Quick Snapshop

Here's a snapshot of the last few minutes...a normal afternoon at the Cousino house:

-Gene is saying Mass. He has said it a lot more these days...finally getting tired of basketball, and not quite into baseball yet. Mass is his off-season activity. He is singing the Agnus Dei and parading around the house in a white chasible (for Easter) holding up a small cross.

-Lucy is filling up an Easter basket and a Halloween pumpkin bucket with random toys in our house. (Yes, we just finished the Halloween candy...just in time to switch to Easter candy) She just asked me which container I would like...I didn't really want any, but Janie has been following her around the house and REALLY wants some of the Easter eggs in the basket.

-Jane has also been playing with a "little people" (of the old-fashioned variety) stroller, and rolling it on all surfaces (including my leg). She just finished playing with go-fish cards, and I tested her on her matching skills (she failed).



-I am putting rugs back from washing the floors (Janie likes my washing bucket...but there's no water in there in the picture), starting to cook dinner, I just got the table set, I got glue for Lucy to use, made a phone call, helped Jane put the go-fish cards away, loaded some stuff in the car to get ready for errands tomorrow...

-It's actually been a peaceful afternoon. Only a few screaming and fighting episodes, but nothing major. And everyone is in a good mood. Nice.

Swimming

We have never given formal swimming lessons to the kids, but have tried to give them as much water time as possible. These days, it's maybe once a week...not great, but it's working pretty well. They love to go to the Rec Center, and we head to my parents' house in the summer to swim in their backyard pool.

Last night we took them to the Rec Center after dinner, reluctantly on my part because Gene and Lucy looked like they were going to fall over they were so tired (it was already 6:30 pm, so late!). But we went anyway, because we were planning on it.

Janie loves to walk down the ramp into the shallow end, where she can just touch on her tiptoes. She is pretty fearless, and usually takes a few tumbles under the water. I usually hang out on the ramp with her for awhile.

Lucy is also fearless, having started out as a toddler on the ramp like Janie. She used to walk down the ramp and keep going till it was over her head...and then do it again. Now she is dunking her head all the way under, loves to jump off the side to someone, and enjoys playing around the ramp area with Janie.

Here's where Gene was before last night: He too could put his head under, and enjoyed showing us. He would go all the way under, getting his hair wet too. He could lay on his back on the ramp, holding himself up with his hands, and putting his head back a little. He has been very slow to warm up to the water, since he was little...liking to be in it, but afraid to try anything new. So...last night my mom came to watch, and she was instrumental in what Gene eventually did.

He showed her how he put his head in, and then we showed him how to put his head under and "walk" up the ramp with his hands. He actually tried it, and could do it, and liked it. Then, my mom suggested he put his hands above his head like a rocket ship, and go under water that way. He did! Then she told him to go off the ramp into the shallow end, and try it there. He did! Pretty soon he was pushing off the bottom, hands above his head, and float/kicking to the side of the pool. Then he wanted to go jump off the side into the deep end...so I went with him and he jumped in, landing by himself, going underwater, and then I caught him. He even let me push him under the water so he could touch the bottom with his feet (eventually that's what we want him to do when he jumps, instead of belly-flopping!).

It was a great night, we're so proud of him, and hoping to get him back in the pool soon.