Swimming

Since our other Martin friends are gone, Nehemiah and I have been putting around trying to find something to do with our evenings. Last night Lisa called and invited us to Godfrey's Pond. It was getting late, but seeing that the weather was so nice, I decided to go.

This was Nehemiah's first time attempting to swim in water that wasn't in a plastic kiddie pool or in the bathtub. I'm deathly afraid of water, so the whole idea of him swimming sorta freaked me out. I didn't want to transfer my fear into him, so I sucked it up and made a big deal about how fun swimming is.

Once he got into the water with the other kids, he began to get a little unnerved. He was trying to walk in the water rather than swim. He tipped over and his head went under. This did it, he freaked out. Claire was holding his hand and she helped him get back on his feet. He started screaming. By that time I had already gotten into the shallow water to comfort him. I wiped his tears and told him how proud I was that he tried swimming! He was so brave.

For the rest of the evening Nehemiah decided to play in the sand. He scooped sand into the water and only wanted to put his feet in. I rolled up my capris and walked along the edge of the pond. Once he saw that I was okay, he held my hand and walked with me. He didn't get back into the water, but he enjoyed the sand and the fishermen who were on the other side.

After we ate dinner and watched some boys catch fish, it was time for home. After a quick bath to rinse all the salt, it was time for bed. Nehemiah had a hard time winding down, but right before he closed his eyes as I rocked him, he looked up at me. "I love you to the moon mama," he said and fell right asleep. "I love you to the moon and back," I replied. I kissed his forehead and put him in bed.

For those who don't know the story behind "I love you to the moon," you must read the book down below by Sam McBratney. Every child should have this book in their collection.