This afternoon we headed to the indoor pool in a neighboring town, a favorite because it has a zero-depth entry for the kids. We had braved the cold a few times during the winter for an afternoon of exhausting activity, but hadn't been there recently. As we were getting ready to leave, Edward suddenly decided he was ready to put his face all the way in the water. He bravely plugged his nose, took a deep breath, and then sank under the surface, splashing up a microsecond later. There was exuberant cheering and high-fiving and he did it three more times before we decided it was really time to leave. He and John went to change, and I took Daniel. John told me later that after they'd dried themselves and were about ready to change back to street clothes, Edward said, "I want to go under water again." Somewhat reluctantly, but not wanting to do anything to dampen (ha ha) the enthusiasm, John trekked back to the pool and let him do it a few more times.
Edward has been extremely tentative about even drops of water touching his face. When he took lessons, he only went as far as bending at the waist to dip his face (really, just the forehead, nose tip and lips) in the water. He also would not jump into the pool unless we were physically holding his arms or body. That changed today too, and I think a little peer pressure was involved. Daniel actually has no fear. Of anything it seems. He accidentally dunked himself two or three times today in the pool and though he was brought up sputtering a bit, didn't seem too bothered overall. He started jumping to my open arms, and when Edward saw this he decided he needed to join the action. He was still hesitant at the edge of the pool though until John told him, "Edward, it's just like jumping off the couch into soft pillows. The water is soft like that." That did the trick.
And as if all these pool triumphs were not enough, Daniel ended the outing by sitting on the lockeroom toilet to pee. Much to my surprise, it appears we are heading into the toilet training phase. I was expecting this to be a summer activity, with Daniel running around without pants, but he's been announcing his wet diapers as soon as they happen and wanting them changed. He also occasionally wakes up dry from a nap or even in the morning so we've had him try the bathroom at those times with some success. Edward is a great cheering section and Daniel loves everyone jumping up and down saying, "Yay, Daniel." Edward told him about getting an M&M for peeing in the potty and this is a huge hit. However, soon after Daniel's first reward, Edward took himself to the bathroom and then demanded his M&M. We discussed that he is big enough that he doesn't need a treat every time, but decided he could have one when Daniel got his if he helped us teach Daniel by cheering and encouraging.
Side note: we continue to be amazed that neither boy questions the "one M&M" ration.
We attended an Easter egg hunt on Saturday morning put on by one of the local sororities. I think the kids had fun, but it was a bit tough to navigate with kids of all ages participating. Our kids each got one or two eggs with a few treats inside though so they were happy. 
We discussed with the friends we went with the idea of getting a bunch of our friends' families together next year for a more focused backyard hunt. We'll see if we actually remember to make that happen.
We enjoyed a fun visit with Gram and PopPop Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Edward forgave Gram for leaving the heaping pile of books from her own library in the back seat of her car in Evanston and instead enjoyed sharing a few new books from our own collection and a recent library visit.
This last photo is Edward's latest adaptation of a hodge podge of "toys" in our play area. These are actually an old set of canisters that I got at Goodwill for my Iowa City apartment before John and I were married. They are metal. LOUD. Our kids' "kitchen" toys also include a couple of old muffin tins and various mixing spoons of different shapes and sizes. Before Edward deigned to sit down at his new drum set, he insisted that he find the two matching white spoons. Not just any old spoon would do for a drumstick. He also, for unexplained reasons, decided to put on his "Mama Bear" costume from his class play last month.
If this shot is not enough for you, I think you can see this video even if you're not a member of Facebook. If it asks for your login/password and you really want to see it, just send me an email and I'll repost directly to the blog.
