Baby's First Duathlon

(Photo note: that's neither alexandra swimming, nor me in a women's bathing suit, and it certainly isn't the prospect park Y!)

today was alexandra's first gym and swim class. the day started at 6am and soon moved to daisy's diner for a little caloric intake - how phelpsian?. the multi sport combination of gym and swim would take some preparation.

there was some meltdown during warm ups over a a dropped pacifier and taking away an off limits watermelon container, and a fall against the bathtub during pregame. eye rubbing signaled nap time but we rallied anyway and found ourselves at the gym portion of the day. balls, babies, tunnels, adults avoiding eye contact, adults talking to other adults by asking questions to their babies.

alexandra was rallying through event one. but during transition one - change into a swim diaper - she crashed hard eyes closing, more eye rubbing.

one 'if your happy and you know it' song set in the blue waters of the ymca pool and she had had enough. apparently if you are happy and you know it you should spin around, but do not wet your face or splash around. the song went on but from that point on the alexandra's race was over.

i type this as alexandra sleeps it off. in spite of it all it was a great saturday morning with my baby girl. maybe next time i'll shout coaching chants at her (crumpled piece of paper in hand 'you see this? this is how you played out there...like a piece of trash!") but today i was content to hang out with my babe and know there will always be next saturday.

i can remember my first swim lessons in wood pond - i quit before lesson 2, followed by open swim sessions at cornerstone where i was too scared to join the others in the deep end and would pass the hour by myself in the shallows. it would be 25 years later when i would get back to the pool again for my next swim lesson!

i feel like this morning i passed the first test of not pushing her to do something that was supposed to be fun but wasn't. we'll see what happens next week...maybe we'll just cut class and eat watermelon in the park!