Just hangin' out

Last night was so great. I was able to go to the Legacy Center with Brad, Ethan, Mitchell, Tanner and Ava.  Jake did not want to come.  I'm not sure why he hasn't wanted to come lately, but I miss having him come with us.  I was finally able to do what I've wanted to do for a super long time.  I was able to give Ava a swim lesson.  We went to the rec center with the intention of playing basketball. In fact, Ava only had her leotard on with shorts.  But, as we got there, she wanted to swim.  Mainly, because I told her that daddy was going to get some laps in.  We arrived with only 10 minutes left for open public swim.  So, instead of being able to play in the pool, she was partially forced to enter the lap pool and only be able to do laps.  It was a perfect scheme.  She was forced to do laps.  It was so fun to see how good she was doing.  We first did our backstroke.  She did at least 10 lengths of the pool, progressing with each length.  At one point on one of the laps, she stopped 2/3 of the way into it, and shouted, "dad, I'm doing it", with a huge grin on her face that was covered in my goggles.  She was super excited to doing it on her own!!  After the backstroke, she started getting through a few laps of the freestyle before getting pretty tired.  More than anything, it was just so fun for me to be able to give her a swim lesson.  And, she wanted to have the lesson.  I've asked her a few times lately if she'd want a swim lesson with a negative response each time.  It was not for not wanting to spend time with me.  Rather, she just wanted to play in the pool.  This reminds me, she is now the official slide master.  The last few times going, she has spent hours at a time going down the slide.  I get to swim with Eli while she goes off and plays on the slide.  The best part, is that I've been able to take Eli down a few times at the same time that Ava goes.  Eli always shagrins and says, "no, daddy. I don't want to."  But, I get him to come with me.  More like it, I carry him with me so he can't get away from not doing it.  It's pretty awesome to feel him hold on to me for dear life as we go down and then shake his head as we dive in at the end.  He usually lasts 1 time every time we go.  But, I have to at least do it 1 time with him