Wimmin' Class

Dear Laney,

Some of your grandparents sent you money for your birthday; since I was worried you were going to blow it all on M&Ms and slot machines, I went ahead and used some of this birthday fund to enroll you in swim classes at the University.

At the last minute, Cedar decided to join the "Parents and Tots" class, too, so last Wednesday, we picked up Cedar and her dad and headed into town for our first session. We got to campus about an hour early, so there was plenty of time for you guys to run around and wreak havoc before class started.

It occurs to me that there could be a really effective contraceptive campaign in unleashing unsupervised toddlers onto college campuses in the middle of the day, wearing T-shirts that read, "Two Years After The Party."

When it was almost time for class to start, we headed into the locker room where we squeezed you in to your Little Mermaid suit, then headed out to the pool. You and Cedar are 2/3 of the Tot Class, with a roly-poly 7 month-old W.C. Fields-lookalike rounding out the shallow end.

There are no pictures from class, because I was in the pool with you the whole time. Sorry, grandparents. You and Cedar (and even that baby) seemed to have a good time practicing your kicks and splashing. The uber-perky instructor seems hellbent on getting you guys to put your faces in the water to blow bubbles. You always puff your cheeks and tuck your head, then at the last minute decide to lick the water instead.

In the end, a good time was had by all. You got to jump in repeatedly, Cedar got to play with squirt toys, you both took a ride on a whale-shaped float, and I got to be surrounded by a supportive group of parents all sharing a common dream: Dear Jesus, let my baby not poop in the pool.

Love,

Mom