Brave, then confident

Both kids made great, bold strides today.

Mom and Lincoln went to their Monday yoga class at the YMCA as usual, but this time Dad and Levynn accompanied them to go swimming.

Levynn had been paddling upright with her back float during our previous three swims this month, and she started like that again today. But there was a family of five kids, all older than Levynn, getting a serious lesson from their dad, and Levynn stopped to watch them intently from time to time. All of a sudden, without any prompting, she pushed off the wall and leaned forward into a legitimate dog paddle. And within a few feet, she was almost completely horizontal. At one point she even got her feet out of the water while kicking. She didn't go upright again.

"I'm proud of myself," she said.

We're proud of her, too!

As for Lincoln, well, this video tells it all:



This was the first time he took more than two steps, and it's obvious that he just needed a little more gumption. His body's been ready, but his head just hadn't been in it. It is now. Watch out!