Yeehah! David is doing great. Great on all levels--his skills, his work ethic, his pride. I used to be in a constant state of stress all morning because any point in the process--getting in the car, putting on swimsuit, putting on sunscreen, and, of course, the dreaded edge of the pool--could derail us. This year it's all been fast, cheerful, and smooth. David is the one telling me to hurry up.

He can tell that his side breathing is getting better. When his teacher says, look down as you swim, he does it. Frankly, if this teacher said jump, David would say, how high? He's got a really good teacher who pushes the kids kindly.

David has done so well, in fact, that he is being promoted to Beginners. He gets to swim halfway across the width of the pool in this class. I have no question that his skills are ready. I am worried that he is worried. New teacher, new classmates, new chance to get nervous and flip out. We'll see how Monday goes.