Let the summer begin!

He was supposed to helping give Sabo a bath



I love this picture of my boys




Congrats to Marc's soccer team on winning the championship!!

The summer started out on a better note than we ended last summer at the pool. Ethan spent last summer on the steps of the pool and wouldn't budge! Part of me thinks it was his fear of the unknown and the other part thought he was just being stubborn (wonder where he gets that from). The weekend my Dad, Marc, and Rich built the deck - picture below - I took Ethan to the pool for the first shoot at the water.

I'll post a completed deck picture soon. It's awesome!!


Grassy dirty stinky little boy feet

I was pretty apprehensive. I didn't want to feed his fear or intentionally frighten him, but Marc and I both LOVE the pool and want the same for Ethan. Much to my surprise, he was OK. And by OK I mean he would come off the stairs but would not release the death grip both his arms and legs had on my body.

A few weeks of the same pass. If we tried to push him away from us, he would totally freak out and inevitably end up with a mouth full of lovely chlorinated water. I bought him the coolest Speedo water wings - didn't matter. His friends were all jumping in and swimming on their own - didn't matter. We tried bribery - didn't work. UGH!!

Finally we went to the pool on a day when just a few people were there. This was it...our chance to let him scream without protests from others. And we (read Marc) totally seized the opportunity. Marc put Ethan in the water and let him go. About 10 minutes later, the screaming was over and Ethan was paddling along like he had been doing this for years. Amazing the light switch that is a child's mind.

Fast forward one week and he is full on jumping in on his own. "Don't help me Mommy. I do it myself." Now we all can sit back and enjoy the company of friends at the pool without the screams of this 2.5 year old! Ah, sweet relief!


Notice the infamous leg kick. It never fails. EVERY time he jumps in he kicks his leg back.