Swimming Lessons

I took my girl to the public pool today and there were a couple of boys from her class their friends there. One of the boys said he was her boyfriend and was so excited to see her. She looked right at him and said, “My name is Kaitlyn (not her name), I’m from Australia. I don’t know who you are talking to.” And walked away. This boy followed her around all afternoon, well as much as he could because he’s not allowed in the deep end. The older third grade boy who was allowed in the deep end came over introduced himself and off they swam. I sat on the side of the pool to lifeguard (because the two they have there are not enough - overprotective much!) and heard him ask her later, “Do you kind of like me because I kind of like you.” I almost choked. Then the other one got out of the shallow end and walked around the pool to come and talk to her. She talked to him for a minute and then swam right off.
The third grader swam up jealous, “Is he really your boyfriend?”
My sweet girl, “I’m too young for a boyfriend. Right mom?”
“YES” (whew, thank goodness)
Then he screams over to the shallow end, “No, you are not her boyfriend.”
Causing the boy from her class to get out and walk over to the deep end, “Are you mad at me?”
OMG are you mad at me, these tiny people are too fast, much too fast. The lifeguard was laughing too. It was craziness. She looked over at me and said, “You are in so much trouble when she’s older.” I know, I know. Perhaps I should tell her that boys have cooties. Whatever happened to cooties? They kept us away from boys for sometime in elementary school. They should be reintroduced; in science class would be nice. They can look at some under the microscope.
Bless my baby’s soul she told them both that she was going to swim with her mother now, alone with her mother. She didn’t even have to ask me to get in - I jumped right in. Wow, so much for chasing boys, she kept swimming away and they kept chasing her. Were we all born knowing that? Is it an art, the thrill of the chase? Will she forget when life zaps her self-esteem, gives her acne and puberty? I hope not. I wish my teenage self had known what she already does. All that time I wasted chasing boys, when I shoulda been swimming away...