Swim to Me

In June I signed Melese up for swim lessons. Knowing that we were headed up to my parents' house for a vacation, I wanted him to at least feel a little more comfortable in the water. Last summer he was held prisoner by a life jacket.

Conrad Cooper-Magician.

 Many friends had recommended Conrad Cooper to me. Last year we were not ready. I wouldn't have been able to sit still while Melese fell apart in a pool with a stranger. This year, I felt that we could handle it, so I signed him up. I figured that if it was too much, we could stop.  There were ten kids in Melese's class. The first day (of five days total-one hour per day) EVERY child cried. At the end of the first day, one child was so distraught that she passed out in the water. Conrad had to perform CPR on her and the paramedics had to come. Conrad saved her life. She was fine. Melese, who was already scared to go to swim lessons, was shielded from this incident by my strategically placed towel. Had he seen it unfold, I am positive I wouldn't have been able to bring him back for day two.

Day two wasn't much better. Melese cried and wouldn't get into the pool. Conrad talked to him and eventually got him in.

By day four Melese was jumping into the deep end and swimming the length of the pool UNDERWATER. I was panicked that he would never come up for air. Conrad assured that he would when he needed too. My son was a swimmer. Just like that.

It is hard for me to describe how profound it was to watch this process, not just Melese's transformation, but the transformation of all of these brave kiddos. Every kid was swimming by Friday. Every. Single. Kid.

I cried. They were so small and brave. They were so scared. Conrad was amazing. He would calmly speak to them, and then they would swim.

If you live in California and your child doesn't know how to swim yet, I highly recommend that you give Conrad a call. Prepare to be amazed.

Sunday Garden Tour

The kids and I spent nearly seven weeks at my parents' house this summer. Before we left, we harvested what was ready in the garden.

Carrot. 

Beets.

Carrots and Beets. Three microscopic tomatoes.

Fun tip for the whole family, if you eat enough beets, your pee turns red. (MOM! COME LOOOOOOOOK!) Good Times.

While we were gone, Steven took good care of everything. He sent us pictures.

He made us two peach pies and froze them so that we wouldn't miss out. (I know!)

More wee tomatoes.

Mr. Squash.

Orange McOrangerson.

Other stuff.

We were happy to have some things to harvest when we got home.

Same pepper. There was just the one, but who's complaining?

Happy End of Summer. How did your garden do?

Silhouettes

Several months ago, Meazi and Steven went to a cool kid's art event in Los Angeles. One of the artists, Ruben Ochoa, made 3-d cardboard silhouettes with the kids. Here is Meazi's:

 It has a large cardboard piece that rolls up behind it to make it 3-d. Steven didn't want Melese to feel left out, so he set up a spotlight in our converted garage and traced Melese's profile on some cardboard. He plugged in one of his various power tools and carved away.

 I think he captured Melese so well.

I was feeling jealous.

This was a really fun activity. I highly recommend that you do it with your kiddos. Just cast your shadows. You can hold your own cardboard piece behind you, as someone else traces your profile. It can be cut out without power tools as well.

And it makes good wall art...

Whoops, Forgot I Had a Blog.

Sorry. I didn't really forget. Just been busy.

Did anyone else feel discouraged when Google Reader went away? Instead of helping readers find another way to follow this blog, I got depressed about losing all of the great friends I've made here over the past few years. It was kind of like, "Well, everyone's leaving anyway, so why write anything." Pathetic, I realize.

I added a button for something called Bloglovin' on the right sidebar. Does anyone use this? Ugh, I don't really like anything that ends in lovin'. I need the 'g'. It is almost like someone using 'Olde Shoppe' or 'Koffee Korner'.
Maybe it is great. Maybe I will see all of my readers come back and enjoy some bloglovin'. It sounds obscene. Perhaps I don't know what I'm missing.

And thanks to the nice reader who e-mailed me and asked if I had died. No, thanks for checking. My blog was just sick.

Five Or More Things That I Like About Daddy, by Meazi and Melese...

  

Five Or More Things That I Like About Daddy, by Meazi and Melese.

Meazi:

I like that he is brave.

 I like how alike Melese and Daddy are. (Melese pipes in “Because our birthdays are so close.”)

 I like that we have fart contests. (No one claimed we were highbrow over here and thankfully for you, no picture).

I like when Daddy’s work is over because then I get to see him.

I like how scientific he is.

  I like how artistic he is.

 I like how he teaches me crocheting and knitting. (Or Beekeeping).

Melese:

I like that he is shy.

He loves me.

 Because I love him and he gives me presents and stuff. 

I love when I jump into daddy’s arms. 

I love him because I kiss him.

 I like how he tricks me when he comes home like he says, “What are you having for breakfast?”when it is dinnertime.

 I like that he loves me, again. 

Introducing Meazi to the ocean.

Each year on his birthday, Steven makes a cake for Melese's birthday which is the following day. That was a really confusing sentence. The point is, he spends his whole birthday (Steven) preparing for Melese's.

She still looks at him this way.

How many men can feed the baby without putting their drink down? Remarkable.

Trash Truck Cake- Melese's 2nd Birthday.

Parenting Books.

Firetruck cake that LIT UP- Melese's 3rd Birthday.

Pumpkin Dremel-ling.

Helping M&m make their oath for citizenship.

Explaining the plight of the Jews to a three year-old.

Spending additional hair hours because Melese would like to look exactly like his big sister.

 Happy Father's Day to an incredible father.