The "Near Miss"

When my sister was a toddler (possibly even younger), we went to a company picnic hosted by my mom's employer. They had a pool, but being 4 and 1, we weren't allowed to go swimming by ourselves. I don't even think my parents brought bathing suits (my dad is allergic to chlorine and my mom probably didn't want to get her hair wet). . .

My sister had other plans. She toddled right over to the edge of the pool and went in.

Obviously, my parent's IMMEDIATELY went in after her (I was probably sitting "angelically" off to the side watching, waiting for her to get yelled at). And, she was fine (arguably annoyed that she couldn't go back in). . .

I tell you this because I have always thought Mikie and my sister were kindred spirits. I just didn't realize to what extent. . .

On Friday, the camp took the kids on a field trip to the town beach. Mikie was ECSTATIC. First, he got to ride a school bus for the first time. Second, he drove past Nibbles's school (he claims he waved to her from the bus). Third, he had a hot dog for lunch. Lastly (and most importantly), he got to go SWIMMING.

Now, Mikie can't swim. We took him to Red Cross swim classes in Maryland (nearly three years ago), and he has zero fear of the water. He knows to kick his legs and move his arms, and he knows that he can float if he lays on his back with his head back, but he can't swim without support (either a grown-up or floatation device). However, I didn't expect there to be any issues. Obviously, it was a beach. Like the beach we go to when we visit Grandma Kerrie, I assumed he would play in the shallow water with his friends. There would be a lifeguard and adult supervision. What could go wrong?

In hindsight, I realize how naive I was. After all, this is MIKIE we're talking about. Mikie, who reminds me of my sister on a daily basis. We can't go anywhere without there being a story to tell afterwards.

Friday was no different. Around 2pm, I received a call from the owner of the daycare who runs the summer camp. He was calling to tell me about an "incident" that occurred with Mikie at the beach. . .

Typically, "incident" means Mikie bit/hit/harassed/wrestled/etc. some kid at school. OR it means he was injured and I need to come take him to the ER. So my mind immediately jumped to three possible scenarios:

1. Mikie drowned.
2. Mikie drowned another child.
3. Mikie jumped in the water, hit his head on something, and has a concussion.

Mikie was splashing in the water, playing with his friends. In his excitement, he didn't realize that he was bouncing further away, until the beach dropped off. A life guard and paramedics rushed in to rescue him.

Aside from being physically okay, Mikie is totally unscathed by the incident. When I asked him about his day, he didn't even tell me about his "near miss". And, according to the teacher, he went right back into the water, not wanting to leave to eat lunch, let alone leave when it started raining. He eventually admitted to Mike and I that he "accidentally" went into a "deep section" and it was "really cold" and "seaweed was touching my foot."

And, I learned a valuable parenting lesson: Always send your kid out with a life vest. Especially if your child's name is Mikie Trahan (or Katie McLaughlin).

Love, The Trahans