Tag Archives: west campus pool

Let’s do this!


Let's do this!

We always go to Berkeley’s West campus pool. Its our favorite probably because it was Emma’s first—we don’t count the real first time that Emma just cried at King pool and hated every second of it. Sometimes when we get there I remember that Berkeley’s weather can be unpredictable (particularly in the summer) and there is always a chance for that cool breeze right off the ocean that sails under the Golden Gate and into West Berkeley. We only swam for twenty minutes and got out with goose bumps and purple lips. It was still fun though!

2nd trip to the pool: we started out slow


2nd trip to the pool: we started out slow

Her first trip to the pool did not go so well. Kids splashed her, the water was cool and she went in too quickly. This time I prepared her. We walked past the pool several times and looked in through the fence. It was always filled with a lot of school age kids and I was hoping to go during a quiet time. By the end of the week I was anxious to just do it. We watched videos of kids swimming in pools on youtube. She seems interested and gasped “wow” at the kids swimming under the water, flipping around theatrically for the camera. Emma loves her bathing suit and did not at all mind the swim diaper. So we went to the pool and it went off without a hitch (phrase I obviously got from my mom!).

We arrived as it opened and used our credits from our last visit. The water was around 70 degrees and there were less than 20 kids in the whole place. The adults asked the kids not to splash Emma and they were very courteous. We sat on the side and she dangled her feet in the water. A few times I would get in the water and bring her in little by little. She seemed like she was not interested. Finally she stood up and walked over to the steps and climbed in by herself. She wanted to do it on her terms and she did. She walked right in up to her neck and I had to guide her back to a safe place again on the steps. She continued to play on the steps for over an hour. Towards the end she thought she could just swim and I of course had to lift her up and back to the steps again. We are really looking forward to going again and bringing maiki with us!