Every once in a while, something comes my way that is truly amazing. I’ve been around a lot of kids in quite a few pools, but I’ve never seen anything quite like this. Watch the video all the way through to see the child’s face at the end…
I’d love to become an instructor to teach kids how to do this.
In the car, passing by the house pictured above, and Lily says, “Wow, Jack, look! I bet that’s Tony Dungy’s house!”
Jack responds, “I bet it is!”
Lily turns seven tomorrow. On the way to school recently we were discussing what she and Jack want to be when they grow up. Not surprisingly, Jack wants to be a spy, like his Dad. Lily, on the other hand, had a different idea.
“I want to be a Vet, Dad. Like Megan’s Mom,” she said.
“That’s a good idea,” I responded. “You’re really going to have to study and get good grades for that.” Thinking about her bossy side, I added, “You know what you should be, Lil? A dictator.”
She got a funny look on her face and asked what a dictator was.
“That’s someone who runs country and tells everyone what to do,” I answered.
She got a far away look on her face for a moment, smiled, and then said, “I could be good at that.”
Sometimes I see something that is such a picture-perfect fit to describe life with kids that, after a brief pang of jealousy (“I wish I’d written that!”) I realize it’s just simply much too good not to share.
[Update: Creative efforts this good need to be properly recognized and I’m happy to report I can help: I’ve located the original author. His name is David Crawford, and he’s also created a better video version that you can access from there. I highly recommend that you stop by, buy the song, and send your best wishes to David.]
On the way to school this morning, I was advising Lily and Jack to put on normal smiles for their pictures, instead of trying to make themselves look like they’d stuck an umbrella into their mouths and opened it.
“I’ll tell you what,” says I. “When they tell you to smile, just think of one of your favorite things.”
“I’m thinking of my favorite thing right now,” Lily said, with a perfectly angelic smile crossing her face. “I’m thinking about puppies.”
“That’s perfect!” I responded, and then asked Jack, “What favorite thing are you going to think about?”
He thought for a moment, and then put on a smile that matched Lily’s in both style and context.
“Aliens,” he said.