waterlogged...

i like this picture because of calvary in the background...see him?  right there just over harper's shoulder.  floating, arms by his side, head back...complete surrender to the water.  this was hour 4 in the pool that day, and he still did not want to leave.  my dad was right; i need to buy that boy a pool. 

and it seems that i am not the only mother of an autistic spectrum child that has had similar experiences with a pool...the benefits of swimming lays out some of the more obvious pros and cons of the pool...and i will say that most of the cons i have had with calvary are more easily maneuvered when the pool is involved.  for instance, he had some extreme anxiety about moving past the shallow end or away from my side at the beginning of this year.  and i anticipate this will be the same every year.  i think all children have to get comfortable with the skills they had gained the previous summer...but with calvary it goes a little farther.  we have been swimming at least 3 times a week this summer and it was only yesterday that i finally convinced (i.e. pulled him off of my body and told him to swim to the ladder) that he could swim in the deep end.  however, unlike his response usually to such circumstances, he smiled big and wanted to try again.  and although he loves to jump in the deep end and play with me in the water...he is content to float on his own or have his goggles on and watch other people.  his favorite thing is to look at finley's feet under water..."her feet are so cute mama!"

i look forward to summer every year because calvary is completely in his element.  maybe one day in the future we can look into a year round swim program.  nothing is close to us right now...but one day...