The giggling Sam asks, “Is Daddy tougher than you too Grandpa?”
I chuckle and say, “You’re Grandpa never has to worry about being tougher than me. I’ll never hurt him, because I love your Grandpa.”
The coach chuckles and says, “I love you too JJ. I’m glad I’ll never have to find out.”
Sam thinks for a second then giggles saying, “Me too Grandpa.”
Michelle giggles, “Your Daddy is tougher than that big old black bear that wanted to eat me.”
Sam with big eyes asks, “Really Aunt Michelle?”
I chuckle and say, “We can tell her the story later. If we keep talking I’ll never get the chance the teacher to swim.”
Sam giggles and says, “I want to hear the story, but I want to learn to swim now.” With that I take Kathryn by the hand and carrying Sam into the solarium we walked to the shallow end of the pool and I walk down the steps in with Sam in my arms and Kathryn in tow.
Once I’m in the water up past my naval and Sam’s feet and legs are beginning to get wet. Sam giggles and starts kicking in the water. I let her play for a little as her and Kathryn splash each other. All her Aunts begin to splash Sam, Kathryn, and me. Of course we splash back as they are all giggles. After a little, and a few splashes to her face Sam hides her face against me. I hold my hand up and say, “I think that’s enough splashing right now.”
Sam grumbles, “Somebody got water in my eyes.”
I chuckle and say, “Happens a lot when you are in the pool. Kathryn, can you show Sam how to float?”
Kathryn gets the why me expression on her face as she shakes her head no. Forcing myself not to laugh I ask, “Kathryn you know how to float?”
With a look of displeasure and brownish gray eyes Kathryn looks at her Dad and says, “The person who taught me how to swim just tossed me in and made me swim around until I got good at it.”
I chuckle and say, “A lot of people learn to swim that way, a lot become very fearful of the water too.”
I pass Sam to Kathryn, “Okay I’ll show both of you how to float. Just watch a show you how easy it can be.”
I take a breath holding it I lay back gently in the water. I sink just below the surface and then relaxing I rise till my face is completely out of the water. Breathing shallowly I only rise and sink a little with each breath. I turned to look at the two as they grin at me. On my exhale I say, “Once you relax totally it’s easy.” Another breath in and I rise in the water again and say, “If you tense up you will sink.” I take another breath in and hold it. I tense my body up and began to sink under the surface I relax again and rise back up above the surface. I stand in the water again. Once you learn how to do that you can rest in the water for a long time and recover your strength.
Sam asks, “Can I try Daddy?”
I say, “Okay Sam, first remember you can only breathe air. Don’t try to breathe the water.”
Sam giggles saying, “I know that. Daddy, I take baths.”
With a smile I say, “Just reminding you Princess Sam. First take a deep breath and hold it. I’ll keep my hand underneath you, so you will not sink like I did. When you float off my hand I want you to stay relaxed and float as long as you can.”
With one hand under her neck as she lays back releasing Kathryn, Sam begins to stretch out in the water I keep her from moving away. I gently reduce the pressure holding Sam up; she sinks only a little until my hand has about half-inch space under her. At first Sam exhales too deeply and begins the sink until she run into my hand. I raise her up and say smaller breaths then allow her to sink back into the water she inhales rises from my hands. As she exhales she stops when she feels herself beginning to sink and takes another breath in a she rises in the water again with a large smile on her face. I let her float for five minutes.
With an approving smile I say, “Okay Sam it’s Mommy’s turn to learn how to do it.” I move Sam up on my shoulders and she straddles my neck and holds on around my head.
Kathryn still with the why me expression comes forward. I laid her back gently, and repeat the instruction to Kathryn who I know already knows them. Kathryn resting on my hand with her nose and mouth above the water I raise her up until her ears her out to tell her to relax totally let your lungs expand as much as possible. She does as I gently lower her back she doesn’t sink nearly as far. She gets a wide grin on her face before she says, “it’s easier than I thought.” She has to suck in a breath to keep above water but she manages it. I let Kathryn float for five minutes also.
She stands and hugs me, “You know that is the most relaxing thing I’ve done in the pool in a few days.” Mom and Helen overhearing began laughing. That causes a lot of confused looks from her sisters as well as her father and Sam. Kathryn and I just laugh a long with our mothers and don’t bother to explain.
It only takes a few seconds for everyone to go back to what they were doing anyway. I lift Sam off my shoulders turning her and pulling her back to my chest I ask, “Ready to try it again Sam?”
Sam shakes her head yes, before I let her back in the water I tell her, “This time Sam I want you to fan your hands in the water.” I show Sam how to hold her hands in fan in the water. She has a look of what’s that going to do. “Now we will move in the water as you do that.” Sam’s eyes brighten.
As Sam floats and fans her hands she begins to slowly move she has a bright smile. I tell her to raise her head so she can see where she is going. I have Kathryn move a few steps ahead of her just to Sam raises her head she sees Kathryn in the direction she’s headed. She moves her hands even faster in the water. Only letting the tips of my fingers touch her back once in a while to ensure her I’m still with her.
Kathryn stands still and allows Sam to swim to her. It’s not really pretty or graceful and technically not swimming, but it will move her around in the pool until she can get to where she can get out. Sam bumps into Kathryn who pulls Sam into a hug. Sam has a smile that will light up the solarium even in the middle of the night or brighten it in the day. She says happily, “Mommy I was moving. I was moving in the water. Did you see me?”
Giggling Kathryn says, “You’re doing great Sam.” We let Sam float back and forth between the family members for at least half an hour before reluctantly taking her out of the pool.
I tell her, “We need to take a shower and begin to make breakfast.”
Sam giggles and her stomach growls, “I think my tummy is ready for breakfast.”
I let her and Kathryn shower, then quickly shower myself. We dress and walked downstairs to make breakfast. With all my in-laws here I make some extra pancake batter and pull out the large griddle to begin making stacks of pancakes. I can cook a half a dozen at a time so it doesn’t take very long for me to make nearly fifty pancakes. Misty and Marshall are helping Kathryn with eggs and bacon. Sam is sitting on my shoulders and helping me watch pancakes. MC comes in sleepily she began setting the plates and silverware at Kathryn’s direction. It doesn’t take long and breakfast is complete.
Alyssa giggles saying, “This looks great.” She steals Sam off my shoulders. Alyssa is giving the little girl lots of kisses and wishing her good morning. She takes her over to the table and sets her in her lap. She doesn’t wait for the rest of us and begins to feed Sam.
It doesn’t take long for everyone to find a seat at the table. The room breaks out into chaos with everyone reaching for pancakes, eggs or beacon. Then it calms quickly as everyone has food and begins to eat. And like always when everyone was here, we began to talk, laugh and discuss a hundred things. I mention the shopping trip this afternoon and MC asks, “Is it okay if I come along too?”
Kathryn says, “Yes. We are not going to leave you here all by yourself to get lonely.”
Mom and Helen takes care Sam as we trade, occasionally Sam comes up and I or Kathryn spends a few minutes with her in our laps before an Aunt or Grandmother steals her away. After lunch Sam spends a lot of time on my lap as she slowly nods off to sleep I gently walk over to our bed and lay her down for her nap.
Marshall Misty and Joan had the money from the previous day of trading. MC’s created her account she moved all the money from her brokerage fund account which gave her just a little under what Marshall Misty and Joan had. She got a call from her broker early in the morning she took great pleasure in telling him, “You’re fired.”
The trading day finishes, I don’t need to look at the totals to know we did really well today too. Marshall, Misty, MC, and Joan look over their totals. They are in shock for a few seconds with their mouths open and wide eyes staring at their accounts. MC is the first to recover from her shock, she jumps at me throws me into a hug. It’s not a sexual moment it’s just she is so happy she needed to hold someone. She releases me and grabbed Kathryn hugging her tightly too. Marshall and Misty kiss, and Joan giggles hugs the two of us. Joan says, “You think Mom was happy the last time.”
Now with tears in her eyes MC says, “That’s more than Dad left me in his will. That asshole broker selected the worst stocks out there. He lost money almost on every trade. That’s why it was so fun to fire him.”
Kathryn says, “You should never trust a broker who doesn’t perform well consistently. You never know if they’re protecting some clients at the expense of others.”
Michelle Collins, MC says, “I’m happy you guys let me join in this class. I may not know everything Kathryn or JJ knows, but I know more than my former broker, and my account exhibits that.”
I smile and say, “A few more days like today and you can retire pulling in around a million a year after taxes. This first year taxes are going to be rather high and you going to have to make enough to pay those, and leave a large enough balance to give you dividends of nearly two million yearly.”
Marshall points out, “We would be halfway there if we didn’t have to pay taxes.”
MC suggests, “We always can talk to a few congressmen and see if we could get exempted like a lot of the other people I know of.”
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