Theo's Swim Class

Here's a quick video of the little man in swim class with Dad!

A little about Sophia...

I have been making a very conscious effort to make sure Theo's accomplishments don't get lost as the second child, and I seem to be keeping my head above water on that. At his age, the growth and development happens so rapidly that I can take for granted the developments happening with Sophia.


Her big thing is swimming - we enrolled her in swim classes and we're on the second semester at MIT. She absolutely loves them - she's in the water with three other kids and the instructor takes 2 of them out at a time (the remaining stand on the 'tot dock') with noodles, floating barbells, etc. and work on all sorts of skills. She is completely in her element and also starting to make friends. She remembers the other kids' names and really is starting to interact more with them. It's great to watch.


The other exciting news is that she got accepted (or, I guess we did) to Agassiz preschool for the Fall. I say we because when I was asking about the admissions criteria, the director told me it wasn't about the child - they just had to interact well with peers and be age-appropriate. It was about what the parents and family as a whole could bring to the community. As a co-op, we are all expected to be on a committee and also volunteer time in the classroom. Dave & I fell in love with the place - it's a very art/creative learning place - something we both admit are not our strong points but believe is great for our kids. Sophia had a blast on her visit - especially because she got to a) feed the fish b) they gave her cupcakes & cheerios and c) they had new (to her) cool toys. What's not to like?

Overall, Sophia is growing and developing so much. She still zips around on her balance bike - the best is every Tuesday/Thursday, she rides it to school. She's on the sidewalk and I ride my bike on the road next to her. She's getting to be quicker and more balanced every time! Her vocabulary is pretty impressive- her focus is on having us spell everything for her. She is constantly taking in new words and often parroting (for better or worse - gulp!) what she hears.

She also goes from being the world's best big sister to, well, a big sister. She has started taken on a protective instinct when something (other than her) makes Theo cry. When it is her, Theo has at least started to defend himself a little. As for she and I, we have some quality time together each weekend and also at night after Theo goes to sleep.
And that's my big, almost 3.5 year old in a nutshell!

Sophia (inadvertently) goes swimming

Swimming lessons have been on the docket for Sophia for some time. Fond memories of growing up swimming in my backyard pool, playing water polo in College and, of course, safety, make me want to ensure that Sophia (& Theo, when it's time) can hold their own in the water.

I signed Sophia up for classes to start after Labor Day. She, however, decided to test her skills a little earlier than planned...

Every time we go for drinks at the club, Sophia inherently runs right down to the docks to throw rocks in. It's adorable, fun, entertaining and of course, occasionally terrifying as she stands with half her foot over the edge, no matter how many times we back her up. Usually she stands on the beach side. In fact, here's a shot of her and her friend Ainsley doing just that: (Sophia is bent over in the darker outfit).

After this trip down to the water, she came back up the hill and grabbed Dave for some more rock throwing. Ainsley and her mom Meaghan joined as well. The rest of us stayed up on the hill, having our drinks and chatting. 

Before I know it, Dave was motioning to me from the bottom of the hill to "wrap it up." I figured Sophia had a meltdown (She hadn't napped that day) and we should head home. Then he follows it with "She Fell In!" 

Apparently, she had gone to the other side of the dock (essentially behind the black car you see in the picture above) to throw rocks with Ainsley. Dave & Meaghan had followed. Sophia was throwing with some force, lost her balance and tumbled in. Luckily, it was low tide and she landed on her feet in a little less than 3 feet of water (i.e. her head/mouth/nose were all above water). Dave jumped right in and fished her out. It's about 8 feet from sea level to the ground in that area. Meaghan grabbed her and concurrently held off an interested Ainsley from repeating the process!

After being carried up the hill, soaking wet, by Meaghan, (who, unfortunately, was wearing a white shirt)  I saw she was in good shape. A little shaken, sopping wet and a bit chilly, but in good spirits. I stripped her naked (yup - on the hill, at the New York Yacht Club, in front of about 40 people enjoying sunset and cocktails) and bundled her in a nursing coverup, toga-style. She couldn't have been more thrilled. (Maybe we've used the phrase, "Toga, Toga, Toga" a few too many times. It was at that point they shot off the gun for Colors, meaning we couldn't really leave. I held Sophia and the entire time we're at attention, she's whispering loudly, "I fall in the OCEAN Mama! Daddy Got Me Out!" 

She was such a trooper and for the entire week following, she would retell bits of the story, and with particular admiration and pride, telling how "Daddy got her out!" What a hero! :) 

She also made sure to tell us she wasn't going to fall in again. Whew...thanks for that Sophia!

So...swim classes it is!