All in his time.

My son has always been of the self-educating variety. He learned to walk un-assisted at 13 months, which I know is no great feat. I realize that it is quite average for a baby to walk at that age. However, Braeden did not just walk. He damn near RAN me and my camera over during his first few steps. It was if all those months of cruising around furniture and giving me dirty looks when I tried to coerce him into open space were just preparation for this great moment. His first few steps evolved until my son was transformed into a mobile maniac. He tore through the house with the greatest of ease, earning himself the nickname, 'The Braenado'. He was incredible.

He started speaking in much the same manner as he started to walk. He was a mute. As a baby he refused to even humor me with cute babbles or incoherent mumbling. I tried pleading with him, 'Baby, I know you can say Mama. Now say, mama. Please? Can you try? Try to say, 'Mama'? No? Here let me help you, 'Maaaaaa maaaaaa.' It didn't work. Nothing worked. He didn't WANT to speak. Until one morning I came into his room to find him perched on the side of the crib reciting excerpts from 'Leaves of Grass'. Well, it may have been less extreme. He could have just spoke a full sentence. But, the point is, HE SPOKE and he spoke well.

When it came time to try to potty train he stubbornly re-buffed all of his father and my attempts. We purchased a potty, 'just! for! you!' But he kicked it. We purchased a 'tushie-cushy' for the top of the toilet seat, 'just! for! you!' But he jumped off it the moment his tush felt the cush. We gnashed our parental teeth and pulled our parental hair. What would get this kid to cave in to our attempts? And then an epiphany: treats! Because who doesn't like a little reward every now and then? And you know what? It worked. 'Potty Treats' were all the rage around the house and I bought stickers, books and candy to fill the basket on the back of the toilet. Suddenly my kid was peeing, IN THE POTTY and not just peeing mind you, but doing the other as well (and lets face it, that was the greater of the two evils). He even wore his 'big boy undies' at night and as night after night passed I realized that maybe there would be no accidents. Could that even be possible? It was as if he was laying low and waiting out our attempts at negotiating, prepared to jump on the best offer. And there it was: M&M's and Arthur books.

So rather than attempt at guiding him through these milestones of life, I have resigned myself to sitting bench side and watch as he masters such tasks on his own, in his own time and in his own way. My son is a perfectionist, something that is extremely apparent in his almost 4 year old personality and looking back I can see that he always was. He needs to be really ready for something before he commits to it. Then he takes off with his new found skill and impresses the pants off of all those around him.

The waiting is getting harder and harder. Brae still cannot swim.

I know he is only (almost) four and many children don't master the aquatics until older. However, we live in FLORIDA. And we own a POOL. A pool in which he wants to go in EVERY DAY. And I love taking him in. His love of the water pleases me so. But every attempt I make at showing him, 'hey Brae, try to kick like this' and 'reach your arms like this' is hurled back with a piercing wail as he screams 'I CAN'T DO IT!'
Heaven forbid his head goes under water. Somewhere in his past he must have been tricked into believing that the pressure under the water was so great it would make his head implode on contact.

I have signed him up for swim lessons through his daycare's summer program. I was so reluctant to do so because A) Swim lessons are not cheap my friends and B) This is what I used to DO for heavens sake. I was a swim instructor. Red cross certified and I even still have the books and lesson plans. It feels like such a waste for me to hire someone for skills I most certainly possess.

It's not a sure thing, the swim lessons. I was so conflicted over signing him up for them I ended up signing late and we are on the waiting list now. Which is good in a way, it gives me time to work with him some more and help him get over his underwater fear.

I can only hope that like everything else, this skill will be mastered when he is ready. And his performance will be so amazing, he will match off against the Thorpedo.