~SNORKEL PRACTICE~

Caiden has been preparing for his upcoming vacation that he will be taking in a few days. The first day he got his snorkeling gear he wanted to try it out immediately. He asked if he could practice in the bathtub in full wetsuit, fins, snorkel and mask. He wasn't quite sure if he really wanted to put his face in the water. I had to talk with him and help him to gain confidence and trust that he would really be able to breath under water. I put some of his cars in the water that I knew would sink to give him something to look at.
He went under for the first time and was breathing very fast and nervously, with each try his breathing slowed and you could see him relax. After a couple of minutes he popped his face out of the water and exclaimed, "HEY, EVERYTHING LOOKS SO DIFFERENT UNDER WATER!" He was noticing that the size and distance of objects changes in the water. (33% to be exact) His excitement was evident and he wanted to call his daddy and tell him what he was doing in the bathtub.

Because both Scott and I dive, he has been raised to be excited about water and that there is a whole other world that waits to be explored. He asked if he could learn to dive with us... Of course the answer had to be NO, but only because of the laws and regulation that govern certification. He will be able to be a certified diver in as little as 6 years... I can't wait! We took him to the base pool and put him in the water. It took a couple of minutes for him to get comfortable. (It is a lot different than a bathtub.) We noticed that with fins he kicks more like he is riding a bike than swimming, but that will come with practice. He is able to propel himself to where he wants to go and keeps his face in the water for minutes at a time, so that is a great place to start.
We have arranged two snorkeling trips for him. His first trip will be in Grand Cayman. He will be snorkeling with stingrays in a shallow lagoon for one portion and then it is off to the reef into deep water. The next day will be in Roatan, Honduras at two different reefs. This will be an adventure of a lifetime that I hope he will remember forever.
You can't hear it in this video, but Caiden is so comfortable that he is actually humming songs through his snorkel.

Caiden, I am very proud of you and I can't wait to give you the gift of the ocean and all of beautiful things that our Heavenly Father has created. You are a blessing and a joy to have as a son. Please know that you are so special to your mommy and daddy.
♥ Mom