Swimming Success!

So, yesterday's huge excitement was the fact that Julia passed the Deep Water Test at Rosemary Pool!  She was extremely hesitant to take the test, and in fact, I had not even planned to urge her to take it this summer, as she has seemed completely content just swimming in the shallow and practice lanes.  However, one of the lifeguards, who also happens to baby-sit for us, came in the pool to swim with Julia and Madeleine when she was off-shift during Free Swim yesterday, and it was this lifeguard who prodded Julia to try the test.

Julia initially freaked out, adamantly insisting that she didn't want to take the test because she's not ready.  The test consists of four elements: jumping off the dock into deep water, treading water for 30 seconds, back floating for 30 seconds, and performing the front crawl down one 50 yard lap lane.  Julia can, in fact, tread water for a full minute, and her back float is solid, but she was worried about her crawl stroke, as she didn't think she could sustain it for 50 yards.

Madeleine, on the other hand, was fully ready to try her hand at the test.  "Can I take the Deep Water Test TOO?" she pleaded, following our lifeguard/baby-sitter around.  "I want to take the Deep Water Test!"

At any rate, I suggested to Julia that she at least try it, and if she weren't able to pass, no big deal; at least then she would know what the test is like, so that when she chooses to take it again in the future, she won't have to feel nervous about what to expect.  So she reluctantly tried.  And passed, on the first try!  Hooray!

Madeleine, however, was devastated.  "Where's Julia going?  I want to take the Deep Water Test TOOOOOO!  Mama, I just want Julia to come back here and swim with MEEEEE!"

Julia spent the rest of free swim over in the 9-ft deep water, repeatedly jumping off the diving board, while Madeleine eventually made some new friends over in the shallow end, occasionally lamenting that she wanted Julia to come back and join us.  Little did I know that by encouraging Julia to take the test, I would be causing separation anxiety for Madeleine.

At any rate, Julia was SUPER proud of herself, and we took the girls out for ice cream after dinner to celebrate Julia's big accomplishment, as well as the fact that Madeleine can now float on her belly in the water and kick to me without touching the ground.

Madeleine's comment, midway through her ice cream cone, was, "Mama?  I think this tastes DELICIA-ROTTEN."

This morning, while Julia bathed in her reverie of Deep Water Test memories ("Mama?  Did you forget that I passed the Deep Water Test yesterday?"  "Mama?  What did I look like when I was taking the Deep Water Test?"  "Mama?  Did I look like a REAL SWIMMER when I was taking the Deep Water Test?"), Madeleine got busy with dress-up.  I don't have any idea what the particular combination of leotard, witch hat, maracas, and play camera was supposed to signify, but here she is, proudly showing off her look:

WHAT a fashion statement.

After posing for her photo, Madeleine begged to take a picture of me.  So I handed her my (real) camera, and she stood poised to photograph me.  Unfortunately, just as she pushed down the button, Julia, who was deeply engrossed in Gallop Time, galloped right in front of the lens, so the picture came out like this:

So, Madeleine can put together a mean fashion-forward outfit, become the youngest swimmer at Rosemary Pool to volunteer for the Deep Water Test, AND she can take a super artsy photograph of a Day in the Life in the Rowe household.  Is there anything this kid CAN'T do???