that confirms it...

Let's revisit the turtle. We were at my parent's house yesterday, and while the pool was a chilly 76 degrees, we were hanging out around the pool, enjoying the sun and cursing the intermittent clouds. Alexis was sitting on the end of the pool, one hand grasping the same metal railing she'd been dancing on the weekend before, one toe stretched far out enough to fling water around.

Omi suggests, "Go get the turtle...I'm curious". A novel idea - let's figure out whether it was the pool or the turtle. I approached with the big, green, smiling turtle and set it down next to her. Her eyes got big, she kicked her feet a bit and raised her hands, and then her face got red and she started to cry.

I knew this cry - it was the "I'm afraid get me out of this situation" cry. She'd had the same melt-down the first time she was in the tub and I had the water running. We've gotten past that one, but I'm not sure we'll get past the turtle. Omi picked her up, I took the turtle away, and lo and behold, pleasant Alexis returned.

I've set out to find a non-descript pool float. Target has one that appears to be an inflatable ring with a fabric seat (which I figure would be more comfortable then plastic leg holes). I see no faces on the picture online. There is nothing sticking up from it. There is a canopy, necessary for today's evil sun rays. I intend to look today and purchase if it seems up to par.

Short of getting her a bathing suit with a built in floaty, she'll need to learn to love some sort of seated floating device, lest she be required to learn to swim immediately. As old-timers say, "Throw her in...she'll learn."