Just a quick rant about novelty pencils that Grace and Julia have received as gifts...
If you want to buy Grace and Julia a pencil I support you wholeheartedly. Pencils are great for kids learning to write. However, please buy a normal pencil from a drugstore or stationary store. Generally these are yellow, have a working eraser, and have a lead that sharpens. Pencils with princesses, flowers, rainbows, or other such designs are the type I am ranting about. They are a pain in the butt because the erasers break or just smear graphite all over in a big messy blur. Furthermore, the graphite leads do not hold any kind of tip and are often already shattered within the pencil itself. So as I sharpen one I go all the way to the end and never find a proper writing tip.
The irony is that these kinds of "designer" pencils cost more money than just a standard pack of pencils that are reliable and useful. So again, please buy Grace and Julia pencils. Just buy them the kind of pencils you used when you were a kid. They still make them and will provide much more enjoyment for the whole family.
It's Craig here to add an entry describing the lab activity I hosted for Grace's school on Mercer's campus. The actual events took place on four days for two consecutive weeks. I had the 3rd graders in on Wed. Feb. 16, the 5th graders on Fri. Feb. 18, 1st and 2nd grades together on Wed. Feb. 23rd, and 4th grade on Fri. Feb. 25th. Now I did not have all the kids from those grades nor did I have them all day long. (I am not insane.) I did have them between 9:50 and 11:10 AM but I only hosted those kids involved in the REACH program. This is the elementary school's gifted and talented program.
The purpose of bringing them to my lab on campus was to let them participate in a lab exercise where they carried out a few activities related to their central nervous system. Specifically we were talking about balance and proprioception (body awareness) while they attempted to walk across balance beams of varying thinness. They recorded some limited data and then watched videos of mice doing the very same thing (walking across tight ropes of varying thinness). They also collected data from the mouse videos to compare to their own from balance beams. Students worked in groups of 2-3 and used stopwatches to time these crossing events but they also counted the frequency of arm waving (or tail waving in the case of the mice). These data were then entered into some pre-designed spreadsheets where graphs would fill in with their data for easy comparison. Ideally they would see some sort of relationship between branch thinness and slower crossing speeds and increased arm waving in both themselves and mice. Afterwards we talked about the human nervous system and proprioception and how mice have these same attributes. The lab was fun to do and it involved several of my undergraduate students. They were great and very helpful managing the kids on all the beams and computers. Grace was there too in the 1st and 2nd grade group. On that day Ellen also assisted (thanks hon).
One funny story... in the 1st and 2nd grade crowd this little boy immediately put his hand in the air as I began my introductory spiel. He was eager to say something but I was eager to get started so I waited until I had finished before calling on him. He then said "You know you look a lot like Bill Nye." Of course everyone started laughing, including my undergrads who immediately began downloading pictures of Bill Nye onto the lab computers as their new wallpaper. For those of you who don't know, Bill Nye is the Science Guy that all kids know from educational films and television. He is tall, skinny, and dorky, wears a lab coat and a bow tie. For the record I look nothing like Bill Nye. I don't wear bow ties and I don't wear a lab coat unless I am dissecting things. I am kind of dorky though, especially when I get started talking about animals that climb (like my specially trained lab mice). Here are some pictures.
I will quickly go back to June 20 (Father's Day) to record a special memory of mine (sorry no pictures). While Ellen and Julia were taking care of a nap, Grace and I wanted some adventure near the campground. Fortunately there was a trailhead within a quarter mile from our campsite. Grace and I pulled a backpack together that included binoculars, first aid supplies, water, and snacks. We walked over to Soltafara Creek Trail and began our hike.
The weather was perfect, and the trail was nice and lonely. Because Soltafara Creek is nothing more than a creek cutting between two low ridges, there is not much to look at. This means no tourists. However, no tourists also means more wildlife which means big animals like bison may appear in the trail suddenly. This did not happen to us, but it was always a thought in the back of my mind. I wanted to see wildlife, but I did not want any emergency situations where I would have to entrust Grace to run back to camp while I grappled with (i.e., received a mauling from) a bear or bison.
We saw lots of bison fur stuck on trees, indicating they were around somewhere. We also found a big pile of bear scat with loads of fur in it. Later on we found a patch of fur stuck to a tree that was not from a bison. Grace and I both think it was from a grizzly bear, and so being young scientists we collected it to save in our cabinet of curiosities. Grace was trooper, just as I expected. We walked along the trail a ways without seeing anyone. As far as Father's Day goes, it was such a great way to spend my afternoon. All I could hear was the wind blowing in the trees and birds chirping. Those quiet moments of forest solitude may be my absolute favorite thing in the whole world. We probably went about 2 miles in one direction when we decided that we should turn around to head back to camp. Before we headed back however, Grace wanted to treat me to a special adventure she knew I would like.
She suggested we bushwack our way up to the top of one of the ridges to get a better view. She correctly assumed that I had wanted to be doing this all along. There were lots of dead trees that had fallen in the big fire from the late 80's. It was not easy travel, but we climbed up and over big pine trunks and around young trees until we found a nice spot to stop and enjoy nature before turning around. Grace was so proud of herself for coming up with this idea. She explained it was a present from her to me, so I could have a happy day. Well Grace, I had a lovely day with you, and I look forward to more wilderness adventures together. We made plans for our first backpacking trip when she gets older. Grace loves the idea of having all our stuff in a backpack that we get walk around the woods with. I like that idea too.
June 17 The weather we experienced on our hike worsened overnight, and we woke to very chilly temperatures and snow the next morning. We decided to forgo a camp breakfast and drive into the Village and eat in the restaurant. As we nursed our coffees and the girls finished their breakfasts, we decided to give up on a hiking day and make the drive south to Jackson. We hoped to see the new visitors center and get the latest weather info.
The visitors center was well worth the trip, and we spent at least an hour exploring all they had to offer. We also learned that again the weather was taking a turn for the worse. We quickly made the decision to cancel our Yellowstone campsite reservation and secured a cabin reservation at Old Faithful (spoiler alert: one never wants to stay in a cabin at Old Faithful).
Reservation done, we got back on the road and drove into Jackson. Jackson Hole is cool if you're 20, and it might be cool if you're 50, but for us, with two kids and crappy weather, it wasn't a whole lot of fun. We did eat another good meal (thanks, Bunnery), and we got out of town quickly.
As a part of our change in Yellowstone reservations, we would have to stay another night, June 18, in the Tetons. We're really glad we did.
June 18 We woke to beautiful blue skies, and I made pancakes to celebrate our last morning. Once lunches were packed we left the campsite and headed out to hike around Swan Lake and Heron Pond. We had hoped to see a moose, but as usual we were a little too late in the morning for such a sight. We were fortunate to see a number of birds, including migratory Canada geese:
Clark's Nutcracker:
Sand Hill Crane:
Blue Heron, Trumpeter Swan, Ruffed Grouse, and Bald Eagle (none pictured unfortunately), and of course, the American White Pelican:
And while we didn't see any moose, we did find some tracks:
After hiking for 3.5 miles we were also treated with some pretty spectacular views. Just click it, you'll get a much larger image. All told, we hiked nearly 4.5 miles that day. The girls graduated to being full-fledged hikers (well, Julia mostly hikes from on high--on my shoulders). We made it back to camp in time for some (much needed on my part) showers and ice cream, and just before dinner Ellen got to perform a little medical procedure.
When I sliced my finger back in Rocky Mountain, the nurse in Estes Park told me I should return to the ER to have the stitches removed. Ellen and I decided that wasn't necessary. She could do the job:
Don't worry, those scissors are reasonably sterile. Aside from some slight nerve damage (which has fully recovered now), my finger looked pretty good.
That pretty much wraps it up for the Tetons. Below is the full slide show from June 17 and 18, see if you can see snow a couple of pictures.
It has been a long time since I weighed in with the Dad Perspective. My apologies to Ellen for barely assisting with the blog. I'm going to write the posts that details our travels between June 16-18, starting with the 16th. The last time I was in the Tetons, I was 16 years old. To say that a lot has changed since then is an understatement. Like Ellen explained in the previous post, our accommodations were terrific. The tent cabins provided the perfect amount of shelter (for the right price). I was able to build fires in the woodstove, which kept me feeling purposeful. I would even jump down from my bunk at night to keep the stove warm.
The mornings were still chilly, as evidenced by our children:
June 16 Ellen needed a shower today, so we all went down to Colter Bay. Julia, and Grace, and I went to the Native American Museum in the village. A very kind native american artist, who had his materials on display, was very engaged with the girls. He let them play his animal skin drums while he played his flutes. He even made them small necklaces with a couple of very cool (and very old) beads on them.
After meeting up with Ellen we drove to Jenny Lake. From a launch there we ferried across the lake to a trail.
We then hiked up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. The hike was great. We climbed up some pretty steep elevation with Julia on my shoulders most of the time. Grace, on the other hand, demonstrated her skills as a junior mountain goat (the girl can hike!)
The falls were cool but it made Julia a little nervous. The sound and spray were not to her liking.
We moved on to Inspiration point which involved a rigorous climb up into the rocky crags of the Tetons. This is how high we climbed above the boat dock:
And this is us playing around on the rocks:
From the top of Inspiration Point we could see bad weather closing in. Knowing that we had pulled a dunce move and forgot to bring raincoats for ANYONE, we decided to hightail back to the boat dock to catch the next ferry back to our car.
Unfortunately we didn't make it in time. I don't have any pictures of our retreat from Inspiration Point, but it wasn't pretty. By the time we reached the boat dock, thunder and lightning crackled overhead. This meant the ferry service was delayed until 15 minutes after the last peal of thunder. Also, we were not the only ones trying to get back on the ferry. We spent some time castigating ourselves for failing to bring raincoats and then huddled under trash bags someone gave us (no pictures of this pathetic sight). After about an hour waiting in cold rain, sleet and hail, the ferry resumed and we made it back across Jenny lake. The kids stayed dry but Ellen and I were wet and cold. We returned to camp by 2:30 PM and spent the rest of the day making s'mores in the wood stove. We played some games and then as a real treat Grace and Julia watched Toy Story 2 on my computer.
I feel very disappointed in the Colts for a lackluster performance in the Superbowl. I would be happy to lose to a team like the Saints if the Colts played well in the process of losing. However, the entire game was kind of stale for Indy. Grace said to me the next day, "It's OK daddy. There will be another superbowl and colts can win that one."
I did win a $50 prize pack from the neighborhood hotwings establishment. Here's the photo they took for their official announcement when Grace and I picked up our winnings.
Grace has written an adorable postcard to Santa Claus with her Christmas list. Just a note to family, Santa is bringing her a remote control car. I know that it will be full of Chinese plastic, but I don't care. It's a toy I like. Santa knows just the one to bring too!
It has been a quiet weekend in the Byron household. Ellen took Grace and Julia to Savannah to see Betsy and left me (Dad: Craig) home to work on my summer course preparation. Nothing too exciting to mention unless you want me to start lecturing on fish, dinosaurs, birds, or mammals. (If you know me, then you know I'd actually find this to be a highly exciting thing for us to talk about.) The kamikaze teaching of vertebrate zoology in five weeks has been absolutely grueling, but the class has been, and will be this next spring, the most enjoyable class I have taught yet.
Ellen on the other hand went to Savannah with a 4 and 2 year old to a 2-bedroom, 2nd floor apartment where the air conditioner broke. Indoor temps have been well above 90 for her since Thursday. Fortunately they have not spent too much time inside and instead have gone to the beach, to the pool, and even to the indoor playground at the mall (Ellen was really pleased with that one). She will come back home tomorrow and is looking forward to seeing a husband who does not have to stay up until 3 AM each night. I only have one more night-----I better get back to work.
Craig
P.S. I found this online slide show of our neighborhood garden from the local paper.
Today was a rainy day and the temperature was cold. This was unfortunate because earlier in the week when we were doing inside work it was in the 80's outside. Once the work was done and we could go enjoy the outdoors, the weather was not permitting. We stayed in and played with playdough, wore princess dresses, ate doughnuts for breakfast, and had pancakes for dinner (dining Daddystyle).
I wanted to document a quote from Grace that I thought was really funny. She was snacking from a bowl full of strawberries and clearly enjoying them. I asked, "How would you like to plant some strawberries in the yard this spring?" Her eyes lit up and she said, "Then we will be able to eat them, and more will grow!"
I don't know why this tickles me. I think it's because having a plant grow you something good to eat that will sustain your feeding past one meal is a pretty cool idea. This is from the girl who taught her sister how to eat playdough.
Today was a good day. The girls and I had such an industrious time sweeping, vacuuming, sorting, washing, and folding laundry. The day just whizzed by. We got the house in decent shape before Ellen's return so that the only laundry that remains is her own from her suitcase. We managed to go get haircuts from Anabel (Grace and my haircutter) with Julia in tow. Julia sat on my lap and watched very suspiciously. Because I kept her hands full of raisins and peanut butter crackers she did not even cry. We also ran an errand on campus as well as made a strategic strike at the grocery to get some fresh fish for dinner. Ellen is currently putting the girls to bed giving me time to cleanup the kitchen and write this post. Next on the agenda is my show and tell of all the cool things Grace, Julia, and I got to do.
I really did have a nice time. It helped that class is not in session until next week. Without worrying about teaching obligations I felt that I really cherished this chance for intense personal time with the girls at such a young age. I will remember this last week fondly for the rest of my life. I hope at least Grace does too!
Today has been a good one. The girls and I got out of the house to run errands before lunch. I packed heavy snacks since we were going to be out and about during lunch. We stopped by my office, Home Depot, and a quick trip to the grocery for a few necessities. The girls were great since they just kept snacking the whole time. Julia had a good nap and we all went to see Grace in her tumbling class in the evening. We have been able to chat with Ellen via webcam and it has been great fun for all.
In reading my post from yesterday I realize how ungrateful I seem. I apologize if I have hurt your feelings. In looking around the house, it appears much of our plastic was brought in by either Ellen or I. So, take my venting from yesterday as self criticism.
Tonight is my last night alone before Ellen returns. I desperately need to clean up a bit. Maybe tomorrow morning... Enjoy the photos.
It is a very good thing that Ellen and Aunt Betsy loaded up the fridge with all the food and drink the girls and I would need. I have not had to make any grocery runs. The thought of having to load Grace and Julia up in the van and go shopping raises my blood pressure. Instead, day 4 was marked by two separate trips to two different playgrounds. I am beginning to wear down and need to get out of the house to avoid looking at the growing mountain of laundry and scattering of toys everywhere.
Let me diverge for a moment with a follow-up to this issue of toys. To all our friends and family who might want to send a toy to Grace and Julia, please don't. The thought is nice, and we appreciate your desire to do something caring for the girls, but save your money. Seriously! The girls have a disgusting amount of toys. Most of them get played with only a handful of times before the pieces are lost, destroyed, or forgotten about. Next time you want to buy a piece of Chinese plastic for my children please reconsider. Grace and Julia won't mind since they would enjoy themselves just as well playing with a broken tree limb or perhaps a handful of gravel from your driveway. I am completely serious here everybody. No more plastic, or battery powered crap will be allowed in our house as gifts for the children. With Christmas over I am now planning on a trip to Goodwill to bring a pathetic looking load of our plastic toys for donation (to make room for newer, fresher, and soon to be pathetic looking plastic toys we received at Christmas). Now some sad little boy or girl somewhere will be reminded how miserable their situation is when the only toy they can get their hands on is missing all the knobs, buttons, and parts that made it sort of cool to begin with. The modern use of plastic in consumer goods really is ruining our world (and my neighborhood). Please stop buying it and sending it to my family in large amounts.
I will end this post with a funny anecdote from today. Grace keeps raising the stakes in saying mean things to me and I am proud to say that I have refrained from playing into her manipulative little hands. She told me today that she was going to lock me on the backporch with my sleeping bag and a pillow. She also told me today that she was going to take me outside and give me a whoopin if I kept talking. I actually laughed about this and she followed up with, "when I turn 9 years old I will give you a whoopin!" Ellen and I don't actually talk like this to her. She has learned about whoopins from our neighbor Abrahm who does get whoopins when he even remotely speaks to his mom and dad the way Grace speaks to us. Maybe we should arrange for a little parent swap for a week. A few whoopins might be just what Grace needs.... hmmmm. Ellen you better get home quick!
I am writing this at the start of day 4. There has already been a lamp knocked to the ground, a kitty scratch at the face incident, and many tears shed by Grace and Julia. So far it's a normal day for the Byrons when dad is in charge. Grace's volatility is so frustrating because she uses it to override any disciplinary situation. The initial infraction requiring discipline is rendered irrelevant by the new eruptions of histrionics. What's worse is that Julia seems to be studying Grace's technique!
Example: Ear-piercing shrieking is heard from the living room coming from Julia. I walk in to find Grace trying to pick Julia up and spin her around in circles. I suggest (maybe not so calmly) that she put her sister down. After all, it is kind of dangerous for Grace to be trying to swing Julia around. Not to mention Julia does not like this and Grace still insists on tormenting her. My quick-tempered response to Grace that she is not treating her sister kindly is met with an explosion of emotion. Rather than apologize for torturing Julia for the umpteenth time she yells at me, tries to kick me, and maybe even throws a toy. Next comes Grace's insistence that I am not her best Daddy and she wishes I could just go to jail. At this point we have moved so far beyond a discussion about why it's important to respect your sibling's desire not to be treated like a rag doll. In fact, having any discussion is moot since Grace will end this all herself by storming into another room and slamming the door.
I try really hard not to respond to these outbursts. I can have a temper myself if provoked and Grace is really good at provoking me. This is when I need Ellen. She is the blast wall that protects Grace and I from detonating each other. My new technique is to ignore her as soon as she begins her strategy of manipulation. But hey, I'm not perfect. Lord help us in 10 more years when Grace is 14 going on 15. Or worse, 16 going on 17. I shudder to think about what peace deals Ellen will be forced to broker.
So, let me end this post by saying a word or two about Day 3. It was foggy and wet all day. The temperature was warm and dad was tired. We walked to one of my favorite places in Macon, Washington Park (across the street from the post office). We snacked on a park bench and Grace and Julia threw Magnolia cones into the spring-fed stream. I made cheeseburgers for dinner and watched the Colts lose to San Diego in their playoff game. The game was a bummer capping off an otherwise normal day.
We are all still alive and well. I am beginning to tire. We ran errands in the morning and played in the park in the afternoon. Here's how the day started out...
Happy New Year readers! Ellen has been in Boston without the family for almost one day. We know she remains conflicted about her feelings but one thing is for sure, we will all be happy to see one another on January 6. So far the girls and myself are alive and well. There have been a few trips outside to play in the sunny and mild Georgia New Year's day weather. I have completed a crossword and a manuscript review, Julia had her nap, and Grace watched Tinkerbell. We are now gearing up to eat a spaghetti dinner, watch football or other DVD's, and drink some beer. I will be doing the beer drinking. Grace and Julia just carry out the work of handing me fresh cold ones (see below). We miss you already Ellen (both my words and Grace's).
The following pertains to an ongoing source of neighborhood tension. As the newly elected neighborhood association president (something you get drafted for and do not seek out) I have finally decided that enough is enough. The gloves are coming off and I am going to stand up to shout my voice...
Dear Coach (name withheld),
As president of the (name withheld) Neighborhood Association, where some of your players live, I wanted to let you know about our latest meeting. We all expressed gratitude that your players participated in the neighborhood cleanup in October. It was nice to see a huge group turn out, all of them on the baseball team. Well done!
Unfortunately, there were many voices of concern over the future of their rented property on (name withheld) Lane. It was pointed out that it's not unusual for there to be 10-13 vehicles (mostly trucks) parked all around their house, including in the front/side yards and the public park adjacent to their parking pad. The grass around the house is dying and turning to mud, even in the public park which is not on their property, and in fact, is owned and landscaped by the (name withheld) Development Corporation.
I have had a terse conversation with one of the tenants, and they have known for several weeks that they are not supposed to be parking on public property. Unfortunately they continue to park on the sodded lawn. Very recently their landlord, (name withheld), reminded them about their parking incivilities. However, when I came home from the opening banquet of scholarship weekend tonight I noticed one of their vehicles parked on the neighborhood park's grass. Still they continue to park there! Every month I attend the (name withheld) Board of Directors meeting which is presided over by the mayor and our president. The parking situation was brought to the attention of the board, and I believe someone from the mayor's office will be paying them a visit, if not already, then soon.
I would like to add that when I stopped by on a Saturday morning (9 AM) a few weeks ago to explain that the landscaped grass they were parking on was not their property, there were 9 trucks and SUVs parked around the house and 6-7 guys laying around the living room. It turns out only one of them actually lived there, and the other 6 were visiting either from campus (3 blocks away) or from out of town, all in their own vehicles. The lone resident appeared sympathetic to my request that they stop parking on the neighborhood park but insisted that they need to have parking for their friends who come over. I pointed out to him that the houses in (name withheld) neighborhood were built for families and other owner-occupied domestic situations. As such, parking is minimal. Each house has parking for 2, maybe 4 vehicles at maximum. However, in the case of those living on (name withheld) Lane, the 6-7 trucks owned by the renters already overburdens the alleyway and common driveway. These new houses in the neighborhood were not meant to be serve as communal dwellings, and they should ask their visitors to walk or carpool over. When the cars of girlfriends, friends from the dorms or fraternities, and those out of town buddies are added nearly every weekend, the result is a SNAFU of their own making. There are four families and 2 elderly residents who are detrimentally impacted weekly by their actions. There is also the unintended consequence of dissuading potential buyers of other new properties in the surrounding blocks.
I ask you to please speak with them again so that they understand this is a grave matter to the home owners invested in (name withheld). The ambition of our neighborhood association is to revitalize this historic area with home ownership thereby creating a family-friendly atmosphere right at the University's front door.
Thank you again for turning players out for our cleanup and for speaking with them several months ago.
Sincerely,
Craig
-- Dr. Craig D. Byron Dept. of (name withheld) (name withheld)University (name withheld) Ave. (name withheld)
Boy, the Blog has really evolved into something unique. Since I'm only an infrequent contributor, I feel like each time I login to write a post either the readership has grown or there has been a long gap separating me from my last passage. I wanted to include a link to an article in today's (October 20) Education section of the New York Times.
Mercer's Bearbike program is mentioned as well as a quote from an interview conducted with a Biology Department colleague (who is also Grace's big-time buddy, Allan). The Bearbike program is finally getting a little publicity. Unfortunately we are not sustainable yet since we don't have a team of undergraduates to act as mechanics maintaining our small bike fleet. Hopefully the University is close to a financial commitment to really get this program going. All last week we had consultants in Macon to help design a traffic engineering solution to link Mercer's campus and downtown Macon. I'm excited to report that this plan will include bike lanes.
I still have a post to write about our litter cleanup from over the weekend, but I can report that we now have quantitative proof that the neighborhood is significantly improved with respect to litter incivilities. It was a big success and there should be WMGT-NBC footage. I will post it when it becomes available.
We had an unexpectedly fulfilling day today here in Macon. We weren't expecting this because I was supposed to be shoveling dirt all day. We had plans for another major landscaping weekend. A dump truck full of 18.5 tons of fill dirt was delivered on Friday afternoon. We wanted to fill in a gaping void where one high part of our yard hits a wall and immediately drops about 4 feet lower. Safety reasons aside, aesthetically we envision more of a rolling hill along our side yard.
As I began shoveling this dirt today, I realized that it would require about 12 hours of continuous shoveling to pack this huge pile of dirt into the hillside to fill it out. Add to that the constant interruptions of Grace wanting to show me a rock, or Grace disappearing under the house or around the front of the house, and I realized this was going to a tedious job. Obviously, I needed some construction equipment.
Home Depot rents small tractors with scoops on them, but you need a vehicle with a trailer hitch. Our minivan, while being a great multipurpose vehicle, can do no hauling. I made some calls to those around town whom I know have trucks and still no dice. Rather than get worked up over not completing this job today we decided to "cut bait" and go to the pool on campus.
What a great change of pace. I think some R&R was just what we needed today. When we do finally line up the truck, those 18 tons of dirt will be a cinch. Getting to the pool provided us with a great outlet on a hot summer day and we were stunned by how marvelous our Grace was once she hit the water. Right in front of our eyes we watched her cognitively figure out how to swim. Without pushing her or overly encouraging her she alone decided to push her limits.
Grace wanted to ditch her inner tube soon after we got to the pool, and she started going underwater for long periods of time holding her breath. Her next modification was to start kicking and paddling while underwater. Before we knew it Grace was staying under for up to 6-7 seconds while swimming with her arms and legs. She was traveling around 10 feet underwater over and over again! It was amazing. We were so proud of her. I noticed her eyes were pretty red from all that time underwater, so I got her goggles from the pool bag. Once she had the goggles on, things kicked up a notch. Grace began jumping from the side of the pool into 4 feet of water without us catching her. She didn't want us anywhere near the edge of the pool as she leaped into the water fearlessly. I was a little nervous because she would sink to the bottom and then kick her way back to the surface for a breath. She kept swimming back and forth to Ellen or me all while putting her head down underwater and propelling herself several feet for many seconds at a time. You could see her head scanning back and forth underwater searching for where to swim. I think the goggles certainly helped with this aspect of it.
We had so much fun cheering her on, and she was clearly very pleased with herself. She even had some smiling onlookers excited about her success. It was a fine day, and we are all exhausted but feeling great. It is now time to put this watergirl to bed. I think she may sleep well tonight dreaming of all her accomplishments. Well done, girl. You never cease to amaze me.
