Henry's last swimming lesson (this summer)

Henry had his last lesson of the summer today. He wore his swim trunks from Vietnam--they probably won't fit him next summer. He has gotten much more at ease with being in the water. Last week when he started he clung to me--held on tightly to my hair or locked his arms around my neck. He gradually got where I could hold his legs out while he still held to my neck and he would kick. Today he put one arm over a floating noodle while I held onto the other hand. The instructor discouraged the use of life vests or other floatation devices so it was always just him and me in the water. Today for a final token they gave him a box of candy and a bottle of bubbles. The candy was a mixed treat--he managed to open it and eat a few as I was driving across the street to the children's center, but then he cried when I left it in the car (since we didn't have any for the other children). Then when I picked him up at 4:45 he ate the rest of the box and got really upset because there wasn't anymore.
I took this photo yesterday. It was the farthest I could get away from Henry. The pool has a beachlike ramp entrance--used by people in a plastic waterproof wheelchair and also useful for children who want to ease into the water. No place in the pool is over four feet deep so it was very easy for me to take Henry from one end to the other and not have to struggle to keep myself up, because I'm not a very good swimmer myself.
Henry got browner as the days went on but I stayed as white as a ghost. The lessons were from 9 to 9:45 in the morning so luckily we missed the grueling Texas summer heat. It has been up to 105 in the afternoon this week.
Yesterday when we got home Henry found this grasshopper on his slide. I saw him fiddling with something and I ran over because I thought it was bird dropping, since the slide is under a tree. I remember that we had fried grasshoppers when I was in Thailand, I'm not sure if it is also a delicacy in Vietnam.
This is the large stairway just outside my office at the library. There are two flights like this, and my office has windows and overlooks the stairwell. Henry likes to climb up and down--I always hold one hand and he holds onto the lowest bannister with the other hand. They are really big steps for a little boy and he goes all the way up or down.

I just bought Henry and me tickets for the Wiggles concert in Grand Prairie on Saturday. We'll be in the Dallas area for a house warming party anyway. I didn't realize the Wiggles were going to be here until three or four days ago, and I have been fiddling with the ticketmaster website trying to get good seats. I didn't want to go if we were going to have to sit on the back row. Finally I was able to get a confirmation for seats in the front section. I hope he enjoys the concert--it will be a long day for both of us.