Tete A Tot: June 2008

Molly, there's something you need to know about mommies and daddies. Something you really already know deep down: mommies and daddies do things differently. Bath time, play time, dinner time... getting dressed, brushing teeth, fixing hair, changing diapers. No matter what, chances are there's the mommy way of doing things and the daddy way.

(There's lots of blog posts -- probably even entire blogs -- devoted to this topic.)

Secretly, mommies always think that their way is the better way. No offense, daddies. But we do. We're just wired that way.

But I'll admit something, Molly. There are two things that Daddy has done recently much better than I could ever have done.

Teach you to swim and teach you to ride your bike. And rats, if I'm not impressed.

(We're still in the initial phases of the bike riding thing... but so far, he's a much better teacher than I am. I guess his parenting philosophies based on the Karate Kid movies really are working out.)

When we were in Florida on vacation (geez, I haven't even blogged about that yet!), we rented a house with a pool. You had floaties and a noodle. You were pretty content to dance around on the steps and in the non-hot hot tub. (Hmmmm.... not like anyone I know at your age...)

Anyway, Daddy lured you into the pool... then into deeper waters. You protested. You fought it. Then you started to cry. "Noooooooooo....... Daaaaaaaddddddddyyyyyyyy!"

I couldn't watch. It was tough - don't make her cry on vacation!

Then it happened...

The cries turned into giggles. And Daddy had Molly out floating and kicking... and swimming!

The next phase of Daddy's plan: get her swimming with the noodle under her arms while using the old patented Daddy line, "I've got you, sweetie. I've got you. I'm right behind you, sweetie. I'm holding on to you. I won't let go..." (he calls from the other end of the pool).

And it happens again -- the whimpers of apprehension turns into cheers of glee. And Molly's swimming like she Michael Phelps.