Goals

I have been working on Mason's 4th year scrapbook. (Yes, he turned 4 in January -- I am a little behind. Haven't had the year I expected. Shoot me!) Anyway, as I have been putting it together, I realized he has spent a lot of time in the pool lately. He has had several semesters of swim lessons. Why? He loves the water. He loves to be in the water. He loves to have his head in the water.

Earlier this week, we took the boys to the pool and Mason was watching the big kids jump off the diving board. You know, the board in the deep end of the pool that is about 5-6 feet above the surface of the water. Yeah. That one. Mason really wanted to jump off that board but the lifeguard told him he has to be able to swim the full length of the pool all by himself in order to get an orange wristband. The orange wristband gives him the ability to jump off the high board.
Goals, baby.
Apparently Mason set one in his 4-year old mind.

Today, Eric took Mason and Miles to the pool. Mason told Eric he wanted to jump off the high board. He told him he had to swim the length of the pool. So, he took off. He did it. Twice. The full length of the pool. The Olympic-sized pool. 50 meters long (164 feet).

Twice.

Kid's got goals.

So, he earned his orange wristband. He then jumped off the high dive about 10 times.

How proud do you think that I am?????

But also sad.

My baby is growing up.

And, I missed it all.
Eric took the boys to the pool. I was at the grocery store. Sigh.

Also? I now know how to motivate Mason. Set a goal and he is suddenly motivated. And, they need to be Big goals.
He's highly motivated to reach really big goals.

When the lifeguad told us he would have to swim the entire distance of the pool, I thought that would be a great goal. For next summer. When he's 5. Surely a 4 year old cannot swim the full distance.
I was wrong.
SOOOOO wrong.

Watch out for some big goals this year, baby!!!