We took Malcolm yesterday to meet the local organizers of a cub scout pack to hear about opportunities for Malcolm to start cub scouts next year, in grade one.
The local den leaders seems really nice and well-organized and the kids they supervise (current grade one scouts, or 'tiger cubs') were all nice. We heard about scouting and the pack, did a craft activity (made hand puppets from paper bags) and went next door to where one of the scout's grandparents lived so the boys could enjoy their swimming pool.
Malcolm was floating around on a raft in the middle when he jumped or slipped off of the raft. I was watching the boys swim (we were taking turns watching them) and I was talking to one of the adults when Malcolm began to struggle in the water. He's a pretty good swimmer but still new at it, so I let him paddle to see how he'd handle it, and he was only in 4-5' of water.
He briefly went under and then surfaced again, and again, but after a few seconds he was clearly struggling. When his eyes got really large with fear and went under for the third time I knew I had to do something so I jumped in clothes and all and pulled him out.
He was frightened and crying a little, with snot coming out of his nose, but otherwise OK. Someone fetched him a life jacket and I explained how the life jacket would help him float and how he needed to be a little more careful. I lowered him back into the water and he paddled off again. I was proud of him for jumping back in and not being intimidated by his experience.
It certainly scared the shit out of me. It also soaked my mobile phone and the other stuff in my pockets: there was water behind the screen that made it look like one of those motion demos for the iPhone, 'cept with real water, so that is the end of the nice little HTC Meteor that made the trip back from Denmark.
He and the rest of the boys (and a few little girls) spent the better part of two hours in the pool, and we got to meet most of the parents and hear about their activities, had a few drinks and a few laughs.... it was nice, and they loaned me a dry sweater and shorts for the day.
Malcolm is excited to join. We're going to think about it this summer and decide if it is right for him, and if we have the cycles to help run the pack -- the current leaders move on to the next level (wolf cubs) along with their second graders to-be.
Wow, that must have been very scary. I saw my little sister go under when she was about three - we were in a very shallow river but she stepped into a hole and down she went. It was so quick. Dad was already in the water so fished her out in a second, but still... I'm glad Malcolm's OK and also very glad that he got straight back in again.
Posted by: Trish | June 02, 2008 at 01:45 AM
Parenting, not for the faint of heart.
That's great that he got back in! Good for him!
Posted by: elizabeth | June 09, 2008 at 10:23 AM