Elijah and the Pool!

WE FINALLY GOT ELIJAH IN THE POOL!!!!!!!

It sounds ridiculous, I know. But we have been trying for over a year to get Elijah in the pool, with no success. He was fine as a baby in Bozeman. We would take him to the Hot Springs and he would sit and be fine. But something happened since then that changed the way he thinks about water. It may have been the cold water indoor pool at Mount Rushmore Memorial Day weekend 2007. I'm not sure. But I haven't been able to successfully get him in a pool since that last time at the hot springs.

We tried at the pool at the apartment complex. After some screaming, he did get in for a bit and enjoyed it. I thought we were making progress. But I couldn't get him in again. Then, he didn't like the beach or the ocean. I couldn't get him in the pool there on our vacation either. He would just throw a ball in from the side and I, or someone else, would retrieve it for him. That was his game. So, we started trying to get him in the pool here at the house. Joshua and Zach have started to love swimming. But Elijah would scream even if we tried to put on his bathing suit. It seemed impossible.

So yesterday we decided to try again. We figured we would just have to suffer through the screaming because this is something he needs to get over. So, we put him in his bathing suit as he cried. Then we walked down to the pool. Again, he played his ball game where he threw the beach ball into the pool and I would get it and throw it back to him. We did this for a while. Then I decided it was time to initiate him into the water. So I got out and picked him up. Him screaming in my ear, we walked down the stairs into the water. He hated it. (Also, there was another family in the pool. We warned them about the screaming beforehand. They also have a 2 1/2 year old, so they understood.) So I started bobbing him up and down and spinning him around. He would laugh for half a second and then start crying again. Then, Steven suggested playing with the beach ball IN the water. Elijah liked that idea. So we started throwing and kicking the ball IN the water. He loved it! The crying stopped and he started having fun. Then, it went from the beach ball to the splash football. He wanted to throw it "all the way to Daddy". What a great time! By the end of the afternoon, he was "jumping" (more like falling ) in from the side of the pool into my arms. Now he says he can't wait to go again! What and answer to prayer!

Also, little side note...yesterday, Steven fixed the lawn mower and the front glass door. He also finxed the cabinet in our bathroom and hung up some pictures for me. What a handyman!!!