on you and say it's when I'm watching her. That does happen, but this is a writing blog. I feel excited like she did last night every time (or at least 95% of the time) I open a new document, revise a few pages or start a brand new story. It's a little bit like swimming for the first time - I don't know if the characters will sink or float, I don't know how Plot A is going to intertwine with sub-plot C, I'm not even sure how all of the relationship dynamics are going to ping-pong off of one another.
But I jump in anyway.
"Siiiming?" Love it...even when I'm swimming in words instead of water.
"uhWaa-der" she kept repeating, pointing into the pool and kicking her legs. "I ssiiiiiming?" she would ask a second later. Yeah, bebe, your going to swim in the water, we'd repeat over and over. I took her into the changing room and she kept asking her questions.
"uhWaa-der? Siiiiiming?" As soon as we get your suit on, bebe. And then when we got the suit on. "Zhacket?" Nope, no life jacket tonight, bebe, tonight we're swimming. And her little face fell. I think she thought the life jacket would be lonely. And then as soon as we were back in the pool house she was rocking in my arms, trying to jump straight into the water.
"Siiiiming! Siiiiming!" Once we were in the water the excitement level peaked. When she had to wait by the side of the pool before getting in (at 21 months it's more about the cues for getting in the water than the actual swimming), and I thought she'd have apoplectic fit. We learned how to blow bubbles, which went well until she tried to get another breath to blow more...without removing her face from the water. We practiced kicking hands and feet and she even got to chase a rubber duckie around the pool, kicking as she went (husband was holding her up, don't worry, she's not a swimming prodigy!). And all the time I just took in it. Then I realized something.
I feel like that, in varying degrees, everyday. And now, I'm not going to go all Mom on you and say it's when I'm watching her. That does happen, but this is a writing blog. I feel excited like she did last night every time (or at least 95% of the time) I open a new document, revise a few pages or start a brand new story. It's a little bit like swimming for the first time - I don't know if the characters will sink or float, I don't know how Plot A is going to intertwine with sub-plot C, I'm not even sure how all of the relationship dynamics are going to ping-pong off of one another.
But I jump in anyway.
"Siiiming?" Love it...even when I'm swimming in words instead of water.
Nice post, Kristi! My kiddos were water-babies too, once upon a time. Love your analogy! You always have positive reminders about the joys of writing. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post, Kristi. Can't wait for Emma to swim in our pool this summer.
ReplyDeleteAs far as writing goes, again, struggling on the new story, still working on revisions on two others.
Thanks, Laurie! Hoping she stays a water baby!
ReplyDeleteJerri, I hate it when new wips don't fall right into place...but I know you'll figure it out! Anything I can do to help?
Nice post Kristi. All my children were water babies and they swim like fish. So does the dh. I sink like a stone. Never learned how to swim. Sometimes my writing is like that. I write myself in a corner and when I try to get out, I sink like a stone. Other days, you have to pry my fingers from the keyboard.
ReplyDeleteYes, everything Shawn said--I think we're alter egos lately! I loved reading about the baby and the pool.
ReplyDeleteI nearly drowned when I was a child, so I've always been afraid of water. My dd can't swim, either.
ReplyDeleteBut I totally get the analogy! And I can so see the bebe swimming!
nice post kristi! made me smile remembering my boy trying to learn to swim.....=)
ReplyDeleteGreat analogy, Kristi. It's so cool how we can turn anything into a writing analogy these days ;)
ReplyDelete