The Life Aquatic

I'm a water baby.  A Pisces by definition.  I grew up on the water of Southern California, swimming, sailing, scuba diving. ... it's my second home.  I longed for the day that my kids would join me in my element, hoping they would take as much a shining to it as I have.  To this point. ... they were slightly less enthusiastic about water then your average house cat.  That's an over exaggeration, but trying to get them to practice they're swimming was like yanking teeth.  Then something happened.  They spent a week in Arizona with my father in law last month.  You can't spend 7 days in Arizona during the summer and survive with out being in the water for 6 and 3/4's of that time.  The light bulb went off during this week.  They figured out the combination of gyrating body parts to make propulsion in the aquatic environment work.  Suddenly they come home and they're like little otters.  They jump, they swim, they dive, they float. .... it's a beautiful thing.  Of course, I, the working dad, haven't been able to see this first hand yet.  The only pool time I've gotten has been joining other kids to play in the baby pools.  But yesterday. ... yesterday was like Christmas and Easter and an un-Birthday all mixed together in August.  We went to the big pool in the afternoon and not only did they swim, they let me launch them in to the air for flips and dives and cannonballs.  One of my parental fantasies since I was a pint sized flying kamikaze cannonballer.  And they loved it. ... I think we could have stayed there all night if not for the water logged toes and fingers.  Darn wrinkly appendages.  It was pure bliss for me.  Playing with my children is always the highlight of my life. ... but to do it in MY environment. ... that was remarkably special.