Something about Elle

(I started this post a long time ago -- finally publishing it!)

Ava was enrolled in a little swim camp.  I thought it was just a little boot camp for rookies.  But apparently it was actually a trial to see if they qualified for swim team.  Ava wasn't ready to do swim team, so this was not our goal.  But on the 3rd day of the camp they practiced for the time trial.  Meaning they had to swim the entire length of the pool by themselves.  Ava wasn't ready to do such a thing.  But did she whine and refuse to do it? Did she swim right next to the rope so she could hang on to it every 2 seconds? No.  She just did it!  I about croaked watching her -- barely barely keeping her nose out of the water...never taking a deep enough breath... eeking along with her doggy paddle.  I was about to jump in and save her!  Just thinking about it makes my heart sick.  But she made it. 

We were talking about it on the way home and I said "Wow.  You must feel so great!  You were really brave."  To which she answered, lip trembling, "Yeah (gulp) and we have to do it again tomorrow!"

That night I was trying to devise a way to get her out of having to do it again.  I didn't want to give her the "OK" to be a quitter.  But it was obvious that this was a severe stretch to abilities -- maybe it was even a dangerous undertaking.  So I was torn.

The next day Ava was nervous about it in the morning.  So I told her, she could go to the class but then if she didn't want to do the time trial she didn't need to -- since she wasn't really trying out for swim team anyway.  That gave her some comfort but I could see she was conflicted as well thinking maybe she should try it again since she had been able to do it once already.

After pre-school and school, Elle was there.  She heard me talk to Ava again and say that if she didn't feel like it -- she didn't have to do it.  Elle jumped in "But Ava!  You can do it.  If  you do it again today -- I'll have a surprise for you.  I'll make you a trophy!  and a treat!"  Ava's eyes sparkled and although she didn't totally commit, Elle went right to work on something for Ava's reward.

Well -- all that to say... Ava did it!  She swam the length of the pool again. 

With her own determination and Elle's motivation... she did it.  And this is what she got: