giant leaps

I had every intention of spending my afternoon packing for our trip when I got a text message from Allison asking what my plans were. As always, that turned into an afternoon of fun at the lake and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for supper. We started our summer days early this year! It looked like rain and we heard some thunder about the time we had gotten into our swimsuits and gone down to the dock. We were sitting out on the dock, hoping the weather would improve or the sun would come out, and poor Dennis kept begging to get in the water. He was all suited up and couldn't STAND not being in the water and swimming! Finally we decided it wasn't going to storm and we'd be warmer in the water than sitting out in the wind, so I got in and Dennis followed.

Not long after we'd gotten in the water, the girls from next door came over to swim with us, and they are excellent swimmers! They were jumping off the dock and doing flips and dives and tricks and pretty soon Dennis was saying "I want to jump in, too!". He got out and jumped off the ladder a couple of times, then climbed onto the dock and did a real jump while we were all shouting encouragement. Pretty soon he was running and jumping off just like the girls (though without the tricks). He was wearing his puddle jumper life vest with the arm floaties on it, and he just swam and swam, for nearly two hours! He'd jump in, pop up to the surface and swim, catch his breath and get his vision focused and then yell "I want to go and jump again!". He'd yell to the girls "come on, y'all, let's all jump! I'm the leader--y'all follow me!". He had the most fun I've ever seen him have in the water. He was leaping off the dock in joy!