My Little Swimmer

We put Porter in swimming lessons this year. I loved the opportunities it gave him to face his fears and make himself do hard things and feel successful.

First, he was so scared to actually go. We signed him up a month before the lessons started, so he had a month to tell me how scared he was and how he didn't want to do it. When the lessons started, he was so nervous and he held my hand so tight as we walked to the pool. But after his first lesson, he was in love with it and didn't want to leave.

One of the things he had to master was putting his head under water. On the first day, when his teacher asked him to do it, Porter got scared and said he couldn't and started walking toward me at the side of the pool, ready to give up. But with a lot of encouragement from me and his teacher, he finally made himself try and he stuck the tip of his nose in the water.

The next day, he tipped his head the other way and got his ears wet. The next day, he stuck his whole face in the water. And finally, the day after that, he bobbed his head all the way under the water. He did it again and again and again. He was so proud of himself!

 I'm so incredibly proud of this boy!