Summertime!

It's summertime in Chicago. That means hot, humid weather, trips to the pool with O, trips to the Montrose Dog Beach with Dixon, grilling and parties with friends!
I'm teaching Olivia to swim. She is doing great! She can tread water a little bit, totally get submerged without breathing in ( last year, when we started going underwater, we had a few rules: Rule #1- DON'T PANIC. Rule#2- You are not a mermaid, so NO BREATHING UNDERWATER!). She is dismissing the kiddie pool and wants only the adult pool. Granted, she never lets go and makes sure I am always holding onto her ( that makes me happy!). But I want her to swim freely in water and ME not to panic. As kids we always swam- in Lake Michigan, at Uncle and Aunt Tom and Nancy's, later in Beaver Lake, then back to Lake Michigan, and in the summertime in Vermont- the waterfalls, rivers and reservoirs, and I remember the water time fondly. I never was afraid of water, as far back as I remember. Even when we went to visit Nanny and Grandpa in Florida, going to the Gulf of Mexico, and me with some of my siblings on a floating raft, slipping off and sinking to the bottom- I remember not worrying, the sense of quiet, of being at peace in the water, then my sister Midge pulling me up- even then I wasn't scared or worried. So it is important to me to teach my only daughter to swim. I want her to feel secure in water, to respect it, and most importantly, enjoy herself in it and feel comfortable.
So, happy summer to all- enjoy the water, get out into nature, and have fun!