Water fun

Our weekend has been full of water play, beginning with a trip to Woods Hole on Cape Cod for some ocean fun with Ethan's cousins and their kids. Julia got a chance to try some very tame Boogie Boarding:



while Madeleine and her 2nd cousin Megan were engrossed in an attempt to fill a sand bucket with water:



Not yet sure of her 2nd cousin's name, but wanting to provide a compliment on a particularly good water-pouring that Megan had completed, Madeleine pointed straight at Megan and told her, "Good job, that!"

Our next big water adventure took place out deeper in the ocean, where we joined Ethan's family on a houseboat and got a chance to swim more freely. While Julia enjoyed watching the bigger kids (and adults) jumping from the docks - and even from the roof of the houseboat - she was a bit tentative about jumping in herself. Instead, she preferred I lower her gently into the water into the arms of a waiting adult, despite the fact that her life jacket allowed her to float without being held:



At one point, in a moment of utter stupidity, I thought she might actually enjoy being tossed into the water, seeing as she really loves jumping from the dock at swim lessons. WRONG. I picked her up and threw her into the water, right to where Ethan was swimming. I'm sure you can all just imagine her reaction after dunking completely under the water and then bobbing back above the surface. Our attempts to clap and cheer and congratulate her on going under water were to no avail. I was not going to be let off the hook that easily.

Meanwhile, Madeleine had no issues with throwing herself into the water. Back at Ethan's aunt and uncle's house later in the day, Madeleine and Megan engaged in dizzying game of "Ring Around the Rosie" in the kiddie pool, delighting in the splash they created whenever they would "all fall DOOOOWN!":





In fact, with each subsequent fall DOOOOOOWN, Madeleine would arch her back more and more, to ensure she would get her entire body into the water as she achieved impact. I have a feeling that when she's four and a half, she will be one of the people plunging off the houseboat roof.

We continued with our water adventures this afternoon, taking a trip to Rosemary Pool, and the big news is that Julia can now swim several strokes all by herself without sinking. Big progress! - and I am so glad I have not scarred her for life with the whole tossing-into-the-ocean thing.

On a totally different topic, while the girls were listening to a CD this morning, Madeleine, being her mischievous self, started touching buttons on the stereo, one of which was the volume button. After making the music so quiet the sound disappeared, she ran into the kitchen to tell me, her eyes wide with alarm, "Oh no! I turned a off a TV! I stop a MUCUS!" Luckily, I was able to help her out. Phew. What would we do without a MUCUS!??