Swimming with "None Bubble"

Joshua recently surprised us in a very big way. We were at a pool party, splashing around, having a good time, and Joshua, as usual, was clinging to me very tightly, the way a baby chimpanzee clings to its mother as she swings from tree limb to tree limb. Things were pretty normal ....until he says to me, "Daddy, let go of me. I can swim with none bubble." ("Bubbles" are the flotation devices they use at his summer camp)

I was too busy talking with the adult members of my family, and didn't even pay attention to his bold statement. But then he repeated it a few more times, with increasing volume, until he finally got my attention. "You want me to let go of you???" I asked incredulously. So I did....

And then, lo and behold, Joshua swam away from me and made his way to the ladder, about 7 or 8 feet away. I was in shock. I yelled for Jen to come look, and asked Joshua to do it again. He did. Now we were both in shock.

Neither of us had any idea he knew how to swim....well, "swim" is being generous. He does a strong doggy paddle, and actually looks like a frog making its way from one lilly pad to another. But the point is, Joshua apparently learned to swim in his new summer camp, and Jen and I did not even know. We thought he still had a long way to go before he'd be able to keep himself afloat, but boy were we wrong.

We are both so proud of Joshua as he grows and learns, and continues to surprise us.

My two Dad goals for this year were to make sure Rebecca learns to ride a bicycle, and Joshua learns to swim. Both goals have been achieved, and it's only mid-August. Can I take the rest of the year off now?