in which my kid is more awesome than I deserve

[molly_o]

We've been hitting the pool at least once a week all summer. By week 2, the BG was comfortable paddling all over the place in her floaties while I spectated beside the pool.

So tonight we went to the pool, and I helped her change into her suit, and while I found a place to spread out our stuff, she said, "Mom, can I get in the pool now??" and I said sure.

And as I heard her jump in I automatically turned to watch her and idly thought, "Huh, she usually doesn't sink under like that," before my brain kicked into gear and I realized, "*Shit*, she's not wearing her floaties!"

I knelt beside the pool and watched her head bob back up, thinking just maybe she'd be able to come up paddling without her floaties, and wouldn't that be awesome?

But her eyes were scared and her mouth never made it out of the water, so I climbed in, clothes and all, and hauled her into my arms. And she was shaky, but fine -- she'd kept her head and held her breath.

And then RM showed up (he'd gone to get a coke) and asked what was going on, and I climbed out and went to quietly go into hysterics change into my suit while she got a hug from Baba, and when I came out of the dressing room the first thing she said was, "Will you get in the pool with me now?"

So we got back in the pool, and she laughed and shrieked and splashed with no fear at all. "Mom, when I drowned, I held my breath, and I was so brave," she said.