By mid-August, most kids were planning their back-to-school outfits, but not us. Genesee and I were assigned the very last session of swim lessons this year, so we were still out there making waves (literally) up until August 16.

And it’s a good thing I’ve stuck with it because I’m basically ready to lifeguard now. I’m not saying they should hire me yet, but if someone needed saving, I’d definitely be able to scream for someone else to help. But seriously, I’ve got the freestyle down, my backstroke is practically pro level, and I can tread water longer than it takes for Genesee to exit the bathroom (if she enters with her iPad)—which is saying a lot! I also had to dive 9 feet under water to retrieve 5 lb weighted bricks. It was quite impressive if I might say so myself.

But Genesee had a big year, too! She passed the deep water test and received the much sought-after deep water band. (It’s not really that fancy, but it comes with bragging rights.) She was born ready to be a pool shark, but now that she has achieved “deep-end diva status” we can all breathe a little easier when she dives in to show off her cannonballs.