A league of his own

I have always known that I had an extraordinarily active toddler. Having spent the majority of our time around other toddler girls, I simply assumed that the difference had to do with the fact that Oliver was a boy. Wrong. I had my eyes opened this past week as Oliver and I began swimming lessons. The class is made up of almost all boys, but Oliver is by far the most energetic. While the other boys cling to their moms in the water Oliver does his best to squirm/run/wiggle his way out of my arms. While the other boys gently practice blowing bubbles in the water Oliver is usually engaged in contorting his body so as to get the most force into his full-body splashes. (I feel bad for the moms who come with their hair already done because no one within ten feet of Oliver manages to escape the pool still dry.) When it is time to jump off the wall to mommy the other kids gently fall into their mother's outstretched arms. Oliver, on the other hand, does one of two things, he either turns and bolts toward the deep end or he yells and then jumps to the side in an effort to "escape" me. The most obvious difference however comes in the locker room. I have watched in amazement this past week as all the other little toddlers sit patiently while their mom's dry off and dress. I knew beforehand that would never be an option for me. I don't bother with the lotion or the drying off or brushing my hair. Instead I scramble as quickly as I can to pull some sweats over my dripping wet swimsuit. Just in the time it takes me to do that I usually have to pull Ollie out of the bathroom stalls at least twice and the garbage can once. There are days when I seriously consider investing in a child leash.